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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, May 24, 2009 DNA match allows family closure after 59 years By Julie Muhlstein, Herald Columnist Edward Schwartz was a Kansas farm boy, a child of the Great Depression. The youngest of seven children, he grew up to serve as an Army officer in the Korean War. He never came back to his family in the small Kansas town of Hoisington. They were notified of his death in 1950, right after Christmas. "Many, many Masses have been said in memory of Eddie," said Dr. Eugene Schwartz, 84, the Army lieutenant's older brother and only surviving sibling. Eddie Schwartz never came home -- until now. When Eugene Schwartz spoke to me last week from his Kansas home, he was preparing for Saturday's burial of his brother at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Cemetery in Hoisington. Schwartz was at the airport in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday when his brother's flag-draped casket arrived from Hickam Air Field in Hawaii. "We were informed about 10 days ago that Eddie's remains had been identified. His body was recovered from North Korea in 2000," said Schwartz, a retired ophthalmologist who lives in Topeka. "It leaves us with a sense of closure, even though that memory had faded into the recesses of our minds, a sense of closure that we all need," Schwartz said. An Army honor guard from Fort Riley, Kan., was to be at the graveside service. Dr. Schwartz remembered his brother being commissioned as a second lieutenant at Fort Riley in 1949. When he died, Eddie Schwartz was just 21. It's fitting, Schwartz said, that his brother be laid to rest on Memorial Day weekend, when we honor Americans who have died serving their country. It's fitting to hear their stories, whether their hometowns are nearby or far away. Readers may wonder why I'd write about a man from Kansas. Eddie Schwartz had no direct tie to Snohomish County, but I learned about him from someone who does. Lake Stevens native Dan Eklund is Eugene Schwartz's son-in-law. His wife, Marilyn Eklund, is the daughter of Dr. Schwartz. The couple moved from Lake Stevens to Colville in 2003. This weekend, they traveled from home in Eastern Washington to Kansas, where they were to attend the ceremony for Eddie Schwartz. "For Marilyn, Eddie is the unknown uncle," 54-year-old Dan Eklund said last week. "He was killed the year Marilyn's mom and dad were married." Eddie Schwartz also has a great-nephew, Justin Grant, who lives in Everett, Dan Eklund said. Years ago, Eugene Schwartz said that he, his sister and other family members submitted samples for DNA analysis. According to a U.S. Department of Defense Web site, the military has had the capability since 1992 to use blood and saliva samples to identify remains of servicemen and women lost decades ago. The Wichita Eagle newspaper reported last week that researchers first contacted the Schwartz family about a possible match in 2000. The match was confirmed earlier this year. Of nearly 90,000 Americans missing in all conflicts, more than 8,000 are missing in action from the Korean War, according to the Defense Department. Remains and DNA, those are cold and scientific terms. What Eugene Schwartz remembers is a kid brother, fun, smart and accomplished. "He was a great buddy. Eddie had a lot of friends. He was a good student, a good athlete and a very hard worker," Schwartz said. His brother loved football, basketball and hunting. During the early years of World War II, Schwartz said he and Eddie were home working the farm. Their father was a wheat farmer who had weathered the Dust Bowl with subsistence farming. "You had to survive with what you could grow," he said. Eddie Schwartz was awarded a Silver Star. After the Army, he had hoped to study medicine, his brother said. A member of the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Eddie Schwartz was killed in action in North Korea on Nov. 28, 1950. "It was extremely cold in North Korea at that time," said Schwartz, who recalled Eddie's last letter home. "He wanted us to send him little bottles of whiskey to give a little bit of warmth." A friend who served in a nearby unit in Korea told the family that Eddie's unit suffered heavy casualties and had to quickly retreat, leaving the fallen behind. "They call it the forgotten war, and it is," Eklund said. "To me, with all he gave, it warrants recognition." For Eugene Schwartz, at 84, burying a long-lost brother brings mixed emotions. "With sadness is a certain sense of joy," he said. "Eddie's finally at home." Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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