Finally at rest
Several hundred people gathered Saturday morning to honor the memory of a soldier who was killed in action almost 67 years ago, but who was not forgotten.
A memorial service was held in Butler for Cpl. James T. “Tommy” Mainhart, who was killed in 1950 fighting in the Korean War as a member of the 31st Regimental Combat Team.
When news of his death reached his family in Butler back in 1950, they held a memorial service in the city, but he never had a burial, because his remains were not identified and sent back to Western Pennsylvania. Located in Hawaii since 2004, his remains were positively identified by the Army using DNA testing late last year.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Oct. 19, 1948, at the age of 17, according to his obituary.
His service took him from Fort Knox, Ky., to Camp Crawford in Hokkaido, Japan, and he was part of the Inchon Landing in North Korea on Sept. 15, 1950. His unit went to Pusan and Wonsan and later Chosin Reservoir, where he died on Nov. 30, 1950, at age 19. The battle at Chosin lasted for 17 days and both the United Nations troops, which included U.S. and South Korean soldiers, and the Chinese troops suffered heavy casualties. The battle is credited with helping the UN maintain a foothold in Korea.
James never married or had children.
Military service was something of a tradition in the family. James' only surviving sibling is Craig Mainhart, 92, who was a Marine and fought in World War II. His three other brothers also were veterans.
James' nephew Tom Mainhart said he was born six years after James died and he was named after his uncle, who everyone called Tom or Tommy.
Tom said that he heard many stories over the years about James, especially from his grandmother Lydia Mainhart, James' mother, and his father Clyde Mainhart, who was a World War II veteran.
“From what my dad told me he was quite the jokester,” Tom Mainhart said.
In a eulogy Saturday, the Rev. Tom Jones read from an email he had received from a soldier who had served with James who also noted his sense of humor.
“'He was a happy-go-lucky guy. He would pull a joke on you,'” he said.
Jones said that the service was a chance to honor the men and women who served in the Korean conflict, which is sometimes called “The Forgotten War.”“Today is a day to remember Uncle Tom and those who fought beside him,” he said.In hopes of getting closure, Tom and other family members had written letters and conducted research over the years to try and learn more about his unit and what happened the day he died.In 2006, the family sent samples of DNA from Tom and his father to the Army, which was testing recovered remains of soldiers that were kept in Hawaii.Ten years passed without good news, but then in December Tom got a call from Master Sgt. Douglas Bartow informing him that the remains had been positively identified and could be returned home.Gordon Mainhart, a second cousin of James who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, echoed the reaction of most of the family.“I was completely shocked,” he said. “It's been a long wait for the family — 67 years.”Gordon Mainhart attended the service as a family member and also as commander of the Saxonburg VFW. He presented the family with a certificate from Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, which indicated that James' name will remain on the fallen soldiers memorial in Honolulu.The service Saturday included military honors by members of the 301st Regimen Support Group and the 316th Expeditionary Support Command.Also in attendance were members of the Butler and Saxonburg VFWs, the Butler American Legion, the Pennsylvania Patriot Guard and the American Legion Riders.The Legion Riders and the Patriot Guard had planned to escort James' remains from the Pittsburgh airport, into Butler County and to the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon.Though a group with more than 120 motorcycles gathered at the airport, they were forced to wait after hearing that the flight from Atlanta had been delayed several times because of weather.About 20 of the riders waited for more than eight hours before learning that the plane was not coming.
The groups still wanted to honor the fallen soldier, so they opted for the next best thing to an escort: they got the city fire department to close West North Street and lined the road with motorcycles as mourners arrived and stayed until the casket was loaded into the hearse and sent en route to the burial.Despite the frustration and emotion of waiting at the airport at learning of the multiple delays, the family knew that he would make it home for the services Saturday.Tom Mainhart said that the Army treated the escort of the remains from Hawaii like a mission.“The Army assured us they would have him here one way or another, even if that meant driving a hearse all the way from Atlanta,” he said.James was laid to rest Saturday in the Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery in Buffalo Township.
