Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance

As of March 29, 2023, Defense Department Instruction 1300.18, “DOD Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures,” provides the policy for determining official Korean War casualties and eligibility criteria for inclusion on the wall.

Eligibility criteria

“6.6.3.  Each request will be endorsed with a Service recommendation to add the member’s name on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance or that the name not be added because the deceased veteran does not meet the established criteria. In order for a Service member to have their name added to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance, one of the following criteria must be satisfied.  A Service member must have:

6.6.3.1.  Died within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea, participating in actual combat operations or in support of combat operations.  Geographical boundaries thus include in addition to the Korean peninsula, the Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Korean Straight, and the Korean Bay between June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953; or

6.6.3.2  Died in the defined combat zone on or after July 28, 1953 to July 27, 1954; or

6.6.3.3.  Died as a result of wounds (combat or hostile related) sustained in the combat zone; or

6.6.3.4.  Died while participating in, or providing direct support to, a combat mission immediately en route to or returning from a target within the defined combat zone; or

6.6.3.5.  Killed or died from wounds resulting from combat or hostile related action by an enemy of the United States within the territorial limits of Korea before June 25, 1950 or after July 27, 1954; or

6.6.3.6.  Died from physical injuries, other than wounds, occurring in a defined combat zone, provided that death occurred within 120 days of the incident; or

6.6.3.7.  Died from a diagnosed illness while in a defined combat zone or outside the combat zone provided that death occurred within 120 days from departing the defined combat zone and that death occurred within 120 days of the diagnosis.”

The criteria above does not require that the service member was killed in action or that the cause of death was combat related.

View the DOD list to see if your loved one’s name is already considered a Korean War casualty. If your service member is not on the list and you believe they are eligible for inclusion on the wall, you must submit evidence and documentation in written form to show how your service member meets the established criteria. DODI 1300.18, paragraphs 6.1.2.3.4 and 6.1.2.3.6, provides information about the policy that mandates medical documentation and other requirements.

To request corrections, connect with your service headquarters below.

United States Army:
Address: Headquarters U.S. Army Human Resources Command
Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division
Attn: AHRC-PDC-P
1600 Spearhead Division Ave.
Fort Knox, Kentucky, 40122-5405
Telephone: 800-626-3317
Commercial: 502-613-9025
Email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-cmaoc-csb-casualty@army.mil

United States Marine Corps:
Address: Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps
Attn: Korean War Memorial
2008 Elliot Road
Quantico, Virginia, 22134-5030
Telephone: 800-847-1597, select Option 1
Email: usmc_korean_war_memorial@usmc.mil

United States Navy:
Address: Department of the Navy
Attn:  POW/MIA Office
Navy Personnel Command PERS-00C
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, Tennessee, 38055-3120
Telephone: 800-443-9298
Email:  NavyPOW-MIA.fct@navy.mil

United States Department of the Air Force:
Address: Headquarters Air Force Casualty — Casualty Sustainment Branch
550 C St. West
JBSA-Randolph, Texas, 78150-4721
Toll Free: 800-531-5501
Email: AFPC.DPFC.POW.MIA@us.af.mil

United States Coast Guard:
Address: Commander
Personnel Service Center
Attn: PSC-PSD-FS
U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7200
2703 Martin Luther King Junior Ave. South East
Washington, D.C.,  20593-7200
Telephone: 571-266-2375
Email: Hqs-smb-cgpsc-psdfs-casualty@uscg.mil

To begin the process, a family member, friend or other individual must make a request for the name of their service member to be added to the existing DOD list of official Korean War casualties.

The DODI 1300.18, “DOD Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures,” outlines the review process for determining whether a service member is eligible to be included on the wall.

“6.6.1.  For the Korean War reporting purposes only, any death or wounding in the Korean War combat zone between July 28, 1953 to July 27, 1954, will be reported.  All casualties that have already been declared as official casualties of the Korean War are eligible for inclusion on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance.

6.6.2.  All requests to add names to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance will be forwarded to the Director, DoDHRA for recommendation.  The Director, DoDHRA will provide recommendations to the DoD Casualty Advisory Board, which will provide recommendations to the USD(P&R).  USD (P&R) will provide to the Secretary of the Interior a final list of names of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died in the Korean War as determined by Secretary of Defense, for inclusion on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance.  Family members or other interested parties will be advised that the request has been forwarded for decision and an update will be provided when a decision has been made.”

In providing its list of Korean War veterans for inclusion on the wall, the DOD will use the name in the service member’s official military record.