Sergeant Max Dean Ramsey, United States Army, age 21, of Livonia, Missouri, gave his life in service to his country on September 16, 1950, during the early days of the Korean War. Nearly 76 years later, Max will finally return home to Putnam County, where he will be laid to rest among family at Rose Cemetery, north of Martinstown, Missouri.
Max was born on March 20, 1929, in Putnam County, Missouri, the first child and only son of Theodore and Dixie (Gillespie) Ramsey. Eight years later, his family grew with the arrival of his beloved younger sister, Josie Ann Ramsey. Max spent his childhood in the east end of Putnam County, where he attended school, enjoyed the outdoors, and helped his family.
On April 12, 1948, Max answered the call to serve his country, enlisting in the United States Army from Missouri. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. For his family, his military service meant both pride and worry. During his time in the Army, they were able to see Max just once—and for only 12 precious hours. Those brief hours would become treasured memories of a young man whose life would soon be changed forever by war.
On September 16, 1950, Max and his fellow soldiers found themselves in an intense battle against North Korean forces for control of Hill 570, approximately ten miles north of Taegu, South Korea. During the fighting, Max was killed in action as his unit withdrew from the hill. The battle was so fierce that his remains could not be recovered at the time.
In March of 1952, American Graves Registration personnel recovered two sets of unidentified remains from a common grave near Sangwondong. Unable to establish their identities, the remains were ultimately buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
For decades, Max’s family carried his memory without knowing where he rested. Then, more than seven decades after his death, science gave his family an answer. In November 2022, as part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s continuing effort to identify Korean War Unknowns, Max’s remains were exhumed and transferred to the DPAA laboratory for examination. Through modern forensic and scientific techniques, investigators were finally able to establish his identity.
After nearly 76 years as a missing soldier, Sergeant Max Dean Ramsey was no longer an unknown.
He was Max.
A son.
A brother.
An uncle.
A young man from Putnam County who answered his nation’s call.
Max’s military service and sacrifice have been remembered throughout the years. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his service and sacrifice. His name is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, as well as on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
Now, at long last, Max will come home. He will return not simply as a soldier whose name appears on memorials, but as a beloved member of a family and community that never forgot him. The journey that began nearly eight decades ago will finally come full circle as Max is placed in his final resting place in the Missouri soil where his story began.
Left to cherish and honor Max’s memory is his sister, Josie Ballanger of Unionville, Missouri; his nephew, Dean Alan Davolt, and his family; along with extended family and friends who will remember the young soldier whose life was cut far too short.
Max was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Dixie Ramsey; his nephews, Warren Davolt and David Davolt; as well as other extended family members and friends.
Though Max’s life lasted only 21 years, his service, sacrifice, and memory endured for generations. He was lost in war, remembered in his hometown, honored by his country, and, after nearly 76 years, finally coming home.
Full Military Graveside Services for Sergeant Max Dean Ramsey will be held on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Rose Cemetery near Martinstown, Missouri. Those wishing to attend are asked to meet at Thomas Funeral Home in Unionville, MO between 1:00 and 1:15 p.m., with those gathered traveling together to the cemetery.
Memorials in Sergeant Max Ramsey’s honor may be made to the Adair County Humane Society and entrusted to Thomas Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th Street, Unionville, MO 63565.
