Army Sgt. Jesse “Johnnie” D. Hill, 20, of Highland Park, Mich., killed during the Korean War, was accounted for May 19, 2020 and landed in Los Angeles Aug. 9 escorted by his nephew, Capt. Richard Ortmann (above), Department of Physical Education instructor at West Point.
Hill was received by his niece Tammy and Steve Lamich, many of her fellow Delta colleagues, airport police, TSA, fire department and the USO.
In late 1950, Hill was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered. On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean 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 Hill’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
During the special escort mission, Ortmann escorted his great-uncleʼs remains from Oahu to LA and Detroit, until the final stop at Great Lakes National Cemetery (below) in Holly, Mich., for his funeral.
Photos provided by Capt. Richard Ortmann and Honoring Our Fallen