James E. Lemaster

---

Released Prisoner Says Sgt. James E. Lemaster's, Death Occurred In 1951

    A soldier recently released from a Communist Prison Camp tells of the death of Sgt. James E. Lemaster who was captured in Korea by Communists on December 01, 1950.

    In a letter from the office of the Adjutant General, Washington, DC, Mrs. and Mrs. Plennie Lemaster of Denver were given the information. Signed by Major General Wm. E. Bergin, the letter read:

     “Information obtained from a soldier, recently released by the Communists and returned to military control discloses that he and your son were captured the same date. He stated that he knew your son about one month before he died of dysentery in February, 1951, at Pyokton, North Korea. As the exact time of your son’s death in February 1951, is not known, the Department of the Army has established the date of death as 28 February, 1951, the latest date in the month he could possibly have been alive. The records of the Department of the Army have been amended accordingly.”

    Mrs. Lemaster, the boys mother said this week she received a short letter from him after his capture, part of which was deleted. She said she had held hopes he was alive and would be released to return home after the truce was signed. He was 22 years of age at the time of his death and volunteered on June 15. 1948. He received his training at Ft. Knox and other camps in the United States and latter served 14 months on Okinawa where he was cited for having saved the life of a comrade. After serving in Okinawa, he returned to the States in January 1950 and spent a furlough with home folks.

    He was a resident of Barnett’s Creek at the time of his enlistment in the army.

Printed: August 26, 1953