WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Sgt. Celestino Chavez, Jr., 19, of Gallup, New Mexico, killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for April 15, 2025.
Chavez's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Chavez was assigned to D Battery, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was wounded while defending his position near near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and evacuated to an aid station on Nov. 30. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, when his convoy was ambushed by opposing forces in route to Hagaru-ri. The U.S. Army did not receive any indication that he was ever held as a prisoner of war and with no evidence of his continued survival, issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for continuing to man his position despite his wounds during the Nov. 30 attack.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Chavez’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data, and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism analysis.
To see the most up-to-date statistics on DPAA recovery efforts for those unaccounted for from the Korean War, go to the Korean War fact sheet on the DPAA website at: https://www.dpaa.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/569610/progress-on-korean-war-personnel-accounting/.
Chavez will be buried in his hometown on April 15, 2026.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
For additional information on the War Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/, or https://x.com/dodpaa.
Chavez’s initial ID announcement can be read at: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/4160281/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-chavez-c/.
Chavez’s personnel profile can be viewed at: Sgt. CELESTINO CHAVEZ JR. - Service Member Profile