Corporal Oscar Linwood Sprague, United States Army
(FLAG)
MILBRIDGE – Oscar Linwood Sprague, a local hero from Downeast, Maine, was killed in action, in Korea, September 3, 1950.
Oscar was born in Milbridge October 5, 1927, the second of eleven children, to Clifford and Phyllis (Coombs) Sprague. In his childhood years, Oscar is remembered as being quite a jokester, someone who loved to play pranks, and being liked by everyone who knew him.
October 19, 1942, Oscar enlisted in the United States Army, during World War II – at the age of fifteen. His youth was eventually discovered, and he was honorably discharged March 15, 1943. During his discharge he also received instructions to re-enlist when he came of age. Determined to serve his country, on February 13, 1948, Oscar re-enlisted in the United States Army.
Later, during the Korean War, Oscar was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, of the 2nd Infantry Division. He arrived in Pusan, South Korea July 23, 1950, becoming the first unit to reach Korea directly from the United States. The 2nd Infantry Division was committed as a unit on August 24th to relieve the 24th Infantry Division at the Naktong Bulge in the vicinity of Yongsan.
August 31, 1950, Oscar was part of a small group of men from a heavy weapons company who were cut off and surrounded by the enemy. Forming a perimeter defense, the men came under heavy attack by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) who attempted to overwhelm the perimeter. Facing ever dwindling supplies and ammunition, rations were reduced to ¼ of a can of “C” ration, per man, per day. The only moisture available was the early morning dew that was licked off grass, rifle stocks, and equipment. The men held out for nearly four days.
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Sprague, O.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Oscar L. Sprague, 22, of Milbridge, Maine, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 23, 2025.
Sprague’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1950, Sprague was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 3, 1950, in the vicinity of Yongsan, Republic of Korea (South Korea). He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953. He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.
Following the war, on Sept. 11, 1951, the 565th Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains from a shallow grave near the Naktong Bulge region of the Pusan Perimeter. The remains, designated Unknown X-1984, could not be positively identified at the time and on Sept. 17, 1954, were declared unidentifiable. On Feb. 14, 1956, Unknown X-1984 was transferred and interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Oct. 7, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-1984 as part of Phase Three of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Sprague’s remains, scientists from DPAA used DNA, dental, anthropological, and isotope analysis, as well as chest radiograph and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Sprague’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Sprague will be buried in his hometown in September 2025.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
To see the most up-to-date statistics on DPAA recovery efforts for those unaccounted for from the Korean War, go to the Korean War Accounting page on the DPAA website at: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebKorean.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/,