Army Cpl. Donald E. Matney, missing from the Korean War, has now been accounted for.
On July 20, 1950, Matney was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division when his unit attempted to delay enemy from capturing a town near Taejon, South Korea. Enemy infantry and armor units were able to force the division out of the town and block withdrawal routes. Matney was reported missing in action following the attacks.
In March 1951, unidentified remains were recovered by a local resident in Taejon and designated X-739. They were moved to the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok, South Korea, where identification was attempted. Due to a lack of substantiating evidence, the remains were not able to be identified and were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.
In May 2016, the remains were disinterred from the cemetery and sent to the laboratory for identification.
Scientists used dental, chest radiograph comparison, and anthropological analysis to identify Matney’s remains.
Interment services are scheduled for Nov. 19 in Seymour, Missouri.