D Company, 7th Marines: Korea 1951 & 1952

One Man Missing

The Seventh Marine Regiment had been in reserve for five days, but 18 men from the 3rd Platoon of "Dog" Company were going back to the lines. We did not have to go. We volunteered. One of our buddies has been listed as missing in action (MIA) and we were going back up to the bunkered, battered, corpse-strewn hill to find and to perhaps help him


Arthur J. Weisberger
Combat Correspondent attached to D Company



Hill 749 about a week after having been taken by the 7th Marines.

Art Weisberger

Arriving to the Front Lines, we pushed on up Hill 673 and along the ridge line to Hill 749. we passed many bunkers with dead North Koreans still in them ... there was the ever-present smell of death all around.

The patrol finally reached 749, a bullet whined off a rock and someone yelled, but PFC Jack C. Godsey did not answer. He had found the missing man ... dead

We gathered around the body. Some of us wept softly, unashamedly, and some of us swore. Then we all prayed.

The fallen Marine was placed on a stretcher and we took turns carrying it. Two hundred yards down another trail we met the 1st Marine Division Chaplain and he administered the last rites to our brother.



Navy Chaplain James F. Follard gave the last rites to the dead Marine being brought in by the patrol.

Art Weisberger



The Marines of the patrol with the body of our fellow Leatherneck (Pfc Joseph A. McKenna), previously listed as MIA.
In the photo;
Front Row, L-R: Pfc Ryan Hietala, Pfc Robert Weidner, Cpl Joseph R. Lodala, Pfc Scott Weeden, Pfc Richard Easterwood, Pfc Charles D. Howe, Lucky Kim, S/Sgt Ronald E. Stoneking
Second Rowe, L-R: Cpl Elmer G. Nicholls, Cpl John R. Fielding, Cpl Arthur Kroeger, Pfc Michael Kamenca, Pfc Jack C. Godsey
Third Row, L-R: Pfc Howard C. Smith, Pfc Arlo Jerve, Cpl John R. Godsworthy
Top Row, L-R: Pfc Fred P. Frankville, Pfc Johnnie Evans, Cpl Arthur J. Weisberger, Lt David McKay, Pfc Richard J. Curtin, HN James W. Hartley.

Art Weisberger




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