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Honor MIA Korean War veteran with local remembrance and burial in Elgin

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that U.S. Army Corporal Eriverto Ortiz, 27, of Batesville, Texas, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Aug. 10, 2023.

After 73 years of MIA status, Ortiz will finally be laid to rest in Elgin, Illinois, on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, with full military honors.

After the war, his family moved to Elgin from Texas. The family invites community members and volunteers from Operation LOVE to join them in honoring his sacrifice and final return home.

Ortiz served with distinction as a member of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.

On Sept. 22, 1950, during intense defensive actions near the port city of Pusan, South Korea, Ortiz went missing in action. His body could not be recovered due to the fierce fighting, and in January 1956, the U.S. Army declared him nonrecoverable.

In early 1951, remains were recovered from the vicinity where Ortiz went missing and temporarily interred at the United Nations Military Cemetery in Pusan. One set of remains, designated Unknown X-32 Pusan, was tentatively associated with Ortiz but could not be definitively identified.

These remains were later buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2018, as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred Unknown X-32 for further analysis. Through dental, anthropological, and mitochondrial DNA analysis, Ortiz’s remains were positively identified.

For his bravery and service, Ortiz was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Service Stars, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

Ortiz's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with others who remain missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to signify that he has been accounted for.

U.S. Army Corporal Eriverto Ortiz

A visitation will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, and from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, Oct. 28, at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park St. in Elgin.

A funeral mass will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28, at St. Mary Church, 400 Fulton St., Elgin, with Father Robert Camacho officiating.

Interment with full military honors will follow at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd. in Elgin.

“We would like to extend an invitation to all community members to join Operation LOVE in honoring Cpl. Ortiz’s legacy and sacrifice. Let’s come together to celebrate his homecoming and pay our respects.” said Daniel Symonds, owner and funeral director.

Symonds-Madison Funeral Home is deeply honored to serve Ortiz’s family and the Elgin community as they gather to pay tribute to this fallen hero. The funeral home has had the pleasure of assisting the Ortiz family in the past and remains committed to providing compassionate care during this significant moment.

To get more information or support the family, contact Symonds-Madison Funeral Home at (847) 741-1128 or visit www.symondsmadison.com.

About Operation LOVE

The mission of Operation LOVE is to honor “unclaimed” veterans at their funerals, connect volunteers with Elgin area veterans in need, and strengthen existing Elgin area veterans’ service organizations by promoting their events, volunteer opportunities and fundraisers.

Veterans and civilians alike are encouraged to join the group. The LOVE in Operation LOVE is an acronym for “Love Our Veterans Elgin.”

Volunteers are encouraged to also join the project’s Facebook group, which can be found at the funeral home’s business page, www.facebook.com/symondsmadison. Volunteer opportunities, fundraisers and local events hosted by veteran-focused nonprofits are shared in the group.

About Symonds-Madison Funeral Home

Symonds-Madison Funeral Home is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce, and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association.

At Symonds-Madison Funeral Home we believe every funeral should be as special as the person it honors. We are a veteran and family-owned funeral home that thrives on helping you create a final, heartfelt experience that exceeds your expectations. Visit www.symondsmadison.com or www.facebook.com/symondsmadison.

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