Military Memorial Service to Honor Eagle Passan Cpl. Luis Patlan Torres from the Korean War to be held July 1st

By: Carlos Mendoza, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

Tens of thousands of Americans bravely fought in the Korean War, including many from Eagle Pass, Texas. One Eagle Passan who fought in the Korean War was Corporal Luis Patlan Torres. Corporal Luis Patlan Torres was declared missing in action by the U.S. Army after a fierce battle with the enemies on September 1, 1950.

Corporal Luis Patlan Torres was reported “Missing in Action” on September 1, 1950 during the Korean War. Corporal Torres was assigned to “C” Company, 1^st Battalion, 23^rd Infantry Regiment, 2^nd Infantry Division.

On September 1^{, 1950 at} the Second Battle of Naktong Bulge, the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions were responsible for defending the East bank of the Naktong River. On that day, large forces of the Korean People’s Army crossed the river. Several companies from the 1^st Battalion were cut off, and their positions were overrun. Bravo and Charlie companies were separated from their battalion, and that was the last known date of Corporal Luis Patlan Torres. The Department of the Army has continued to search for the missing soldiers; some soldiers have be found while others have not. The Department of the Army finally reported Corporal Luis Patlan Torres to be presumed dead on March 3, 1954.

The U.S. Army will hold a Military Memorial Service for Corporal Luis Patlan Torres of Eagle Pass, Texas on July 1, 2016 at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.   Family members and friends of Corporal Luis Patlan Torres will attend the military memorial service in his honor. The military memorial service is open to the public.

Members of Coproral Luis Patlan Torres have been working with the Defense POW / Mia Accounting Agency since the 1970s. Corporal Torres’ nephew, Carlos Mendoza, has been associated with his uncle’s case since 2005. In 2013, Carlos Mendoza received a 32-page declassified military report on X-File 331 which explained that unknowns were screened against all unresolved casualties in and south of the Demilitarized Zone in Korea during the Screening Project, Identification Branch, resulting in tentative association of several soldiers. One of the named soldiers was CPL Luis Patlan Torres.

With that information, Corporal Torres’ family submitted a Disinterment Request Form to have those remains exhumed from the Punch Bowl Hawaii National Cemetery, where the Korean War unknown were buried. On March 17, 2016, a letter was received where the U.S. Army concurred with the request to exhume the remains of the 18 unknown Korean War casualties associated with file X-331 Tanggok from Section U, Grave 558 in the National Cemetery of the Pacific.

On April 16, 2016 at a Regional Briefing meeting in Austin, Texas, Corporal Luis Patlan Torres’ family was informed that X-331 would be exhumed and would be on the forensic lab tables in Hawaii sometime in May of 2016. As of press time, Corporal Luis Patlan Torres’ family has not gotten a confirmation that X-331 made it to the lab tables. Corporal Torres’ family have been waiting for a long time to find out the whereabouts of their beloved brother and uncle, Corporal Luis Patlan Torres. Corporal Torres’ family hopes to hear some positive news soon.

Coporal Luis Patlan Torres was born on August 24, 1930 in Cone, Texas to the late Gregorio H. Torres and Ester Patlan Torres, who lived at 743 Concho Street, Eagle Pass, Texas back in the early years before moving to San Antonio. Luis was part of a family of 17 brothers and sisters. The remaining living siblings are Guadalupe Torres Mendoza of Eagle Pass, and Mary Torres Sheppard, Juan Torres, and Gregorio Torres Jr. all of San Antonio.

Corporal Torres’ family request that if anyone reading this article knew, remembers, or recognizes Corporal Luis Patlan Torres to please contact the family through Carlos Mendoza at (512) 293-7262.