WASHINGTON\u00a0\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Defense POW\/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Orestus M. Stewart, 20, of Magnolia Springs, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 26, 2025.<\/p>\n
Stewart’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.<\/p>\n
In the summer of 1950, Stewart was a member of Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reportedly killed in action on Aug. 11 in the vicinity of Kyong-ju, Republic of Korea (South Korea) when his unit was ordered to seize control of Yonil Airfield in the eastern sector of the Pusan Perimeter. His remains were not recovered following the battle and on Jan. 16, 1956, Stewart was declared nonrecoverable.<\/p>\n
In April 1954, Army personnel and South Korean citizens recovered a set of remains, later designated X-5495 Tanggok, from a shallow grave near Pugni-dong, South Korea. The Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, compared X-5495 to all unresolved U.S. casualties from the general area of recovery, however, the remains could not be associated with Stewart at the time. They were transported to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl in Honolulu, where they were interred as an Unknown.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 21, 2022, as part of its plan to disinter all Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl, DPAA disinterred X-5495 and accessioned the remains into the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.<\/p>\n
To identify Stewart\u2019s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System<\/a> used mitochondrial DNA analysis.<\/p>\n Stewart\u2019s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.<\/p>\n Stewart will be buried May 24, 2026, in his hometown.<\/p>\n For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.<\/p>\n 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 Accounting page on the DPAA website at: https:\/\/dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil\/dpaaFamWebKorean<\/a>.<\/p>\n For additional information on the Defense Department\u2019s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil<\/a> or on social media at www.facebook.com\/dodpaa<\/a>, https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dodpaa<\/a>, https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dodpaa\/<\/a>, or https:\/\/x.com\/dodpaa<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stewart\u2019s personnel profile can be viewed at https:\/\/dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil\/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000004laCEAQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stewart\u2019s initial ID announcement can be viewed at https:\/\/www.dpaa.mil\/News-Stories\/ID-Announcements\/Article\/4357805\/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-stewart-o\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n