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Accident – Death – Obituary News :
The Discovery of U.S. Army Cpl. Ray K. Lilly
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In a significant development, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recently announced that U.S. Army Cpl. Ray K. Lilly, a native of Matoaka, W.Va., who lost his life during the Korean War, has been officially accounted for on September 26, 2023.
The Mysterious Disappearance
Back in November 1950, Cpl. Lilly was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Tragically, he went missing in action following defensive actions near Unsan, North Korea, on November 2, 1950. It was later revealed that after Operation Big Switch, several returning prisoners of war (POW) reported sighting Cpl. Lilly at POW Camp #5. Subsequent investigations confirmed that Lilly had passed away in captivity in either January or February 1951.
The Unveiling of Unknown X-14682
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During Operation Glory in the fall of 1953, North Korea handed over remains to the United States, among which was a set labeled as Unknown X-14682. These remains were reportedly retrieved from POW camps, United Nations cemeteries, and isolated burial sites. Regrettably, none of the remains could be definitively identified as belonging to Cpl. Lilly. Consequently, the unidentified remains were interred as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
The DPAA’s Pursuit of Answers
In a bid to uncover the truth, the DPAA put forth a plan in July 2018 to exhume 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. Subsequently, as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project in 2019, the DPAA exhumed Unknown X-14682 and dispatched the remains to the DPAA laboratory for detailed analysis.
The Scientific Breakthrough
To establish the identity of Lilly’s remains, DPAA scientists relied on dental and anthropological analysis, alongside circumstantial evidence. Furthermore, experts from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System conducted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, which played a crucial role in confirming the identity of the fallen soldier.
A Closure for the Family
Cpl. Ray K. Lilly’s name is enshrined on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, alongside other individuals who remain missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to signify that he has now been accounted for. A burial service for Cpl. Lilly is scheduled to take place in Princeton, W.Va., with the date yet to be determined. For any enquiries regarding family and funeral arrangements, individuals are encouraged to reach out to the Army Casualty Office at 800-892-2490.
Tracking DPAA’s Recovery Efforts
For the latest updates on DPAA’s ongoing recovery efforts for those still unaccounted for from the Korean War, interested parties can visit the Korean War Accounting page on the DPAA website at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebKorean.
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