Robert Lee Emery, Korean War CasualtyPorter County Data on Korean War Casualties . . . .
Robert Lee Emery
Private, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 1929
Date of Death: October 15, 1950
Burial: Graceland Cemetery (Valparaiso)
Cause of Death: Killed in Action (South Korea)
Date of Enlistment: October 12, 1949
Awards: Purple Heart
Hometown: Valparaiso (Flint Lake)
Newspaper Notices:
Burlington Beach Youth Killed In Korea
R. L. Emery Is Victim, Family Hears
First Valparaiso Youth Reported Dead In This War
Robert Lee Emery, 20, has been killed in action in Korea, his mother, Mrs. B. F.
Ripley of Burlington Beach, learned Sunday night when she received a telegram
from the war department. He died Oct. 15.
The decedent was born May 6, 1930, in Piedmont, Mo., and came to this area about
15 years ago. His father preceded him in death in 1931. He formerly lived in
Valparaiso where he attended Central school and had resided with his mother at
Flint lake prior to enlisting in the Army in 1949.
Emery was the first resident of the Valparaiso area to be officially reported as
killed in action in this war. However, two other Porter county youths, Robert
Payne, 20, and Richard Lewry, both of Furnessville, were reported to have been
killed in Korea July 24 and Aug. 31, respectively. Another Valparaiso youth,
Pvt. Donald E. Walsh, 19, was reported missing in action in Korea on July 20,
and no further word has been received about him.
After his enlistment, Emery received his basic training in Kentucky and later
was sent to Japan where he was stationed when war broke out in Korea last June.
Details surrounding his death were not included in the telegram received Sunday
by his mother.
Brief Time In Korea
He had been in Korea only a short time. His mother received a letter only last
week which he had written while en route from Japan to Korea.
He was employed in the Gary Steel mills before enlisting in the Army.
Surviving in addition to his mother are four sister, Mrs. Florene Palmer of 1705
North Washington, Mrs. Louise Blake of 702 Franklin, Mrs. Mary Ann Bennett of
RFD 5, Valparaiso, and Mrs. Dorothy Roden of Gary, and three brothers, Jeff
Thompson of 1706 Washington, Lester Thompson of RFD 5, Valparaiso, and Jack
Edward Emery of South Locust.
The brief telegram did not indicate when the victim's body would be sent back to
this country.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; Volume
24, Number 94, October 23, 1950; Page 1, Column 2
Death of Son Confirmed In Army Letter
Pvt. Robert Emery Killed In Action Oct. 15 In Korea
Confirmation of the death of Robert Lee Emery, 21, killed in action Oct. 15 in
Korea, was received here Thursday by the victim's mother, Mrs. B. F. Ripley of
Blackhawk Beach.
There were no details of the circumstances surrounding Pvt. Emery's death in the
letter from the Department of the Army which confirmed the telegram received
here last Sunday.
Mrs. Ripley was informed in the letter from Gen. Edward F. Witsell, adjutant
general of the army, that Pvt. Emery's unit commander or chaplain later will
send a letter containing further information.
The decedent entered the Army in May, 1949, and received his basic training at
Fort Knox, Ky. On Sept. 22, 1949, he was sent overseas to Tokyo, and had been in
Korea since last Sept. 26.
A native of Piedmont, Mo., he is survived by his mother and step-father, B. F.
Ripley; four sisters, Mrs. Mary Ann Bennett, Mrs. Dorothy Roder, Mrs. Louise
Blake and Mrs. Florene Palmer, all of Valparaiso; three brothers, Jack Edward
Emery, Jeff Thompson and Lester Thompson, all of Valparaiso; and two
half-sisters, Mrs. Bertha Tullis of Monroe, La, and Mrs. Alice Lampkins of
Kansas City, Mo.
Pvt. Emery, who was 21, attended school here at Columbia and Central Junior
High, and was employed at Carnegie-Illinois in Gary before entering the service.
He was a member of the Methodist church.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; Volume
24, Number 98, October 27, 1950; Page 1, Column 6
North County Man Killed In Action On Korean Front
CHESTERTON, May 22 -- Pvt. Robert M. Lee, 23, Chesterton, was killed April 24 in
action in Korea, relative in Chesterton were notified Monday by the war
department.
He was the third Porter county soldier to die in action in the Korean war.
Pvt. Lee, a 1946 graduate of Chesterton High school, was born Oct. 23, 1927, in
LaPorte, and had lived in the Chesterton area since he was two years old.
After his graduation from high school, he worked two years in Smedman's IGA
store, Chesterton. He entered the army last Oct. 12 and was stationed at Camp
Atterbury and in Washington on the west coast before leaving for Japan and
Korea.
He landed in Korea April 6 and was killed in action 18 days later.
Prior to entering the service, he had resided with his grandmother, Mrs. Emma
Holst, and uncle, Russell M. Lee, at 615 South 3rd, Chesterton.
Other survivors are his mother, Mrs. Ida Lee, Porter; father, George Lee, Gary;
three brothers, Eugene, Chesterton, Charles Jack and Patrick Ray, Porter, and
two sisters, Mrs. Emma Prentiss, East Gary, and Miss Eileen Lee, Porter.
Pvt. Robert Lee Emery, 31, Burlington Beach, killed last Oct. 15 in Korean
action, and Pfc. Donald E. Walsh, 20, of 354 Lafayette, Valparaiso, were other
Porter county victims of the Korean war.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; May
22, 1951; Volume 24, Number 271, Page 1, Columns 6 and 7
Await Body Of War Hero
Robert L. Emery Was Kill In Action Year Ago
Another Korean war hero who gave his life on the field of battle is to be
brought back to Valparaiso for burial.
He is Robert L. Emery, 20, son of Mrs. B. F. Ripley, of Blackhawk Beach, Flint
lake. Young Emery was killed in action Oct. 15, 1950.
Mrs. Ripley had received work last week from the Defense department that the
body of her son was on its way back to the United States. Later she received
word that the body had arrived in San Francisco on the Malden Victory.
Also among the 600 Korean dead on the Malden Victory was Pfc. Donald
Walsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walsh, 961 Lincolnway, Valparaiso. The two
dead soldiers were friends and former schoolmates.
Attended Junior High
Young Emery was born in Piedmont, Mo., May 6, 1930, and came to Porter county 16
years ago. He attended Central Junior High school and enlisted in the army in
1949.
He received his basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., and was sent to Japan, where
he was stationed when the Korean conflict broke out in June, 1950. He was sent
to Korea and had been there only a short time when he was killed.
The body will be brought to the LePell funeral home here, accompanied by a
military escort, and military funeral rites will be conducted in charge of
Charles Pratt Post, American Legion. Arrangements are incomplete.
Young Emery is survived by his mother, Mrs. Ripley; four sisters, Mrs. Florene
Palmer and Mrs. Louise Blake, Valparaiso; Mrs. Mary Ann Bennett, RFD 5,
Valparaiso, and Dorothy Rode, Gary, and three brothers, Jeff Thompson, Lester
Thompson and Jack Edward Emery, all of Valparaiso.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
October 20, 1951; Volume 25, Number 92, Page 1, Column 5
Body of Robert Emery Due Here Wednesday
The remains of Pvt. Robert L. Emery, son of Mrs. B. F. Emery, of Blackhawk
Beach, Flint lake, killed in action in Korea, will leave New York at 8 p. m.
Tuesday, Nov. 6, and arrive in Valparaiso via the Pennsylvania railroad at 12:01
p. m. Wednesday, according to word received by relatives today.
The body will be taken to the LePell funeral home, 53 Monroe, pending burial
arrangements, which are incomplete. A military escort will accompany the body.
Young Emery lost his life on Oct. 15, 1950. Born in Piedmont, Mo., he came to
Porter county 16 years ago. He attended Central Junior High school in this city.
He enlisted in the army in 1949.
The dead soldier is survived by his mother, four sisters and three brothers.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
November 5, 1951; Volume 25, Number 105, Page 6, Column 1
Emery Rites Are Planned
Military Service To Be Conducted For War Victim
Military rites for Pvt. Robert L. Emery, son of Mrs. B. F. Ripley, of Burlington
Beach, Flint lake, killed in Korea, will be held at 2 p. m. Friday at the LePell
funeral home, 53 Monroe, with the Rev. Henry V. Deale, of the First Methodist
church, officiating.
The Charles Pratt Post, No. 94, American Legion, will be in charge of committal
services at the grave in Graceland cemetery.
The body of the young war hero arrived here in Valparaiso at 12:01 p. m.
Wednesday via the Pennsylvania railroad and was taken to the LePell funeral
home, where friends may call from 3 p. m. today until time of the rites
tomorrow.
S/Sgt. James R. Ray, of the U. S. Army escorted the body here. He is a guest in
the Ripley home at Flint lake.
Born in Missouri
Pvt. Ripley was born in Piedmont, Mo., May 6, 1930, and came to Porter county 16
years ago. He attended the Valparaiso schools and also was employed in the Gary
steel mills. He enlisted in the army in 1949, and was killed in action Oct. 15,
1950.
Surviving are the mother, Mr. B. F. Ripley; six sisters, Mrs. E. L. Tullis,
Monroe, La.; Mrs. Alice Lampkins, Kansas City, Mo.; Mrs. Louise Blake, Can
Francisco, Calif.; Mrs. Florene Palmer, Mrs. Mary Bennett and Dorothy Rodin, of
Valparaiso, and three brothers, Lester and Jeff Thompson, of Hobart, and Jack E.
Emery, Hobart.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
November 8, 1951; Volume 25, Number 108, Page 1, Column 8
Military Rites Held For Robert L. Emery
Memorial services for Robert L. Emery son of Mrs. B. F. Ripley, Blackhawk beach
who was killed Oct. 15, 1950 in action in Korea, were held Friday afternoon in
the LePell Funeral home.
The Rev. H. V. Deale, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiated, and
burial was in Graceland cemetery. Miss Mae Brown was organist. The local
American Legion post officiated.
Pallbearers were Les Casbon, Russell E. Ingram, John Pappas, Malcolm Fyfe, Fred
Miller and Eugene Annen.
Staff Sgt. James Ray, the military escort, presented Mrs. Ripley with an
American flag draped across the casket.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
November 12, 1951; Volume 25, Number 111, Page 3, Column 1
Return to
List of
Porter County Korean War Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook