The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, PFC Howard Llewelen Polarie, RA14264585, who died in the service of his country on November 28th, 1950 in North Korea. The cause of death was listed as KIA. At the time of his death Howard was 18 years of age. He was from Birmingham, Alabama. Howard's Military Occupation Specialty was 4745-Light Weapons Infantryman.
The decorations earned by PFC Howard Llewelen Polarie 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.
Private First Class Polarie was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on November 28, 1950. His remains were not recovered. Private First Class Polarie was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
I am Howard L. Polarie's neice, Janice Kaye Polarie Mayers, age 48. I am his only brother's fifth child (there were six) and I am a twin. My grandmother, Howard's mother used to sit and cry when she spoke of losing Uncle Howard. A large picture of him hung in the living room until her death in February, 1982. Her heart was broken. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a winning, contagious smile. If anyone knew him, please tell me about him because I never got the chance to see him as I wasn't born until three years after his death. I wish I had known him. He would have been 69 years old now (2001). He was my grandmother's youngest child and she only had two children. She grieved him until her death. I felt the great loss just from hearing her share about him. It was a real tragedy to never get to meet him. We had a purple heart and were told he was blown to bits for our country but it could not make up the loss we have always felt in our family. Nothing will ever make up for that. Sincerely, Kaye Polarie Mayers
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