In God We Trust
Mike Davino, an officer in the 2nd Indianhead Division Association, researched the National Archives regarding Black-Americans who died in the Korean War. According to government records, there were 3,121 black veterans who died in the Korean War. The KWE is in the process of adding details about each one to this page of our website. To add information about Black-American casualties, contact us. For a spreadsheet of data from the National Archives, click here.
Abbey, Augustus A. - Born in 1929, Army veteran Augustus Abbey was killed in action on November 12, 1950. His home of record was St. Louis City, Missouri.
Abney, Artis Jr. - Born in 1930, Army veteran Artis Abney was killed in action on March 28, 1951. His home of record was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Acosta, Martinez Lu - Born in 1929, Army veteran Martinez Acosta was killed in action on September 16, 1952. His home of record was Puerto Rico.
Adams, Bernard B. - Born in 1929, Army veteran Bernard Adams was killed in action on August 29, 1950. His home of record was Mobile, Alabama.
Baker, Isaac - SFC Isaac Emanuel Baker was killed in action in South Korea on January 7, 1951, near Tanyang, South Korea. He was born May 11, 1922, in Florida and is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Blountstown, Florida. His mother was Jennie B. Baker of Blountstown. Sergeant Baker enlisted in the Army on December 12, 1942, and served in World War II and Korea. In Korea he was a member of the 2nd Airborne Ranger Company.
Benefield, William Maurice Jr. - William Benefield was born on June 23, 1926, in Arkansas, son of William Maurice Benefield Sr. (1903-1992) and Samantha M. Parker Benefield (1903-2000). He was married to Carrie W. Benefield (1925-2006), and was the father of Michael Benefield, who was age 2. Benefield enlisted in the military on November 14, 1945, at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. The World War II veteran was recalled to duty from the Enlisted Reserve Corps. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. [See also Medals for Bravery - Distinguished Service Cross]
Brown, Jesse LeRoy Jr. - Ensign Brown was born October 13, 1926, in Hattesburg, Mississippi, a son of John and Julia Lindsey Brown. His siblings were Marvin, William, Fletcher and Lura (brothers) and "Johnny" (sister). He was married to Daisy Pearl Nix (later Thorne) and they had a daughter, Pamala (later Pamala Brown Knight). Brown enlisted in the US Naval Reserves on July 08, 1946. He attended Ohio State University. In 1947 he became the first black to be accepted into Navy Flight School. On October 21, 1948, he was designated a naval aviator. On December 4, 1950, his F4U-4 was hit by Chinese anti-aircraft, and it crashed. In spite of a rescue attempt by his wingman Thomas J. Hudner (who crashed his own aircraft to try to save Jesse), Jesse died during his 20th combat mission in Korea. He was west of the Chosin Reservoir when he crashed. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and he was memorialized in the book, The Flight of Jesse Leroy Brown by Theodore Taylor. He remains missing in action. Daisy Brown Thorne was born in 1927 and died in 2014. [See also Black-American Firsts and Medals for Bravery - Distinguished Flying Cross on this page of the KWE.]
Dobie, King David - Corporal Dobie was born April 16, 1919, in Florida, the son of Diana Taylor. This World War II veteran had been overseas for two years when he was taken prisoner of war in the Kunu-ri area of North Korea. A member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, he died a non-battle death while POW. He was from Elkton, Florida.
Jackson, Levi Jr. - Levi Jr. was born July 27, 1926, the son of Levi Jackson and Lila Jackson of Lexington, South Carolina. He was a 1949 All-Army Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He died on August 13, 1950, in the Chindong-ni area of Korea and is buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina. [See also Medals for Bravery, Distinguished Service Cross section of this page.]
Johnson, Rosamond Jr. - Born in Florida in 1933, Rosamond Johnson, Jr., joined the army at 15. He was the first African American from Escambia County to die in Korea. Johnson served in the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division. Private First Class Johnson was killed in action on July 26, 1950, after carrying two wounded men to safety, for which he received the Purple Heart posthumously. The county named a blacks-only beach for him in the 1950s. Today Johnson Beach is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, where a monument in his honor was placed in 1996. Johnson was buried at Barrancas National Cemetery on April 23, 1952 (Section 8, Grave 65) [Source: www.cem.va.gov]
Jones, Joseph - Pfc. Jones was born February 28, 1929. He was wounded on June 14, 1953, and died of his wounds the next day. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ft. Myers, Florida.
Kittell, Anthony Lee - Born December 12, 1930, he was a member of the 3rd Transportation Amphibious Truck Company at Rennde, South Korea, when he died of "other causes" on August 11, 1951. He is buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery.
Littlejohn, Franklin - Pfc. Littlejohn was born October 02, 1918, in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Jesse James and Estha Richardson Littlejohn. He enlisted in the Army on August 16, 1940, at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. He was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, HQ Company, 3rd Battalion when he was killed in action in Korea on September 01, 1950.
Oakley, James - Corporal Oakley was born February 7, 1927. He was swept away in South Korean waters on February 20, 1951, just a few days before his 24th birthday. There is a marker in the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Florence, Alabama, for this World War II and Korean War veteran. In Korea he was serving with the 1st Ranger (Airborne) Infantry Company, attached to the 2nd Infantry Division.
Owens, Norris - Pfc. Owens was born May 8, 1930. He was a member of the 180th Infantry Regiment, Heavy Mortar Company of the 45th Infantry Regiment when he died of wounds on June 17, 1952. He is buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Shellman, Georgia.
Payne, Wilbert - Private Payne was killed in a truck accident in Korea (see Topics - Casualties - Truck Accidents on the KWE). He was born on February 01, 1919 in West Virginia, the son of William and Helen Payne. He died in Korea on October 14, 1950 and is buried in Rosedale & Rosehill Cemetery, Linden, New Jersey. Private Payne was called to active duty from the Enlisted Reserve Corps.
Robinson, Emual Henry - S/Sgt. Emual Henry Robinson was born December 12, 1929, in Lake City, South Carolina, the son of World War II Marine veteran Roy Robinson (1907-1971). He enlisted in the US Air Force on September 16, 1949. He was stationed at James Connally Air Force Base, Lake City, South Carolina (Medical Department). On August 04, 1952, he was riding in the back of a Greyhound bus when that bus collided head-on with another Greyhound bus south of Waco, Texas. In the fiery crash there were 28-29 fatalities and dozens of injured. Because Robinson was at the back of the bus, he was thrown out. Accounts state that time and time again he returned to the burning buses, knocked out windows, and dragged passengers to safety. Ultimately, he was engulfed in flames and incinerated while trying to carry a passenger to safety. The father of a five-year-old daughter at the time of his death, he is buried in Jones Cemetery, Florence County, South Carolina. He was a true American hero.
Walker, Donald Morris - Pvt. Walker was born April 16, 1931, in Washington County, Kentucky. He died in combat at the Chosin Reservoir and hastily buried there. His remains were recovered in 1954, but not identified until 2007. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Ware, William DuBois - William was born October 5, 1928, the son of Emil and Emma Ware of Winchester, Texas. He enlisted in the Army in Fayette County, Texas. He was missing in action on July 27, 1950. [See also Medals for Bravery: Distinguished Service Cross section.]