The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon; soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard); and a drummer and a bugler from the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own;” conduct modified military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Army Cpl. Ralph Cale in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, August 14, 2020.

From the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA):

In December 1950, Cale was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on December 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered following the attack and he was not reported as a prisoner of war.

On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on August 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Cale’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. Cale’s remains were officially accounted for August 7, 2019.

Cale’s sister, Constance Gadd, received the flag from her brother’s casket.