Richard G. Desautels

Infobox Military Person
name= Richard J. Desautels
born= 1932
died= death year and age|1952|1932
placeofbirth=Shoreham, Vermont
placeofdeath= Shenyang, China
placeofburial=


caption= Richard Desautels, ca. 1950
nickname=
allegiance= flagicon|USA United States of America
serviceyears=1949–
rank=Sergeant
branch=United States Army
commands=
unit=A Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division
battles=Korean War
awards=Prisoner of War Medal
Purple Heart (partial list)
relations=
laterwork=Died in Captivity
Sergeant Richard G. Desautels [also reported as Addison] was a United States Army corporal who was captured on December 1, 1950 at Sonchu by communist forces and not returned by North Korea at the end of the fighting of the Korean War. More than half a century later, the Peoples Republic of China admitted that Sgt. Desautels died while in captivity in China, and that his remains were buried in Shenyang, China.

Early life

Richard Desautels was from Shoreham, Vermont. After growing up on a farm, he joined the U.S. Army at age 17. Originally stationed in Fort Lewis (near Tacoma, Washington), he was transferred to South Korea in August 1950 shortly after North Korea invaded the South. Desautels had a brother, Rolland. [cite web|url = http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Desautels&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GSsr=41&GRid=27677836& |title = Sgt Richard G. Desautels (1932 - 1953) - Find A Grave Memorial |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

Army service in Korea

Desautels was assigned to A Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, when his unit was overrun by a Chinese assault near Kunu-ri, North Korea, on December 1, 1950. At the time, he had attained the rank of Corporal. [cite web|url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_china_pow_revelation |title = China admits taking, burying US POW from Korea - Yahoo! News |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

He was last seen alive at Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea on August 7, 1953.

Return of war dead controversy

The Korean War cease-fire was signed in 1953. One of the provisions of the cease-fire was for all sides to return the bodies of soldiers from the opposing side by October 30, 1954, namely Korean Communications Zone (KCOMZ) Op Plan 14-54, also known as Operation Glory. [cite web|url = http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/korea/op_glory.htm |title = Korean War Exchange of Dead - Operation GLORY |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

The People's Republic of China has said no Americans were moved to Red Chinese territory from North Korea. [cite web|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-06-19-3393984860_x.htm |title =
] However, authorities from the People's Republic of China gave Pentagon officials details about Desautels in a March 2003 meeting in Beijing contradicting their public claims. This wasn't known until 2008 because this information had been kept confidential and was only released to the family.

There are reports that North Korea kept some American POWs after the war in retaliation for U.S. refusal to repatriate those American-held POWs who did not want to return. Gen. Mark W. Clark, former American commander of U.S. forces during the war wrote that "we had solid evidence" that hundreds of American POWs were kept after the war, possibly to gain leverage to replace the Republic of China (Taiwan) with the People's Republic of China (Red China) as the holder of the United Nations seat for China. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-06-19-3393984860_x.htm
] ]

Post-war POW

Communist reports are that Desautels became mentally ill and died on April 29, 1953. He was buried in Shenyang, formerly known as Mukden. That area has been cited as where prison(s) holding hundreds of American POWs were kept, possibly as a transfer point to bring them to Russia. [cite web|url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25272607/page/2/ |title = China admits taking, burying U.S. POW - China - MSNBC.com |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

At least 19 reports from former POWs held with Desautels were made, stating that he was alive. Desautels spoke Chinese and had disputes with his Red Chinese captors. [cite web|url = http://www.nationalalliance.org/korea/desautel.htm |title = Korean War POW Richard Desautel - Where is he now? |accessdate = 2008-06-21] According to Red Chinese reports, he was buried but his body was reburied during a construction project and the location is not known. [cite web|url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/19/world/main4197627.shtml?source=mostpop_story |title = China Admits Taking, Burying U.S. POW , After Decades Of Denial, China Says It Took U.S. POW From Korean War, Buried Him In Chinese Cemetery - CBS News |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

Promotion

During his imprisonment, Desautels was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

ee also

*United States Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs
*Eugene DeBruin

References

Further reading

* NORTHEAST ASIA First Supplement, 1945–1966, A UPA Collection, records of the U.S. State Department in the custody of the National Archives of the United States on matters relating to the Korean War, Japan in the post–World War II period, America’s Far Eastern policy, and the economic redevelopment of the war-torn region.
* Lucier, James P., "Insight on the News", The servicemen we left behind - diplomatic politics and US POW/MIA's in China, North Korea, Vietnam, March 30, 1998 [cite web|url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_n12_v14/ai_20442631/pg_2 |title = The servicemen we left behind - diplomatic politics and US POW/MIA's in China, North Korea, Vietnam | Insight on the News | Find Articles at BNET |accessdate = 2008-06-21]

External links

*http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=78&sid=1425276
*http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/19/america/NA-GEn-US-China-POW-Revelation.php
*http://korea50.army.mil/casualties/vermont_kias.html
*http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireStory?id=5208986&page=4
*http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/news/244615.php
*http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/671652.html
*http://www.military.com/news/article/china-admits-taking-burying-us-pow.html?col=1186032325324

[{Category:American military personnel of the Korean War]