Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Remains Of Korean War Soldier Finally Return Home To Southern California
Army Cpl. Robert Witt (Photo courtesy of Robert Witt's family)
()
The remains of a U.S. soldier who died during the Korean War have finally been returned to his family in Southern California.Almost 65 years after his death, the remains of Army Cpl. Robert Witt were recently identified and just last week returned to his last surviving family member, sister Laverne Minnick, reports the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Witt has been missing since the Korean War and following a lengthy recovery and identification process, his body was finally identified last month.
Witt grew up in Bellflower, attended high school in Norwalk and afterward enlisted in the Army in 1948 at the age of 18. Then in December 1950, while fighting with his battalion in North Korea during a particularly difficult battle near Chosin Reservoir, he was reported missing. But in 1953, U.S. officials established that Witt had died of malnutrition as a POW, sometime around 1951. However, Witt's remains were not among those returned to the U.S. by North Korea.
Witt's surviving sister, Minnick, now 82 and living in Huntington Beach, recalls the day when Army officials informed her family of her brother's death. "When I got up the next morning and looked at my dad, his hair was gray," Minnick told the Press-Telegram. "It was brown the day before. It seemed like his hair turned gray overnight." But Witt's remains were still missing.
Then from 1990 to 1994, North Korea began returning 208 boxes of unidentified human bones—mostly fragments—that were believed to be the remains of roughly 600 U.S. veterans. Documents included with the remains suggested that some were recovered near where Witt was believed to have died. And in 2000, an excavation near the village of Hweaong-Ri recovered more remains.
Support for LAist comes from
The Pentagon's POW/MIA Accounting Agency then started the long process of trying to match the remains to missing soldiers using historical information and DNA samples—including those provided by Witt's family, reports the L.A. Times. The family received periodic updates on the project, but wasn't sure it would be successful in identifying Witt.
"I didn't think I would hear anything," Valerie Davis, Witt's niece, told the Press-Telegram. "My mom didn't think she would be alive to hear the news."
Then, last month, specialists identified two femurs that belonged to Witt and informed the family.
Last Friday, Witt was buried with full military honors at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.
"He's going to be home, where he belongs, with his family," Minnick explained to the Press-Telegram.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist