U.S. Army Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr., 19, of Gallup, N.M., who was listed as missing in action during the Korean War, has been identified after 73 years. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that testing last year confirmed his remains, which were linked to material turned over by North Korea in 2018. Chavez was wounded at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, later declared presumptively dead in 1953, and posthumously awarded the Silver Star. His family has been notified and his remains were scheduled for burial in Gallup.
Missing Korean War Soldier, Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr., Identified After 73 Years — Family Finally Notified
U.S. Army Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr.Credit: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
After more than seven decades, U.S. Army Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr., a 19-year-old from Gallup, New Mexico, has been officially identified, bringing long-awaited answers to his family and community. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced on April 14 that testing conducted last year confirmed Chavez's remains.
How The Identification Came About
Chavez was wounded defending his position during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in late 1950 and was evacuated to an aid station on Nov. 30, 1950. He was later reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his convoy was ambushed en route to Hagaru-ri. With no evidence of survival or of being held as a prisoner of war, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
International Cooperation And Forensic Testing
Officials credited the identification in part to remains turned over by North Korea after a 2018 summit between the two countries. More than 55 boxes believed to contain remains of American service members were transferred; subsequent forensic examinations and testing identified Chavez's remains among that material.
"If anything happens to me, please mother, no tears." — From a letter dated Nov. 27, 1950, written by Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr. to his mother.
Chavez, who attended Cathedral High School in Gallup and reportedly enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday in 1949, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The citation records that he "stayed at this post voluntarily and, despite his wound, kept the weapon firing," and that he fell from his gun carriage only after losing a critical amount of blood.
DPAA notified Chavez's next of kin after the identification. His remains were scheduled to be laid to rest in Gallup, offering closure to a family and community that had waited decades for confirmation of his fate.
Why This Matters: The recovery and identification of missing service members remains a high priority for the U.S. government and military families. Cases like Chavez's underscore ongoing forensic efforts and international cooperation to account for those lost in past conflicts.
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