In late 1950, during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, 30,000 UN soldiers faced harsh conditions in the North Korean mountains against over 120,000 Chinese troops. Among them was 19-year-old Cpl. John Albert Spruell from Cortez, Colorado, who went missing in action.
Years later, a set of remains, designated as Unknown X-15754, was tentatively associated with Spruell and buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Despite no definitive proof, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency proposed disinterring 652 Korean War Unknowns in 2018 to identify them.
After three years, the remains of X-15754 were positively identified as Cpl. John A. Spruell through dental, anthropological, and DNA analysis. His family received the news, bringing closure after almost 70 years.
While most of Spruell's close relatives have passed, his childhood friend, Charles Haley, remembers him fondly. Haley ensured a flag always adorned Spruell's headstone in Cortez cemetery.
Spruell's remains will be buried in Cortez, Colorado, with military honors, including the Purple Heart. A rosette will be placed next to his name at the Courts of the Missing to signify his identification.
Despite the bittersweet confirmation, the family is relieved to finally lay Spruell to rest and honor his memory. The long-awaited reunion with his mother, who always believed he would come home, is on the horizon.
