Several thousand Citadel alumni were on duty when the Korean War broke out. Of these, we know of 25 that sacrificed their lives on or near the field of battle as a result of hostile action, with two of the 25 still listed as missing-in-action/presumed dead (MIA). During the battle 1/Lt Richard Smock was awarded the nations second highest combat medal, the Distinguished Service Cross, for “extraordinary heroism,” and one alumnus became a jet “Ace” by recording more than five victories over enemy aircraft. Captain William Mauldin, class of 1944, was shot down in 1951 and listed for 56 years as MIA until his crash site and remains were ID’d and returned home in 2008 to re-join The Citadel’s “Long Gray Line.” Additional information on the sacrifice of Citadel alumni during the Korean War is welcome as this list may not be a full accounting.
Credits to Mike Stannard,’65 for his research on this page.