Killed in Korean War, Army Sgt. Beaty accounted for

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced recently that Army Sgt. Charles E. Beaty, 26, of Lake City, Arkansas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Apr. 5, 2024.

In late 1950, Beaty was a member of Item Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 3, after his unit was attacked by Chinese People’s Volunteer Army forces as they attempted to withdraw to the town of Hagaru-ri near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, Beaty’s remains could not be recovered and he was reported Missing In Action. The exact circumstances of his loss were unknown.

On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Beaty’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mitochondrial genome sequencing (mtG) analysis.

Beaty’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Beaty will be buried in Lake City, Arkansas, on a date to be determined.