Oklahoma Soldier’s Remains Return Home After 74 Years

The remains of Corporal Jesse Mitchell, an Oklahoma Army veteran who disappeared during the Korean War nearly 74 years ago, have finally returned home.

Mitchell, who served in the 24th Infantry Division, was reported missing in action in November 1950 and later died in a North Korean POW camp. His remains were identified in April 2024, thanks to DNA samples submitted by his family in 2013.

Mitchell’s nephew, Daniel Mitchell, had spent over a decade searching for his uncle’s remains. “My grandparents didn’t talk about him a lot, and my father didn’t talk about him much either. They were still in pain from losing him,” Daniel said. His determination paid off when the identification was confirmed this year.

A full military honor ceremony took place at Will Rogers Airport, where Mitchell’s remains were welcomed home before being escorted to Shawnee by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The flag-draped coffin was met with respect and solemnity as family, friends, and military personnel honored the fallen soldier.

“I’m sitting here wanting to cry,” Daniel Mitchell said. “I’m happy and I’m sad. I’m sad that my grandparents can’t be here, but I’m happy he is home.”

Since 1982, more than 450 American soldiers from the Korean War have been identified and returned to their families for proper burial with military honors. However, the Defense Department reports that about 7,500 Americans are still unaccounted for from the war, with hundreds of their remains unlikely to ever be recovered.

Mitchell’s return brings closure to a family that had waited nearly 75 years for this moment. His final resting place in Shawnee will mark the end of a decades-long journey to bring him home.