Lieutenant Thornton was a Second Lieutenant at the time of his death, and he was promoted posthumously. The cenotaph reads:
In Memory of
1st Lt. Cordus H. Thornton
Apr. 24, 1916 - Nov. 1, 1950
Killed in Korea
Helen Greene Leigh's Sacrifices for Patriotism is an account of the experiences that her brother, Pharis Greene, had during his time in the United States Army during the Korean War, most of it as a Prisoner of War. It is an excellent read, and Leigh will bring the reader up to speed with background on what led to the war, what was going on while Pharis was a prisoner, and ultimately, what brought the war to an end.
Pharis joined the Army in 1949, and was a member of K Company, 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. In 1950, he was captured by the North Koreans, and he and his fellow prisoners --
which included civilians, some in their 80s -- endured terribly inhumane conditions. On Halloween of 1850, Major Chong Myong Sil arrived to take control of the prisoners, and he was soon dubbed "Tiger" for his brutality.
As American forces got closer to where the POWs were held, Tiger actually lined his charges up at the edge of a cliff and prepared to have them shot en masse: The bodies would fall to where they wouldn't be found until the spring. Commissioner Herbert Lord managed to convince Tiger to spare everybody, but his terms were stringent: All would make a lengthy march away from the area, adding that those who couldn't keep up would march until they died.
Many did die along the way. It wasn't long before Tiger became dissatisfied with the progress that his weakened charges were making. Some were literally being dragged, while those who had helped the less fortunate ultimately had to fend for themselves. An arrangement was made in an attempt to pacify Tiger, in that the prisoners would be organized in sections, each under the supervision of an officer. Pharis and Johnnie Johnson were assigned to the section under Second Lieutenant Cordus Thornton.
Half a day later, Tiger noticed several prisoners who had fallen out, perhaps at the prompting of guards who denied it when Tiger demanded to know why his orders weren't being followed. In a rage, he nearly shot Commissioner Lord to death as Lord pleaded for the lives of the prisoners, and eventually, Tiger decided to hold responsible the officer whose section had the most prisoners falling behind. That was Lieutenant Thornton, who muttered a plea of "Save me if you can, sir" to Lord as he was brought forward to Tiger.
Tiger demanded that Thornton explain what happens to servicemen in the United States who disobey orders, and Thornton told him that they were put on trial. Tiger turned to his guards and asked what happens to disobedient servicemen in the North Korean Army. "Shoot him! Shoot them all!" was the response, and Tiger told Thornton that that's how they conduct trials in the North Korean Army. Thornton responded that that wasn't a trial, it was a lynching, and prepared to meet his fate.
He was offered a blindfold, which he refused, and Tiger stepped behind him. Pulling up Thornton's fur cap, Tiger fired one shot into the back of his head, killing him instantly. Tiger's last command in this incident was simply to bury Thornton. The rough ground made digging difficult, and the best that could be done for him was a shallow depression into which he was placed, covered by rocks. His remains were not recovered.
Eventually, the North Koreans were telling the prisoners to just leave the stragglers behind, as they would be picked up shortly and given the best of care in the People's Hospital. The march continued, the brutality continued, and the deaths continued. As the stragglers were left and the marchers covered a short distance, gunshots would be heard where they'd just been, a sign of the excellent care provided by the People's Hospital. For Pharis's part, he carried guilt with him for the rest of his life for what happened to Lieutenant Thornton, and at the time, he resolved to not do anything that would jeopardize the life of another, and despite his own suffering, he worked harder to help others on the march.
Released in August of 1953, Pharis returned home and began life again. His first marriage, in which he had to deal with an abusive and controlling mother-in-law, ended after Pharis realized that he was essentially back in a camp. He was fortunate to find his soulmate with his second wife, and he lived to be 85, passing on in 2017.
Thanks to BK-Hunters for giving me help with this waymark, with a nudge that put this book on my nightstand. One doesn't have to be a peacenik to understand the horrors of war, and this account should be required reading for those who are eager to send the other guy's family out to do their fighting for them.