Biography

Early Life
Frank Earl Yeager was born on September 11, 1928, in Apollo, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County, and later in nearby Plum Township in Allegheny County. Yeager was the son of David Frank Yeager and Clara Swauger Yeager. His father was a veteran of World War I. During the war, his father suffered a severe head wound caused by shrapnel and later developed serious heart problems.

The Yeager family lived on a 58-acre farm. About 30 acres were cultivated, while the remaining land was used as pasture. The family raised four cows, two pigs, and nearly 200 chickens. They harvested hay, corn, potatoes, and maintained a truck garden. The farm did not produce goods for sale but provided food for the household.

Yeager grew up in a large household with five siblings: Edward, Mae, Betty, Robert, and Loma. His father's injury caused permanent mental and physical health struggles. Through the Great Depression and World War II, the family faced serious financial hardship. Family members worked whenever they could to provide food and housing. Yeager grew up seeing the heavy toll of military service. At a young age, he learned the value of responsibility.

Yeager attended Franklin High School in Murrysville. He completed his first year of high school, then, like many young men of his time, he found work to help support his family. He worked at the Westinghouse Air Brake Company in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. There, he operated a steam molding press that shaped rubber gaskets for industrial equipment.
 
Homefront 
Yeager grew up in Murrysville and Franklin Township during his early years. Around 1940, his family moved to nearby Plum Township. New roads and shopping centers connected the eastern suburbs to Pittsburgh. This caused a shift from farming to a growing suburban community. Plum Township saw its population double during this time period.

Murrysville and Plum were not major war production centers. However, they were located very close to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh region was important because of the local steel industry. Steel mills, mines, factories, and railroads supported military production. These industries were vital during the World Wars and the Korean War.

This community takes great pride in its unique local landmarks and military service. One unique landmark was the Murrysville Tree Sign. Local Boy Scouts created the sign in 1933. At the time, it was the largest arboreal sign in the world.

This area was also dedicated to military service. Many young men from the area served in the Korean War. A local honor roll in Plum Borough lists 44 community members who served. The Korean War touched many households in the area.

Military Experience 
Corporal Frank Earl Yeager first enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 19, 1945, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. After his training, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines as a rifleman. He participated in Operation Beleaguer in China from 1946 to 1947.

During his first enlistment, he earned the rank of private first class in December 1946. In September 1947, he was promoted again to corporal. During his service, his family petitioned for his release from service to care for his family as his father’s condition worsened. He was honorably discharged due to dependency on December 22, 1947. Yeager returned home to help his family with their financial struggles.

As the Korean War began, Yeager returned to military service. On August 22, 1950, he re-enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves at Neville Island, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, and was sent to the West Coast for deployment. He departed from San Diego on USS General William Mitchell in October 1950. He arrived in Kobe, Japan, on October 29, 1950. From there, his unit prepared to enter the Korean War.

Following the Inchon landing in October 1950, U.S. and United Nations forces rapidly advanced north with the hopes of reuniting the Korean peninsula by Christmas. By November 1950, the 1st Marine Division had advanced deep into the Taebaek Mountains of North Korea. Corporal Yeager's unit was positioned at Yudam-ni, the westernmost point of the Marine advance. There, the division was surrounded by an estimated 120,000 Chinese troops in temperatures that dropped to nearly -30°F.

On the night of November 27, Chinese forces launched a massive assault to annihilate the Marines at Yudam-ni. By the next morning, the fighting withdrawal had begun. Company B was engaged in intense combat approximately three miles south of Yudam-ni, struggling to hold the high ground to protect the division's withdrawal route.

Corporal Frank Earl Yeager was killed in action on November 28, 1950, during the chaotic withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir. For his family, his status remained a painful mystery until the military could finalize the records. In January 1951, official military records documented the location of his death as Target Area 3676-1, approximately three and one-half miles south of Yudam-ni, North Korea. He died of a wound sustained during a firefight with enemy forces.

According to the sworn statement of Hospital Corpsman Second Class Dwain N. Qualls, Company B was engaged in heavy combat when Corporal Yeager was struck by enemy rifle fire in the pelvic girdle. The Corpsman immediately went to his aid and began treatment, but Corporal Yeager died of his wounds during the attempt to save him. The report notes that his remains had to be left on the battlefield due to the intense enemy fire in the area. Navy Corpsman Dwain Qualls explained in his eyewitness statement that attempting to recover Yeager's remains "would have jeopardized the lives of other members of the company."

The frozen terrain, continued combat, and rapid withdrawal prevented later recovery. Corporal Yeager remains listed among those unaccounted for from the Korean War.

Commemoration 
In a letter to his parents, Yeager was praised for his "splendid record" and noble sacrifice. This is reflected in the awards he earned for his service, including the Purple Heart, which was awarded posthumously for his sacrifice in Korea. In addition, he earned the UN Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the Victory and China Service Medals.

Although his remains were never recovered, Corporal Yeager is honored in several memorials. His name is etched at the Courts of the Missing on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He is also remembered on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. His family also placed a memorial marker in Hankey Lutheran Cemetery in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. This cenotaph gives Frank Yeaker's family and community a local place to honor his memory.

This profile was researched by Mrs. Lisa Genton, a teacher at Divine Mercy Academy, as part of National History Day’s Researching Silent Heroes program in the 2025/2026 academic year.

This profile was funded by a contract with the American Battle Monuments Commission.



Bibliography

Primary Sources
Frank Earl Yeager, Official Military Personnel File. Department of the Navy. National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

Frank Earl Yeager, Report of Separation. Department of the Navy. National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

Frank E. Yeager. U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963. Fold3.

Kerr, Frank C. Men of the 5th and 7th Regiments, U.S. 1st Marine Division, receiving an order to withdraw. Photograph. November 29, 1950. Oliver P. Smith Collection, Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections. https://www.flickr.com/photos/usmcarchives/8225088828/.

Machine shop, the Westinghouse Air-Brake Co., Wilmerding, Pa. Photograph. 1906. Library of Congress (2016805390). https://www.loc.gov/item/2016805390/.

The Miracle Mile Shopping Center. Photograph. 1953. Monroeville Historical Society Collection, Historic Pittsburgh. https://i2.historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3A20110202-hpicmonroeville-0200.

Murrysville Tree Sign: An 850-Foot Icon. Photograph. c. 1940. Murrysville Historical Preservation Society. https://murrysvillehistory.com/history-of-murrysville/. 

Pennsylvania. Westmoreland County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital images. Ancestry Classroom.

Pennsylvania. Westmoreland County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. Ancestry Classroom.

Plant of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Wilmerding, Pa. Photograph. 1905. Library of Congress (2016794950). https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016794950/.

Secondary Sources
"About the Borough of Plum." Plum Boro. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.plumboro.com/e-open-government/pages/about-borough-plum.

"Battle of the Chosin Reservoir." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed February 13, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Chosin-Reservoir.

"CPL. Frank Earl Yeager." Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000jOQokEAG.

"Cpl. Frank Earl Yeage.” Find a Grave. Updated May 9, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129490700/frank-earl-yeager.

"Cpl. Frank Earl Yeager.” Find a Grave. Updated October 20, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119059799/frank-earl-yeager.

"Educational Community." Plum Borough School District. Accessed January 25, 2026. http://www.pbsd.net/AboutOurDistrict.aspx. 

"Frank Earl Yeager." American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://weremember.abmc.gov/s?q=Yeager&v=G&type=16

"Frank Earl Yeager. “ Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000jOQokEAG.
"Frank Earl Yeager." Honor States. Accessed January 7, 2026. https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/8730/.

"Frank Earl Yeager." Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/FrankEarlYeager/20534. 

"From farmland to Miracle Mile: Monroeville poised for change as it marks 75 years" Triblive [Pittsburgh, PA] February 24, 2025. https://community.triblive.com/c/monroeville-times-express/news/3738938.

"History of Murrysville." Murrysville Historical Preservation Society, Inc. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://murrysvillehistory.com/history-of-murrysville/.

"Plum Township Honor Roll Plaque." Photograph. American Legion. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.legion.org/memorials/united-states/pennsylvania/united-states-pennsylvania-plum-township-honor-roll.

"The Sprawling Suburbs." Pittsburgh [Pittsburgh, PA], July 8, 2016. https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/the-sprawling-suburbs-2/.

"Yeager, Frank Earl, Cpl." Together We Served. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type😛erson&ID=34869.

Corporal Yeager was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy at the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea on November 28, 1950. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
-Information provided by the American Battle Monuments Commission

Frank Earl Yeager's name is engraved on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai'i, 2026. Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Frank Yeager's name is engraved on the Honolulu Memorial.

In 1959, Clara Yeager requested that a memorial marker be placed at Hankey Lutheran Cemetery in honor of her son, Frank. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Frank Yeager's family applied to place a memorial marker at the Hankey Lutheran Cemetery.

Yeager’s mother, Clara, believed that her son may have been taken as a Prisoner of War and wrote this letter seeking additional information, February 14, 1951. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

Frank Yeager's mother write a letter seeking more information on her missing son.

The local newspaper announced the death of Frank Yeager. Although some details are incorrect, this article captures the family's anguish. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 11, 1950.

Newspaper article reporting Frank Yeager's death in Korea.

Letter from the Marine Corps Commandant extending condolences to Yeager’s parents and noting his service, December 5, 1950.  Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

A letter of condolence to Frank Yeager's parents.

Yeager's parents received notification from the military that he had been killed in action on December 2, 1950. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

The telegram sent to Frank Yeager's parents changing his status to Killed in Action.

Map of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir showing how Chinese forces surrounded Marine positions. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1990.

A map showing the movements in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.

Marines of the 5th and 7th Regiments, 1st Marine Division, receive the order to withdraw from their positions near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea after repelling a surprise attack by three Chinese communist divisions. This photograph was taken on November 29, 1950, two days after the Chinese entered the Korean War by throwing 200,000 shock troops against allied forces. National Archives and Records Administration.

A group of servicemembers retreating from the snowy mountains.

The first night of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir saw large numbers of casualties. As aid tents became flooded with Marines and soldiers, many wounded servicemembers were temporarily placed outside on the frozen ground, 1950. National Archives and Records Administration.

A group of wounded waiting for treatment.

Yeager wrote this letter from Tsingtao, China, requesting a visit home or discharge due to his father’s worsening health. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

A letter from Frank Yeager requesting a discharge to support his family.

The Plum Township Honor Roll Plaque honors local service members. American Legion Post 980.

A plaque honoring local residents who served in World War II and Korea.

In 1940, the Yeager family was living on Greer Road in Plum Township. Yeager was 11 years old and attending school. His youngest sister, Loma, was not born until 1945. National Archives and Records Administration.

FRANK EARL YEAGER

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