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R.I.P sir. Thank you for your service.Once a marine always marine.
On November 27, 1950, elements of the 1st Marine Division were positioned at Yudam-ni, on the western side of the Chosin Reservoir in northeast North Korea, when Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a sudden and massive attack against U.S. forces at the reservoir. The Marines defended their position at Yudam-ni for several days before being forced to withdraw to Hagaru-ri at the reservoir's southern end. There they met the 31st Regimental Combat Team and the decision was made to withdraw south toward Koto-ri, and then the harbor at Hungnam, where the beleaguered troops could be evacuated from the peninsula. By December 7, the majority of Marines and soldiers had made it to Koto-ri. From there, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 7th Marine Regiment led the column toward Hungnam, facing numerous CCF roadblocks and constant enemy fire during their fighting withdrawal.
Corporal Ralph Merle Engstrom, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Tennessee, was a member of Headquarters Battery, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. His company was stationed at the rear of the withdrawal column along with several tanks, and left Yudam-ni on December 10. During their withdrawal, one of the tanks in the group stalled and blocked the others, and the recon company stayed behind to defend the halted tanks. The CCF attacked the stalled Marines, and Cpl Engstrom went missing in action during this fighting. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and his remains have not been recovered or identified. Today, Corporal Engstrom is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Deferred.