Charles Corder

Charles Corder Jr. (Sept. 4, 1931 – Aug. 22, 1950) was a soldier from Memphis killed in action in the Korean War. Although he’s listed on both of Scott County’s veterans memorial, he does not appear to be from Scott County or have ties to Scott County.

See Also: Scott Countians killed in war

Biography

Born Sept. 4, 1931, Charles Corder Jr. was the son of Charles and Lena Corder of Memphis, Tenn. He played football and boxed at Hamilton High School in Memphis. His siblings included Dorothy Curtis, Helen Bennett, Essie Johnson, Vivian Corder, and Louis Hill.

Korean War

PFC Corder enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948. He was assigned to the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington. He left the U.S. on Aug. 11, and was killed shortly after reaching Korea.

Aftermath

PFC Corder’s parents were informed of his death by the U.S. Dept. of Defense on Aug. 28, 1950. His body was returned to Memphis, and he was buried at the Memphis National Cemetery.

He received the Purple Heart. He is listed on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida, the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville, and the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in Knoxville, despite not being from Scott County. The source of the confusion isn’t clear. There was a Charles Corder who lived in McCreary County, Ky. whose name was similar (Lona Corder), but he never lived in Scott County and was not in the Korean War.