Hoosier Soldier Killed in Korea Finally Identified

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INDIANAPOLIS — More than 70 years after he was killed in the Korean War, a Hoosier solider from Indianapolis has been identified.

Army Master Sergeant Wallace Simmons Jr. was only 36 years old when he died in December of 1950. He was killed in action near the Chosin Reservoir, and his remains stayed in North Korea for decades.

Prior to his death, Simmons had been with the Headquarters Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. No records indicate that he was ever a POW.

The man’s remains were finally sent back to the U.S. in 2018, after then-President Trump met with North Korean leadership. Thanks to DNA and other technologies, they were identified in June of this year.

Those remains are expected to be buried in Indianapolis. Learn more here.