Korean War Veteran Laid To Rest More Than 60 Years After His Death

INGLEWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The family of a Korean War veteran who died more than 60 years ago laid him to rest Friday.

Sgt. Lee Henderson Manning was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery on Florence Avenue.

The Los Angeles native left home at the age of 20, enlisted in the Army in 1950 and trained as a combat medic. He was captured Dec. 1, 1950, after returning to aid members of the 9th Infantry Regiment, officials said.

He died nearly six months later from poor nutrition and pneumonia, reported KCAL9's Amy Johnson.

Throughout the decades, the sergeant's family buried two other siblings and their mother, who died not knowing where he was.

"Remembering the pain that she felt and just the sorrow of not having your oldest child here and not knowing where he was, not having any remains. So, this is for her, all of the work, all of the pain, all of the struggle is definitely in her honor," said Farrah Parker, a great-niece.

Last summer, the family was contacted by the Army, which informed them that they located Manning's remains, positively identified through DNA.

Manning's remaining siblings immediately called a meeting to discuss burying the remains near their mother's Inglewood grave.

"In my wildest dreams, I never ever thought that we'd find him," Carrie Manning Elam, the sergeant's sister, told Johnson. "So, it was a blessing, an honor and a privilege to be still standing here."

Manning received many accolades, including a Purple Heart, United Nations Service Medal, U.S. Prisoner of War Medal, The Combat Medical Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal and the Republic of Korean Presidential Unit Citation.

In lieu of flowers, the Manning family requests that donations in Manning's honor be made to:

Black Veterans for Social Justice Inc.
665 Willoughby Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11206