Kumsong, North Korea, 1953 

The morning of July 11th, like all mornings on the Korean battlefront in 1953, ca

early for PFC Jay Stoner and the men of the 304th Communications Reconnaissan

Stoner had been in Korea for over five months, but he still had not gotten used to the 

artillery barrages and relentless enemy attacks in his sector. He and his buddies almost certainly knew 

rumors that the individuals involved in the “peace talks” at Panmunjan might actually be making pro

on this July morning, the situation that Stoner and the 304th found themselves in was about as far aw

peace as you could get. 

The early months of 1953 had seen the Chinese Communists step up their attacks along a broad fron

aim of being in a superior position should the war come to an abrupt end. For this reason, Stoner and 

the men in the 304th Communications Group had not had much time to rest that summer. The 304th

job was to give the front line infantry units, who were in the thick of the fight, the information they n

gain an advantage in combat. The unit sought to accomplish this mission by getting close to enemy li

conducting what was referred to as “low-level intercept.” This was the technical name for the process 

establishing a front-line intercept site, running a communications line to a fixed bunker further towa

then collecting and forwarding critical information on enemy operations and movements in a timely 

The system worked. The plain truth was that many of the GIs in Stoner’s sector had lived to see anoth

to the information supplied by his unit. 

The Attack 

Although the 304th had many capable analysts at work on the mission, when the 

lines went down, the whole process ground to a halt. Stoner’s role in this process 

was to keep the lines working. This responsibility must have been on his mind 

on the morning of the 11th when the expected “incoming mail” began to rain 

down on his position. Seeking shelter from the shelling, Stoner headed for the 

fixed bunker with the rest of his crew to wait out the barrage. Despite the 

intensity of the attack, critical information from the intercept site was 

continuing to flow back to the bunker. Moments later, however, one heavy 

salvo hit the sector, and the line went dead. 

Stoner did not know it, but the heavy fire his unit was facing was part of 

an orchestrated attack by the Communist Chinese on the 8th Army’s 

main line of resistance. Without the tactical information culled from 

the site, American soldiers would die. Someone had to fix the line. 

That someone turned out to be Jay Stoner. 
Service and Sacrifice 

Leaving the safety of the bunker with Yong Koo, his technical assistant, Stoner 

along the line searching for the break. The shelling intensified. Even so, he was able to locate the dam

quickly took out the needed material from his kit and repaired the line. The intercept station was bac

business. So far, so good. Now it was time to get back to the safety of the bunker as quickly as possibl

rounds were now falling much too close for comfort; shrapnel was flying everywhere. He cautioned Y

to stay low. Both men cautiously began the journey back to safety. As they came within 100 yards of t

bunker, Stoner was struck down. 

Requiem 

Jay would never know that his courageous actions had come at a critical time and that his efforts had 

contributed to saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers on the front lines. Nor would he ever rec

long-awaited letter from his sister, Anna Jane, informing him that his prayers had been answered--he 

finally going to be an uncle. Most troubling, perhaps, was the fact that 16 days later, at 10:12 p.m., the 

would finally come to a close. 

PFC Stoner’s death serves as a stark reminder that the practice of cryptology can be a dangerous one, 

courage and bravery, as well as talent and intelligence, are often required to get the job done. Because 

sacrifice, and that of thousands of others like him, millions of men, women, and children today live in 

freedom on the Korean peninsula. PFC Stoner’s actions serve as an eternal reminder that the servicem

women who risk their lives on the front are not only the backbone of our armed 

forces, but the guarantors of our American way of life. 

Jay Robert Stoner 

Private First Class, United States Army 

1932-1953 

Purple Heart (posthumous) 

Bronze Star Medal with ‘V’ Device (posthumous) 

Korean Service Medal with 1 bronze service star 

United Nations Service Medal 

Photos and medals courtesy of the Stoner Family 

Narrative - Patrick Weadon, Public Affairs 

Graphics/Layout - Terri Askew, NSA Creative Imaging 

Medal Photography - Ralph Bartimo, NSA Creative Imaging 

Visit our Web site, http://www.nsa.gov 

MEMORIAL DAY 2001