11:05 - 11:10 (5 mins) VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran Of The Week
SGT. Joseph Alfred Platzkoester
Sergeant Joseph Alfred Platzkoester, U.S. Army, served in Company H, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War. On May 30, 1951, Sergeant Platzkoester was reported Missing in Action (MIA) in the vicinity of Inje, Republic of Korea (R.O.K., or South Korea) when his unit encountered a roadblock and came under heavy enemy attack. Today, Sergeant Platzkoester is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen. Positive identification was made on May 29, 2026, through DNA testing and match of his sister, Virginia Platzkoester Renner, and his niece, Mary C. Schafer.
The maternal match was found to be consistent at all overlapping bases with the MG sequence data for the specimens. There was no doubt that Joseph Platzkoester "Uncle Joe" was found. Joseph Platzkoester was presented with the Bronze Star medal for his heroic actions in Korea that ultimately cost him his life. He is also the recipient of the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal and Bronze Star Attachment (Triple), the Combat Infantry Badge 1st Award, and the United Nations Service Medal.
"Uncle Joe" is remembered by family as being a fun-loving uncle who had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed playing badminton, joking, teasing and riding his dirt bike equipped with a loud horn he would blast to make his nieces and nephews laugh.

Surviving are many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews who awaited his arrival home. Sergeant Platzkoester arrived at St. Louis Lambert International Airport for a dignified transfer on Friday, November 6, 2026.
He was laid to rest with full military honors at Green Mount Catholic Cemetery, Belleville, IL.

11:10 - 11:22 (12 mins) Mark Harder, Vice Chair, St. Louis County Council 
Host: St. Louis County Insider with Mark Harder, Sundays at 5pm

11:41 – 11:56 (15mins)  FEATURE:  “CHAT BOX!!”