Kenneth R. Shadrick dropped out of high school in 1948 and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He spent a year of service in Japan before being dispatched to South Korea in 1950. He died on June 25, 1950, in the battle for Osan. His body was later identified as the most combat-ready soldier in the 24th Infantry Division’s three regiments.
About Kenneth R. Shadrick in brief
Kenneth R. Shadrick was a U.S. Army soldier who was killed at the onset of the Korean War. He was widely but incorrectly reported as the first American soldier killed in action in the war. He dropped out of high school in 1948 and enlisted in the U. S. Army. He spent a year of service in Japan before being dispatched to South Korea in 1950. He is still often incorrectly cited as thefirst U. s. soldier killed by a North Korean T-34 tank during the war, though his death is now believed to have occurred after the Battle of Osan. His funeral was attended by hundreds of people, and he is remembered as a hero by his family and many others in the military and civilian communities. He died on June 25, 1950, in the battle for Osan, and his body was taken to an outpost where journalist Marguerite Higgins was covering the war for The New York Times. His body was later identified as the most combat-ready soldier in the 24th Infantry Division’s three regiments. His remains were returned to the United States and buried at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on November 10, 1950.
His grave is now displayed at the National Infantry Museum in Washington, D.C., where he was buried with his wife and three children. His son, Robert Shadrick, is the son of Lucille, a coal miner, and Theodore, a former coal miner who worked in the coal mines in Wyoming, West Virginia, during the Great Depression. The family moved to Skin Fork, 20 miles away, as his father was looking for coal mining jobs, and Shadrick grew up in Harlan County, Kentucky. He became an avid reader throughout his childhood, who had a variety of interests, including Westerns and magazines. He also enjoyed riding his bicycle and, occasionally, hunting. He enrolled in Pineville High School in 1947 and received top marks in his classes. In 1948, Shadrick and a friend enlisted to serve in the Army; he was 17 years old. In 1949, he sailed for Japan to join the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th. Infantry Division, for post–World War II occupation duties.
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This page is based on the article Kenneth R. Shadrick published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 02, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
