Kenneth R. Shadrick
| Kenneth R. Shadrick | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Kenny" |
| Born |
August 4, 1931 Harlan County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | July 5, 1950 (aged 18) Osan, South Korea |
| Buried | Wyoming, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1948–1950 |
| Rank | Private |
| Service number | 15-273-308 |
| Unit |
34th Infantry Regiment 24th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Combat Infantryman Badge Purple Heart |
| Relations | 9 siblings |
Kenneth R. "Kenny" Shadrick (August 4, 1931 – July 5, 1950) was a United States Army soldier who was killed at the onset of the Korean War. He was widely but incorrectly reported as the first American soldier killed in action in the war.
Shadrick was born in Harlan County, Kentucky, one of 10 children. After dropping out of high school in 1948, he joined the U.S. Army, and spent a year of service in Japan before being dispatched to South Korea at the onset of the Korean War in 1950 along with his unit, the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. During a patrol, Shadrick was killed by the machine gun of a North Korean T-34 tank, and his body was taken to an outpost where journalist Marguerite Higgins was covering the war. Higgins later reported that he was the first soldier killed in the war, a claim that was repeated in media across the United States. His life was widely profiled, and his funeral drew hundreds of people.
His death is now believed to have occurred after the first American combat fatalities in the Battle of Osan. Since the identities of other soldiers killed before Shadrick remain unknown, he is still often incorrectly cited as the first U.S. soldier killed in the war.
Shadrick was born on August 4, 1931, in Harlan County, Kentucky. He was the third of 10 children born to Lucille Shadrick and Theodore Shadrick, a coal miner. Growing up during the Great Depression, Kenneth Shadrick moved with his family to Wyoming, West Virginia, then to an outlying town called Skin Fork, 20 miles (32 km) away, as his father was looking for coal mining jobs. Shadrick was described by his family as "an avid reader" throughout his childhood, who had a variety of interests, including Westerns and magazines. He also enjoyed riding his bicycle and, occasionally, hunting.
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