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Governor orders flags lowered for Ky serviceman killed in Korean War; remains recently identified


Gov. Matt Bevin ordered flags at state office buildings to be lowered to half-staff on Saturday to honor a Kentucky serviceman who was killed in the Korean War but whose remains were only recently identified.

Pvt. First Class Joe Elmore



Pvt. First Class Joe Stanton Elmore, 20, died on Dec. 2, 1950 in Changjim County, Hamgyeong Province, North Korea. A member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, PFC Elmore was one of approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 Republic of Korea soldiers assigned to the 31st Regimental Combat Team, also known as Task Force MacLean and later as Task Force Faith. 



Elmore was reported missing on Dec. 2, 1950, following an engagement that occurred in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir.

The return home of Elmore’s remains is the culmination of a 23-year-long effort to identify remains first repatriated by the People’s Republic of Korea in 1995. The identification of repatriated remains often requires years, if not decades, of detailed examination and meticulous forensic analysis.

Funeral services were held in Albany on Saturday.


Bevin encourages individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies to join in this tribute by lowering the flag in honor of PFC Elmore.


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