Cpl Michael Grubisish was a Marine in Baker Bandits (B-1-5) Marines in Korea. After Chosin, the Marines changed strategy to send out squad -sized patrols to search for guerrillas. On January 31, 1951, Sergeant Yesenko and his squad-sized patrol set out on patrol but were somehow taken prisoners by the Chinese. We later heard they met with violent execution-type deaths at the hands of irregulars in the hills probably not too far from our encampment near the Pohang airstrip. West was part of that squad. My dad, Emmett Shelton was a Baker Bandit and had a newsletter for many years. Bandits shared their stories. I recently published those stories in a book BAKER BANDITS: Koreas Band of Brothers. It contains a number of stories from the guys who were there. If you are a relative, please contact me at Baker Bandits on Facebook.

Cynthia Shelton, My father was one of his fellow Marines in Korea

Courtesy of Judith Miller, Findagrave.com,

He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on January 31, 1951.

The Lost Patrol. In late January, 1951, patrols from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, were assigned to search out North Korean guerrillas operating in the area north and east of Taegu. The operations were part of the Pohang Guerrilla Hunt. On January 31, the 1st Battalion picked up six patrols, but one B Company Patrol 8 consisting of 11 men was overdue. By February 1, the 5th Marines reported that "one 11-man patrol of B Company that failed to return from a four-day reconnaissance on 31 January was still missing on this date."

Based on information obtained from civilians, the patrol was captured intact on 30 January 1951, near Jiha- Dong. "According to a civilian woman who was reported to have witnessed the patrol's capture, the Marines walked into a North Korean ambush on a trail and surrendered when trapped." The Marines and an accompanying Korean National Policeman were taken Prisoners of War and later executed. Some reports indicate the executions shortly after capture, but other reports cite February 20, 1951. Remains were found by Korean Policemen in the vicinity of Ihwa-Dong on or about March 7, 1951. A total of 26 Korean and American remains were recovered.

The unidentified American remains were taken to the Tanggok Cemetery for identification, and were assigned X-File designations. Subsequently these remains were identified and returned to the United States for burial. From research, it appears these Marines were never identified officially as Prisoners of War.

Unknown, Korean War Project Remembrance