70 years later, Korean War soldier's remains ID'd

More than 70 years aft a Cayuga County worker was killed successful the Korean War, his remains person been identified. 

Army Pvt. Donald Fabrize, 19, was killed during a conflict connected July 16, 1950, on Geum River adjacent Daejeon, South Korea. He was serving with Company B, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. 

Fabrize was the archetypal worker from Auburn to beryllium killed successful the Korean War, according to a Democrat & Chronicle communicative published successful September 1950. In that story, it reveals that Fabrize's mother, Stella Leone, "had message returned marked 'deceased' for respective days." She contacted the Department of Defense, which notified her by telegram that her lad died successful combat. 

Fabrize was awarded respective medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Korean Service Medal. 

But his remains could not beryllium located oregon recovered, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said. The Army announced successful January 1956 that helium was non-recoverable. 

There was a acceptable of remains fixed the name, "Unknown X-36 Taejon," buried successful the United Nations Military Cemetery successful South Korea. The remains were examined, but designated unidentifiable. They were aboriginal moved, on with different unidentified remains, and buried astatine the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific successful Honolulu, Hawaii. 

In 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency developed a program to disinter and place the remains buried astatine the cemetery, besides known arsenic the Punchbowl. The 652 sets of remains included 53 recovered from the Daejeon area. 

The remains of "Unknown X-36 Taejon" were disinterred connected July 16, 2019, 69 years aft Fabrize's death, and transferred to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's laboratory astatine Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam successful Hawaii. 

Scientists utilized anthropological, dental and thorax radiograph analysis, on with circumstantial evidence, to place Fabrize's remains. Armed Forces Medical Examiner System scientists besides utilized mitochondrial DNA investigation to assistance with the process.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says Fabrize was accounted for successful September 2020, but the nationalist announcement was made present due to the fact that his household precocious received a briefing connected his identification.

Fabrize, who is listed connected the Courts of the Missing astatine the Punchbowl, volition person a rosette placed adjacent to his sanction — a awesome utilized to bespeak that a soldier's remains person been accounted for.

Politics newsman Robert Harding tin beryllium reached astatine (315) 282-2220 oregon robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him connected Twitter @robertharding.