Army Sgt. 1st Class Harold P. Haugland, missing from the Korean War, has now been accounted for.
In late November, 1950, Haugland was a member of Company D, 15th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was engaged by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. By early December, the U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 wounded service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured or killed in enemy territory. Because Haugland could not be accounted for by his unit at the end of the battle, he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 2, 1950.
Haugland’s name did not appear on any prisoner of war lists and no returning Americans were able to provide any information concerning Haugland as a prisoner of war. Due to the prolonged lack of evidence, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.
Although the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service hoped to recover American remains that remained north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone after the war, administrative details between the United Nations Command and North Korea complicated recovery efforts. An agreement was made and in September and October 1954, in what was known as Operation Glory, remains were returned. However, Haugland’s remains were not included and he was declared non-recoverable.
During the 36th Joint Recovery Operation in 2004, recovery teams conducted operations on the eastern bank of the Chosin Reservoir, in the vicinity of Twikkae Village, North Korea, based on information provided by a Korean witness. During the excavation, the recovery team recovered possible human remains of at least five individuals.
DNA analysis, dental analysis and circumstantial and anthropological evidence were used in the identification of his remains.
Interment services are pending.