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Corporal James August Hoelscher was born on July 4, 1930, to Anna Parker and August F. Hoeslcher, who was himself a veteran in the 1st Pioneer Army in World War I. James fought in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On September 24, 1951, seventeen days after he arrived in Korea, he was killed in action in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a month-long battle in the Korean War which took place between September 13 and October 15, 1951. It was one of several major engagements in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel. Both sides suffered high casualties. Over 3,700 American and French and an estimated 25,000 North Korean and Chinese. These losses made a deep impression on the UN and US command, which decided that battles like Heartbreak Ridge were not worth the high cost in blood for the relatively small amount of terrain captured. His funeral was held in his hometown, Walton, in January 1952, and he was buried in Saint John Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell. He was survived by his parents and three sisters. He was awarded several medals, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Korean War Service Medal.
