Army Cpl. Jules Hauterman, missing from the Korean War, has now been accounted for.
In late November, 1950, Hauterman was a medic with the Medical Platoon, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, when his unit was attached to the 31st Regimental Combat Team as one of its infantry battalions for the mission. The 31st RCT advanced to occupy the east side of the Chosin River. For three days and four nights, the unit battled the 80th Division of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces. The 31st RCT finally conducted a fighting withdraw south for safety at the Marine Base in Hagaru-ri. The convoy was eventually destroyed by the CPVF, and while some escaped across the frozen reservoir, more than 1,300 were captured or killed. Following the battle, Hauterman could not be accounted for and he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 2, 1950.
The CPVF and North Korean People’s Army periodically provided lists of prisoners of war during the war, but none listed Hauterman. Additionally, no returning American prisoners of war reported to have any information regarding Hauterman as a prisoner of war. Based on the lack of information regarding his status, the U.S. Army declared him deceased.
On Sept. 15, 1954, a set of remains reportedly recovered from the East Chosin Reservoir were sent to the Central Identification Laboratory in Kokura, Japan and attempted to make an identification. The remains, identified as X-15904, were declared unidentifiable in 1955, and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
On June 13, 2016, the remains identified as “Unknown X-15904” were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence were used in the identification of his remains.
Interment services are pending.