TERRE HAUTE, Ind. —
Half way around the world, nearly a lifetime ago, a young man from rural Indiana found himself as a prisoner of war.
At 19, Robert Gene Archer was still a teenager in late 1950 when he was reportedly captured near the Chosin Reservoir in communist North Korea. Cpl. Archer, a light truck driver and infantryman, would die as a captive of the North Korean forces in that distant place, far from his family, friends and home.
Now, thanks to DNA testing by the U.S. military using samples from Archer’s surviving relatives, Cpl. Archer’s remains have been identified and returned to his hometown of Brazil. They arrived at the French Funeral Home early Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s really good that they brought him home,” said Jim Archer, a nephew of Cpl. Archer. “We’re just honored.”
Jim Archer and his cousin, John Archer were too young to recall their uncle, who died serving in the Korean War, 1950-1953. But they said their older relatives never forgot “Uncle Robert.”
“My mom and dad always talked about him,” John Archer said, standing outside the French Funeral Home, where services for his uncle are scheduled for Saturday morning. Burial will follow the services with full military honors.
A large contingent, including veterans groups, escorted Archer’s remains Tuesday from the Indianapolis International Airport to Clay County, where Robert Archer attended high school and worked at Mohr’s Garage in Brazil before enlisting in the U.S. Army.
“We try to do this whenever we can,” said Toni Brown, a member of the Greenwood American Legion Post, who was part of the large escort. “We still have a lot of [military men and women missing in action],” she said. “We need to get more of them home.”
Archer is one of six U.S. veterans identified through DNA testing so far this year, according to the Defense Department. His remains were identified on Jan. 14.
There are approximately 88,000 military men and women missing in action from World War II through the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to U.S. government data.
Archer has been awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
For his family members still living in Clay County, having their uncle back home brings a long-overdue sense of closure and satisfaction. It also brings a sense of pride.
“You’ve got to admire the people that go in the service and fight for our country,” said John Archer leaving the funeral home. “How can you not be proud?”
Details for this story were provided by Arthur Foulkes, a reporter for The Tribune Star in Terre Haute, Ind. Contact him at arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
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Jim and John Archer, nephews of Robert Archer, talk about their uncle's remains finally coming home from Korea. Jim Avelis/The Terre Haute, Ind., Tribune Star
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