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According to a report released by the Communists after the Korean Armistice in 1953 and confirmed by his surviving comrades, Captain <em>John C. Hastie </em>died while a prisoner of war in a North Korean prison camp on January 18, 1951. Thus ended a brief but full life marked by devotion to duty, aggressive courage, never-failing cheerfulness, and physical and moral strength. Though saddened by this premature end to a rising career, his many friends and loved ones can gain from the assurance that John’s spiritual strength carried him through the ordeals of war and captivity with his head held high, and that he never compromised his ideals and devotion to his country, even in the final battle.</div>
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John was the eldest of four sons and one daughter in a family bound together by close ties of love and mutual respect. He joined the Class of ’45 at the Military Academy in July 1942. His cheerful smile and aggressive spirit served him well through the trials and tribulations of the battles for tenths and against demerits, and he was consistently guided by the principle that the best things in life are those for which the struggles are hardest. After graduation and award of his coveted commission in the Corps of Engineers, a tour with an aviation engineer unit in the Far East developed the foundation of technical competence and leadership that was to contribute to his unit’s success in later years in combat.</div>
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The technical competence was sharpened and deepened by a year at Cornell in 1948-49, leading to a Master's degree in the field of his choice—Civil Engineering.</div>
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John returned to Japan in 1949 and was assigned to an old and proud outfit—the 3d Engineer Combat Battalion of the 24th Infantry Division. When the North Koreans crossed the 38th Parallel in June 1950, the 24th was alerted, and early in July the Third Engineers moved to Korea to play an important role in the gallant holding action which allowed the UN forces time to gather strength for the long push back up the peninsula. John was ready to carry his share, and his commanding officer, Colonel Peter C. Hyzer, later wrote to his parents as follows:</div>
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"Throughout his Korean service John gave his utmost in the highest tradition ot the Army and the Military Academy. He was a tower of strength both physically and morally. His only purpose in life was the good of his unit and he gave no thought to his personal safety or comfort.</div>
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"As Communications Officer during the early days of retreat from Osan and defense of the Naktong River Line he achieved outstanding results through his own superhuman efforts under the worst possible conditions of weather, terrain, confusion, and enemy action and with a section that was not adequately manned, trained, or equipped for such a war. In recognition of his leadership he was given a battlefield promotion to Captain in August 1950.</div>
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“In September our pursuit of the North Koreans from the Naktong to the Yalu shifted emphasis and John was shifted to the critical spot of Reconnaissance Officer. He armed his jeeps with mounted machine guns and built a fine, aggressive esprit. He worked unceasingly to fill the great need for vital engineer intelligence. His ‘reckless’ courage became known throughout the Division, but John was never foolhardy. He became canny and combat-wise, but he took calculated risks which usually paid high dividends.</div>
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“On November 24, 1950 he was reconnoitering an area between the prongs of the Infantry advance near the northwest corner of Korea. When he failed to return, a tauk patrol went into the area and found grim evidence of a fierce battle. Native witnesses stated that a Red Chinese unit had killed or captured all of John’s patrol. Nothing further was heard of John until a long-delayed report announced his death while a prisoner of war on January 18, 1951.</div>
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"His comrades during those trying days will always remember John Hastie as a fine officer and one of those principally responsible for the successes of the Third Engineers."</div>
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An Army surgeon who shared those dark days in a sub-zero North Korean prison camp, Major William R. Shadish, has recalled vividly John's heroic defiance of the Communist attempts at intimidation and his uncomplaining acceptance of death rather than submission to Communist demands for information and endorsement of propaganda lies. John’s last acts were a strengthening inspiration to his fellow prisoners which can best be summed up in Major Shadish's brief statement: “He was a MAN."</div>
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There is little that can be added to such tributes from those who lived and fought with him in combat and in Korean prison camps. Johnny Hastie was a soldier of whom his Alma Mater and his country may be justly proud; he was a man whose warm heart and thoughtful, selfless manner will be sorely missed by all who were his friends. The memory remains of a cheery grin covering a truly invincible determination to uphold his high ideals of Duty, Honor, Country.</div>
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<em>—A Friend and Classmate, William B. Taylor, ’45</em></div>
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