Remains of Kansas City Soldier Killed in Korean War to be Buried in Hawaii
Kansas City, MO – An enduring saga that began over seventy years ago is finally coming to a close. The remains of a Kansas City soldier who fell during the Korean War have been positively identified and will soon be laid to rest with honor.
Identification of the Missing Soldier
The U.S. Department of Defense released an announcement on February 14th stating that the remains of Army Corporal Adin C. Norris had been conclusively identified. This identification came nearly seven decades after Cpl. Norris had initially been reported missing in action, lost on the battlefield of Taejon, South Korea in 1950.
Norris, a member of the K Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was just 21 when he was reported missing. As the Army withdrew from Taejon under heavy fire, many soldiers including Norris were not accounted for. The situation made it impossible to recover any remains, and there was no evidence to suggest that he had been taken as a prisoner of war.
Following Norris’s disappearance, a presumptive declaration of death was issued on December 31, 1953, essentially closing the book on a painful chapter for his family and loved ones.
Recovery and Identification of Remains
After the area’s control was reclaimed, the Army started the grim task of recovering remains from the battlefield. Many of the remains could not be identified and were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, among countless other unnamed warriors who lost their lives in the war.
However, in a turning point in December 2022, the Department of Defense reported that through a series of scientific tests, Cpl. Norris’s remains were finally identified and accounted for, offering a melancholy sense of closure.
A Proper Farewell
Now, Cpl. Norris will be given a funeral befitting a soldier who served his country with valor. He will be formally interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific later this month. The service ensures that a soldier once lost to time and the fog of war will be forever remembered with dignity and honor.
Corporal Adin C. Norris’s name can be found on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, but when his remains are laid to rest on February 23, a rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that he is accounted for.
From a forgotten battlefield in Korea, through decades of uncertainty and waiting, a soldier is finally coming home. The story of Corporal Adin C. Norris stands as a reminder of the commitment to leave no soldier behind, no matter how much time may pass. It is a testament to the respect and honor our nation bestows upon those who serve and sacrifice in its name.
