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Sandwich’s First Casualty of the Korean War

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In late November of 1950, as brutal fighting erupted near Kunu ri, North Korea, 19 year old Richard “Dick” Paden of Sandwich, Illinois was killed in action while serving with the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry Division.

For the people of Sandwich, the loss was deeply personal.

Paden had attended Sandwich schools, worked at the New Idea plant, and enlisted in the Army in May of 1949. Newspaper coverage from January 1951 described him as the first Sandwich serviceman killed during the Korean War.

Today, his story stands as a reminder that global conflicts were felt even in small Illinois communities like Sandwich, one family, one telegram, and one young soldier at a time.

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Facts at a Glance

• Full Name: Richard Martin “Dick” Paden
• Born: November 10, 1931
• Died in Action: November 29, 1950
• Age: 19
• Hometown: Sandwich, Illinois
• Branch: United States Army
• Rank: Private First Class
• Unit: Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
• Conflict: Korean War
• Awarded: Purple Heart
• Memorialized at: Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii
• Employer before service: New Idea Company

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Early Life in Sandwich

Richard Martin Paden was born on November 10, 1931 and grew up in Sandwich, Illinois.

According to local newspaper accounts, he attended Sandwich schools and was later employed by the New Idea Company before entering military service.

Like many young men of his generation, Paden came of age during the uncertain years following World War II. In May of 1949, at just 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Army.

After completing training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and later Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he was transferred to infantry service and eventually deployed to Korea in August of 1950.

Only a few months later, he would find himself in one of the most dangerous moments of the Korean War.

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The Korean War and Kunu-ri

When North Korea invaded South Korea in June of 1950, United Nations forces, including large numbers of American troops, entered the conflict.

By late November 1950, U.N. troops had advanced deep into North Korea when massive Chinese Communist forces suddenly entered the war. The rapid counterattack forced American and allied units into a dangerous retreat.

Paden’s unit, the 2nd Infantry Division, became trapped near the town of Kunu-ri during the withdrawal.

Military histories later described the fighting near Kunu-ri as chaotic and devastating. The division was forced to battle through enemy roadblocks while under constant attack during freezing winter conditions.

It was during this fighting, on November 29, 1950, that Private First Class Richard Paden was killed in action.

He was 19 years old.

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Sandwich Receives the News

Newspaper coverage from January 1951 described the shock felt in Sandwich after word arrived from the War Department.

Paden was identified as the first Sandwich serviceman killed during the Korean War.

The articles noted that he had attended Sandwich schools, worked locally, and left behind family and friends in the community. One report stated that “the sympathy of the community” was extended to the young soldier’s family.

For a small town like Sandwich, the loss was not distant or abstract.

People knew him.

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Purple Heart and Memorial

For his service and sacrifice, Richard Paden was awarded the Purple Heart.

Today, he is commemorated at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii, which honors Americans missing or lost in action in the Pacific during the Korean War.

His name also survives through preserved newspaper clippings, military records, and the efforts of local residents who continue to remember Sandwich veterans decades later.

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Why This Story Matters

Not every historical story is about famous leaders, large buildings, or major industries.

Sometimes history is the story of an ordinary young man from Sandwich whose life was cut short half a world away.

Richard Paden’s story reminds us that wars reached deeply into communities like Sandwich, into local factories, neighborhood homes, school classrooms, and family dinner tables.

And more than seventy years later, his community still remembers.

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Image Acknowledgment

The photographs, memorial materials, and newspaper clippings featured in this article were graciously shared from the Paden family’s personal records and remembrance collection.

Research & Sources

• Sandwich newspaper coverage, January 1951
• Memorial display photographs shared with Historic Sandwich, Illinois
• American Battle Monuments Commission memorial information
• Department of Defense Korean War commemoration materials regarding Kunu-ri and the 2nd Infantry Division

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