BEDFORD, Ohio (WJW) – Nearly 75 years have passed since a U.S. Army sergeant from Greater Cleveland was declared missing-in-action during the Korean War. For most of that time, questions about what happened to the fallen warrior and the location of his remains could not be answered.
But a long and complex military investigation has finally solved the mystery surrounding the service and sacrifice of Sgt. John Paul Ryhter.
The city of Bedford has a long history of sending its sons and daughters to serve the country, including 22-year-old Ryhter, who joined the Army in 1949 and was sent to Korea in August 1950.
In December of that year, he was reported missing-in-action, while his unit was engaged in combat with units from China and North Korea.
In 1954, after the conflict ended, there was an exchange of the war dead called Operation Glory, and the U.S. received the remains of nearly 2000 service members, including a number of soldiers who could not be identified.