In 1950, the United States found themselves fighting communism on battlefields in Korea. Many Ohio units were called up and were used to back-fill active duty organizations sent to Korea. Ohio provided a vast cadre of World War II veterans that were vital in training and preparing new Soldiers for life in combat. Ohio sent only one unit to the battlefields of Korea, the 987th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, stationed in Canton and Alliance. The “red bulls” as they were known, distinguished themselves in support of various Army, Marine and Republic of Korea forces. Ohio’s largest organization, the 37th Infantry Division, was federalized in 1952 and sent to Camp Polk, Louisiana. After completing a short training period, virtually every Soldier was sent to Korea as an individual replacement, carrying with them the spirit of the Buckeye Division. Officers and noncommissioned officers of the 137th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, 37th Infantry Division, look over a map while training at Fort Bliss, Texas in 1952. The all-black battalion was called into federal service in January 1952, serving two years on active duty before returning to Ohio. 5,720,000 total U.S. Troops served in the Korean War, with 103,284 troops wounded and 36, 574 total deaths.
We have very few records concerning Ohio veterans in the Korean War.
Ohio Casualties in Korean Area, 1953 [State Archives Series 7245] lists Ohioans killed in the Korean War and lists next of kin. This list is not considered complete as their may be names missing. This collection, GRVF 27/6, can be paged for research in the Library.
Neil Delong Papers, 1941-1956 [MSS 1420] consists of letters written by Neil Delong while serving in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.
Some images and documents pertaining to the Korean War are digitized and available on Ohio Memory, a statewide digital library program.
Further Korean War information can be accessed by using Ancestry and Fold3 which are available via computers in the Library.
You can browse all Korean War era newspapers, library, archives, and museum records using our Online Collections Catalog.
Discover books, newspapers, periodicals, company catalogs, pamphlets, maps, atlases and more!
We do not hold military service or pension records. That information can be obtained by contacting the National Archives and Records Administration. Records created in the 20th century are housed at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
You may also wish to read the military records section of the National Archives Genealogy webpage.
If you have questions, please contact us at reference@ohiohistory.org or 614.297.2510.