Cover photo: SFC Ramos laid to rest in Calverton (Credit – Town of Smithtown)
“No soldier left behind.”
This is the promise of the U.S. military and one to which they hold themselves, even if it takes years or decades to bring a fellow soldier home.
This was the setting for a Kings Park resident who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the Korean War who was finally returned home and given a proper burial.
Sergeant First Class (SFC) Israel Ramos entered the U.S. Army in New York and served in D Company, First Battalion, Ninth Regiment, Second Infantry Division. His unit was crucial in a series of battles for strategic positions along the Naktong River near Yongsan, South Korea, in August 1950.
Ramos’ battalion was the victim of a surprise attack from North Korean forces on August 31, 1950. Ramos was sadly captured and executed, and while his remains were recovered in December 1950, they could not be properly identified or tied to him. He was only eighteen at the time of his sacrifice. His remains were interred as “Unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
However, through modern technology and DNA studies, SFC Ramos’ remains were finally identified and connected to him.
In June 2021, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) exhumed Ramos’ remains and by using dental records, anthropological studies, mitochondrial DNA analysis, and radiographic evidence, the remains were confirmed to be his. His name is now marked with a rosette on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl in Honolulu, which designates his status as having been accounted for.
SFC Ramos’ family was joined by Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) and Councilman Tom Lohmann (R-Smithtown) to await his arrival at Clayton Funeral Home in Kings Park. Ramos’ remains were transported from JFK Airport by Edward McElhone of Clayton Funeral Home and was accompanied by an honor ride from the American Legion Rides, Rolling Thunder, the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, and the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol.
A flag arch constructed by the Kings Park and Northport fire departments awaited Ramos upon his return, with members of the Kings Park VFW Post saluting and serving as pallbearers during his official military funeral.
“We live in a beautiful community that will always honor the bravest of us, for their sacrifice. It was a distinct privilege…one I will never forget, welcoming home Korean War Sergeant First Class Israel Ramos,” said Supervisor Wehrheim. “He had been missing in action since August 31st, 1950, when enemy forces ambushed his team in a surprise attack along the Naktong River, in the vicinity of the village of Yongsan. We learned on Tuesday that he was captured and later executed by North Korean forces”
As of October 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that almost 7,500 U.S. service members are still MIA from the Korean War, with the DPAA believing that roughly 5,300 of these missing service members are still in North Korea.
“His family now has closure thanks to the work performed by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. And 74 years later, he received a hero’s welcome home thanks to so many incredible organizations who orchestrated the Military Funeral Services and Honor Mission,” said Wehrheim. “The entire Kings Park Community turned out to welcome home SFC Israel Ramos. It was a remarkable sight to witness. May we never forget his sacrifice and may every soldier, and service member past, present and future be honored for their selfless bravery, every day we are free. God Bless and rest easy SFC Ramos.”
Ramos was laid to rest at Calverton National Cemetery.
Even after three-quarters of a century, countless people have worked tirelessly to identify his remains and those of thousands more. Ramos’ sacrifice at such a young age serves as a reminder of the unparalleled price of freedom. His sacrifice, as well as the efforts of those to identify him and honor him with a proper burial, also serve as reminders that military honor never, and should never, expire.
