The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, CPL Edward James O'Brien, RA17240637, who died in the service of his country on November 28th, 1950 in North Korea. The cause of death was listed as MIA to Declared Dead. At the time of his death Edward was 29 years of age. He was from South St. Paul, Minnesota. Edward's Military Occupation Specialty was 4745-Light Weapons Infantryman.
The decorations earned by CPL Edward James O'Brien include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Sergeant O'Brien was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on November 28, 1950. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. Sergeant O'Brien was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.
Edward was an Irish-American
While some documents list Edward as part of F Company, his name was found on the Morning Report of E Company dated 7 December 1950 where he was noted as MIA.
Edward's parents were Edward and Caroline O'Brien, now deceased as is his sister Olive Cook. Edward is survived by his brother Wally and many nieces and nephews. Edward, who was a Navy WWII veteran, was born February 6 1921, went missing November 28, 1950, and was officially declared dead on December 31, 1953. On October19, 1998, a joint United States/Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a site containing the remains of a U.S. soldier who died south of Usan in the general vicinity of where Edward was last seen. The team found human remains and two military identification tags with Edward's name on them. A North Korean national told the team that he first uncovered the remains while constructing his house, and that he buried them at the nearby site which was excavated. Positive identification was made April 3, 2008 thanks to a DNA match from one of his relatives. Edward was brought home July, 1 2008 and buried the next day at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Section 9-A, Site 267. RIP Edward, we are glad you are once again home.
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