Richard Mitchell Lewry, Korean War CasualtyPorter County Data on Korean War Casualties . . . .
Richard Mitchell Lewry
Corporal, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Provisional
Marine Brigade
Date of Birth: August 11, 1930
Date of Death: August 19, 1950
Burial: Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, Virginia)
Cause of Death: Died of Wounds (Obong-ni Ridge, Korea)
Hometown: Furnessville
Newspaper Notices:
Former Area Youth Killed In Action
Richard Lewry Once Resided At Furnessville
For the second time since the Korean conflict started, Furnessville, in Pine
Township, today is in mourning because a former resident of the small hamlet in
northeast Porter county has been killed in action.
He was Pfc. Richard Lewry, who died from wounds received in action Aug. 18.
As a boy he was a familiar figure in Furnessville. The son of Mr. and Mrs. John
Lewry, members of a pioneer family of Furnessville, he attended the Chesterton
grade school. Also, as a boy he was a playmate of Pfc. Robert Payne, who was
killed recently in action in Korea, the first reported in the county.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewry, parents of the war hero, now live at Portsmouth, O., where
they moved 10 years ago. Furnessville friends have just received word of his
death.
Besides his parents, young Lewry is survived by a sister, Karen, age 18.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Payne, of Furnessville, parents of Pfc. Robert Payne,
reported killed Aug. 30, in Korea, have received word that their son has been
awarded posthumously the Purple Heart ribbon.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; August
31, 1950; Volume 24, Number 49, Page 1, Column 4
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;
October 23, 1950; Volume
24, Number 94, Page 1, Column 2
Return to
List of
Porter County Korean War Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook