☆～ VETERAN, KIA - KOREAN WAR (1950-1953) ～☆

Death Description: Killed in Action Korean War
Rank: Corporal United States Army
Service: U.S. Army Service ID: 57505313 Notes: Corporal Connelly was a member of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on May 28, 1951. Corporal Connelly was awarded the Purple Heart, 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 . Data Source: Korean War Veterans Honor Roll. Louis Bernard Connelly was born on September 23, 1929 in Spalding , Nebraska , the youngest son of ten children of Arthur and Mary Connelly. Louie attended rural school District #24 in Wheeler County and graduated from Spalding Academy 's class of 1948. An avid sportsman, he was captain of the basketball and track team for one year in high school.

"Mule", as he was often called, enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1948 but was separated one year later under an Army 'peacetime' early release program into an 'active reserve' status subject to recall in the event of a 'crisis'. Other than basic training his first enlistment was spent at Ft. Lewis , Tacoma , WA . The Korean War, which began officially on June 25, 1950, triggered that crisis and Louie volunteered for active duty in September 1950. He completed re-training at Ft. Riley , Kansas but was eventually sent to a Medical Replacement Training Center , Brooke Army Medical Center Fort Sam Houston San Antonio, TX where he was trained as a Medical Corpsman. He was trained as a Construction Engineer during his first enlistment.

Monday, May 28, 1951, Corporal Louis B. Connelly, Serial Number ER7505313, and members of Company Bravo, 2d Engineer Combat Battalion, and 2nd Infantry Division were forced by North Korea forces to withdraw to the south and across the bridge that these same engineering units had built weeks before. Desperate orders were given to the U.S. Forces to destroy the bridge to prevent enemy forces from using it. The circumstances of Louie's Death are best described in the words of the citation which accompanied the later award of the Silver Star:

AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR By direction of the President, under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918 (WD Bul 43, 1918), and pursuant to authority in AR 600-45, the Silver Star for gallantry in action is awarded posthumously to the following named enlisted man:

CORPORAL LOUIS B CONNELLY, ER57505313, Corps of Engineers, Army of the United States , a member of Company B, 2d Engineer Combat Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, displayed gallantry in action on 28 May 1951 near Ipyong , Korea . His unit was in an armored convoy when ambushed by enemy forces. Heavy casualties were suffered. Corporal Connelly applied his knowledge of first aid in treating the wounded and went under heavy fire to rescue men in exposed positions; He also fired a 50 caliber machine gun and silenced a sniper who had the unit pinned down. Then, attempting to gain contact with supporting infantry he was killed by enemy fire. The gallantry displayed by Corporal Connelly reflects great credit upon him and the military service. Corporal Connelly entered the military service from Nebraska . Corporal Connelly was also awarded the Purple Heart which is awarded to any member of the U.S. Armed Forces killed or wounded in an armed conflict.

Louie's remains arrived in San Francisco , CA aboard the U.S.S.MALDEN VICTORY troop transport on October 11, 1951 and were escorted to Spalding by U.S. Army Corporal Jack Williams, veteran of the Korean conflict. Father James P. McMahon offered a Requiem High Mass on Tuesday morning, October 30th assisted by Fr. Andrew Gonda and Fr. Jacob Bauer. Altar boys were Hugh Davlin, Jack Kremeier, Bill Schiaf, Dick McManaman and Charles Ballweg. More than 60 members of Post #299 conducted the military rites with burial in St. Michael's Calvary cemetery. Pallbearers were: Mike Bernt, Charles Davlin, Johnny Ringlein, Edward Colleran, Ralph Pier and Don Keeler.

In later ceremonies, on December 3, 1951 in the offices of the Chief of the Nebraska Military District Lincoln, NE, a senior Military Officer presented Mrs. Mary Connelly a posthumous award of the Silver Star for gallantry for Louis Connelly's action in Korea.