Cpl Morris Meshulam

Cpl Morris Meshulam

On Friday, September 21, 2018, Morris Meshulam will be returned home to his family after being gone for 68 years.

Morris was 19 years old when he died while a prisoner of war after being captured by the Chinese Army near Kunu-Ri on December 1, 1950. Along with many other American POWs, Morris was forced to march hundreds of miles south toward what is now South Korea with little food or medical attention. He died on January 11, 1951 from severe malnutrition and complication of frostbite and gangrene.

On July 23, 1951 a U.S. Army Grave Registration recovery team was lead to an unmarked grave by a South Korean farmer. The remains could not be identified and were eventually buried at the National Military Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu. These remains were positively identified as Morris Meshulam's in the Spring of 2018 through a variety of testing including cutting edge DNA tests.

Rose Black, Morris' last surviving sibling, was notified by the Department of Defense of the identification and chose to bring her baby brother back to Indianapolis for burial next to his twin sister, Rachel Nahmias at the Etz Chaim Sephardic Cemetery. The funeral will be on Sunday, September 23rd at Noon. The cemetery is located on West Street in Indianapolis (approximately 2250 South West Street, on the east side of the road)

Morris is survived by his sister, Rose Black, 10 nieces and nephews, 14 great nieces and nephews and 7 great-great nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Sam and Pauline Meshulam, Cpl. Meshulam was preceded in death by his sister, Rachel Nahmias and brother, Jack Meshulam.

The family wishes to express our thanks to the DOD for their due diligence identifying Morris' remains and returning them to us. Our hearts go out to the thousands of families whose sons and daughters are still missing in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other places around the world.