ELLINWOOD — After 61 long years, the name of Thomas Edward Cooney has been added to the American Legion War Memorial in Ellinwood.

The year was 1950. That November, the United States forces were mired in Korea Conflict. A young man from Ellinwood answered the call to service and paid the highest price.

Cooney looked death in the eye that bitterly cold November, and lost. A captain, he was the commanding officer of Company G, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and was killed in action Nov. 27 in the battle of the Chosin Reservoir.

 He remains where he lay near the border of North Korea and China where he died. His family has been given DNA for identification.

Cooney’s name is missing from the Ellinwood American Legion War Memorial. His name recently came to light as a result of research by David Ames and John Ames of Ellinwood who were searching the internet for veterans from Ellinwood.

"It is important and an honor to us to include Captain Cooney’s name to our monument of war dead," said Frank Koelsch, American Legion adjutant. "It is particularly important to remember those who died in action."

Cooney was born in Ellinwood on July 24, 1917. He was always called Edward because he was named after his father, Thomas Ambrose Cooney, according to his sister, Louise Guyette. His mother was Elizabeth Ward Cooney.

Thomas Ambrose worked at Wolf Flour Mill in Ellinwood. Thomas Ambrose and Elizabeth divorced in 1930, and Edward and his four sisters moved to Great Bend with their mother, said Louise. Elizabeth worked in department stores, and moved to Hutchinson in two years, followed by a move to North Carolina. She remarried a man, also from Ellinwood, Peter Wess.

Thomas Edward joined the Marines in 1940 before the U.S. entered World War II, after having spent one year in college. He served in the Pacific as enlisted man until 1943 when he was promoted to second lieutenant.

Cooney stayed in the Marines, but in 1950 "planned to leave after his next tour of duty in Korea and then open a drug store with his wife, who was a pharmacist," said Louise. He had three children, Mary, Martha and Tommy.

Cooney was killed by a sniper while checking to ensure none of his men were left behind during withdrawal from Hill 1425 near Yudam-ni in North Korea. There were attempts to recover his body, and two soldiers were wounded attempting to reach him.

Cooney received both the bronze and silver star. He had already received two wounds, one to his hip, and one to his forehead, before he died, but had refused to be evacuated.