Hilo man killed in Korean War identified almost 70 years later

Hilo man killed in Korean War identified almost 70 years later
Transfer cases in a hanger at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains prior to that. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Source: Susan Walsh)
By HNN Staff | November 21, 2019 at 7:37 AM HST - Updated November 21 at 7:37 AM

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hilo man killed during the Korean War has been identified after nearly 70 years.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Army Cpl. Wilfred K. Hussey Jr. was 19 when he was reported missing in action on Dec. 12, 1950.

His unit was attacked by enemy forces near Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.

His remains were returned to Hawaii last year after the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Scientists from the DPAA used DNA, material and circumstantial evidence to identify Hussey.

Hussey’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and a rosette will be placed next to his name to show he was accounted for.

Officials said he will be buried in his hometown of Hilo, but a funeral date has yet to be determined.

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