Korean War Veterans of Arenzville, Illinois
1950 – 1953
History called it “The Forgotten War.” It fell between the triumph of World War II and the anguish of Vietnam – and for decades, it received neither the recognition it deserved nor the closure it never had.
For the 70 men from Arenzville who served, it was not forgotten. It was simply their war.
| 70 | 1 | 1950 | 7.479 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Veterans Documented |
✦ Missing in Action |
Year Hostilities Began |
Americans Still Listed as MIA Nationally |
| 70 | 1 | 1950 | 7.479 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Veterans Documented |
✦ Missing in Action |
Year Hostilities Began |
Americans Still Listed as MIA Nationally |
Browse the Korean War Veterans Directory
70 documented veterans – search and filter by name, lifespan, residence, or service dates. Select any veteran to view their full biography where available.
The Forgotten War – Not Forgotten Here
On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea. Within days, the United States – fighting under the banner of the United Nations – was at war again.
For a country still recovering from World War II, it was an unwelcome and confusing conflict. It was fought on a peninsula most Americans could not place on a map. It ended not with victory or defeat, but with an armistice – a ceasefire that technically still holds today, with the Korean Peninsula remaining divided and the war officially never concluded.
And yet the cost was staggering. More than 54,000 Americans died during the period of active hostilities. Over 100,000 were wounded. 7,140 Americans were taken prisoner. As of 2023, 7,479 Americans remain listed as missing in action – their fates still unknown, their families still without answers.
From Arenzville, 70 men answered the call between 1950 and 1953. They left farms and families in central Illinois for the frozen ridges of the Chosin Reservoir, the contested hills along the 38th Parallel, the skies above the peninsula, and the seas around it. They served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force – in a war that the world would soon try to move past, but that they carried with them for the rest of their lives.
Among them were five members of the Kleinschmidt family, seven from the Lovekamp family, four Nickels, four Roegges, four Schones, and three Quiggs. Entire extended families, multiple generations – answering the same call that Arenzville had answered in every conflict before.
One – Erwin Kleinschmidt – never came home. He is listed as missing in action.
“The Korean War is often referred to as ‘The Forgotten War’ because it fell between the conclusion of World War II and the beginning of the Vietnam War, and because the shaky truce that ended open hostilities in 1953 left the conflict without official closure.” – Illinois House of Representatives Joint Resolution, 2010
Who Is Included in This Record?
A veteran is included in this archive if evidence confirms at least one of the following:
- He was born in the Arenzville community
- He resided in Arenzville at the time of his service
- He is otherwise documented as connected to the Arenzville community
Missing in Action
Erwin Kleinschmidt - Arenzville, Illinois
Korean War – Listed as Missing in Action
Erwin Kleinschmidt went to Korea with four of his family members. He did not come back.
He is not recorded as killed. He is not recorded as buried. He is listed as missing in action – a designation that carries a particular weight unlike any other in the language of war. It means no confirmed death. No confirmed grave. No final word sent home. No closure for those who waited.
As of today, 7,479 Americans remain listed as missing in action from the Korean War – the highest MIA count of any conflict since World War II. For each of those names, a family somewhere has lived with uncertainty.
Erwin Kleinschmidt’s name belongs to that list, and to this community.
If you have any information about Erwin Kleinschmidt’s service, unit, last known location, or status, please contact this archive. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) continues to actively work Korean War MIA cases. Every piece of information matters.
Help Us Tell Their Stories
Seventy men from Arenzville served in a war the world called forgotten. Help us make sure their service – and Erwin Kleinschmidt’s unresolved fate – is remembered.
If you have a name, photograph, service record, or family story connected to an Arenzville Korean War veteran, please share it with this archive.