Disappearance of two Madison airmen in 1953 remains a mystery

Today there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
January 9, 2019

Navy Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T. Cheshire, 40

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
January 8, 2019

Navy Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin, 36

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
January 8, 2019

Navy Bugle master 2nd Class Lionel W. Lescault, 28,

Navy Bugle master 2nd Class Lionel W. Lescault, 28, of Worcester, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Lescault was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Lescault.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Lescault.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Lescault’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

Today, 7,662 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

Airman killed From World War II Accounted For
December 21, 2018

Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Burleigh E. Curtis, 22

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 20, 2018

Navy Machinist's Mate 1st Class George Hanson,

Navy Machinist's Mate 1st Class George Hanson, Laramie, WY killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Hanson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Hanson. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

Hanson's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
December 20, 2018

Army Pfc. William F. Delaney, 24

Army Pfc. William F. Delaney, 24, Roane County, Tennessee killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Nov. 22, 1944, Delaney served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, when his battalion launched a massive firing demonstration against a large pocket of German defenders near the town of Grosshau, in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany. During the battle, an enemy artillery shell struck Delaney’s foxhole, and he died before he could be medically evacuated. Due to ongoing combat operations, his remains were not recovered at that time. 

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this mission.

Delaney’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with others who are missing from WWII. Although interred as an "unknown" his grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. James R. Lord, 20, of Conneaut, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for. 

On Aug. 10, 1944, Lord, a member of the 66th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, 12th Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force, was piloting a P-47D aircraft, targeting gun positions in the Savona area of northwest Italy, near the French border. During the mission, Lord misjudged his altitude and crashed into the water, a mile off the coast of Anghione, Corsica. No witnesses reported seeing any parachute sightings.

In the 1980s, local Corsican divers found and documented a large number of Royal Air Force, French, German and U.S. aircraft off the island. Mr. Franck Allegrini-Semollini, a local diver and amateur archeologist began diving the sites in 1985. In August 2012, Allegrini-Semollini dived on two P-47 wrecks, and informed the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC-a predecessor to DPAA) of his historical research and findings.

After a 2014 follow-up investigation by JPAC, in June and July 2018, a DPAA Underwater Recovery Team onboard French Navy Vessel BBPD PLUTON, returned to the site and conducted recovery operations in the area where Lord’s aircraft was believed to have been. The team consisted of personnel from DPAA, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, and the French Navy’s dive and EOD unit Groupement de Plongeurs Démineurs. The team excavated 150 square feet of seafloor sediment, recovering possible osseous remains, material evidence, unexploded ordnance, aircraft wreckage and personal effects. 

To identify Lord’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Fred E. Freet, 18

Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Fred E. Freet, 18, of Marion, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1943, Freet was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

Freet died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943, during the first waves of the assault.

The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island, including Cemetery #27. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Freet’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.

In 2015, DPAA received a unilateral turnover from History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, of remains recovered from Cemetery #27 on Betio Island.

To identify Freet’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Nicholas J. Gojmerac, 29

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Nicholas J. Gojmerac, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for. 

In July 1943, Gojmerac was a member of Company Q, 4th Raider Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment, when his unit assaulted a Japanese stronghold at Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands. He was reported missing in action on July 20, 1943, after he was last seen crawling through heavy fire to provide medical care to an injured Marine while he was mortally wounded himself. 

A set of remains, later designated X-6, was recovered from an isolated burial site in Enogai Inlet, New Georgia, Solomon Islands. When the remains could not be identified, they were ultimately interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu as X-6 Finschhafen.

Based on thorough historical research and analysis, Gojmerac became a likely candidate to match X-6 Finschhafen in the Punchbowl. On Aug. 20, 2018, DPAA disinterred the remains and accessioned them to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Gojmerac’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial, historical and material evidence.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30

Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30, of Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In November 1950, Spangenberg was a member of Company E, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950 following a battle in Unsan, North Korea. Spangenberg’s name was never included on lists of American Soldiers being held as prisoners of war by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) or the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF,) and no returned American prisoners of war had any information on his status. 

On Dec. 31, 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Spangenberg was declared deceased. In January 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.

On Oct. 17, 1997, a joint KPA and U.S. recovery team recovered material evidence and possible remains of a U.S. serviceman, west of the town of Unsan, North Korea. The site is an area where Spangenberg’s regiment sustained heavy losses in early November, 1950. The recovered remains were sent to DPAA for identification. 

To identify Spangenberg’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Reserve Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class William H. Blancheri, 19

Navy Reserve Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class William H. Blancheri, 19, of Los Angeles, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1943, Blancheri was a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Blancheri died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943, during the first waves of the assault.

The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. Blancheri was reportedly buried in Cemetery #26. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Blancheri’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.

On Dec. 5, 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-016 from the NMCP, and sent the remains to the laboratory.

To identify Blancheri’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30

Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30, of Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In November 1950, Spangenberg was a member of Company E, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950 following a battle in Unsan, North Korea. Spangenberg’s name was never included on lists of American Soldiers being held as prisoners of war by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) or the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF,) and no returned American prisoners of war had any information on his status. 

On Dec. 31, 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Spangenberg was declared deceased. In January 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.

On Oct. 17, 1997, a joint KPA and U.S. recovery team recovered material evidence and possible remains of a U.S. serviceman, west of the town of Unsan, North Korea. The site is an area where Spangenberg’s regiment sustained heavy losses in early November, 1950. The recovered remains were sent to DPAA for identification. 

To identify Spangenberg’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Marine Corps Pfc. Michael L. Salerno, 19

Marine Corps Pfc. Michael L. Salerno, 19, of Philadelphia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1943, Salerno was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Salerno died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Salerno’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated Tarawa Unknown X-267.

On Jan. 30, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-267 from the NMCP for identification.

To identify Salerno’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Army Pvt. William A. Boegli, 25

Army Pvt. William A. Boegli, 25, of Sedan, Montana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In September 1944, Boegli was a member of Company L, 332nd Infantry Regiment, 81st Infantry Division, invading Angaur Island in the Palau Island chain. After Boegli’s regiment successfully captured Red Beach on the northeastern shore, they pushed westward across the island. On Sept. 30, 1944, Boegli was killed while attempting to lead a group of litter bearers to evacuate wounded servicemen. His remains were not recovered following the war.

On Oct. 18, 1944, graves registration personnel buried an unidentified set of remains designated X-8 in Pleasant Grove on Angaur Island. The American Graves Registration Service subsequently disinterred X-8 and shipped the remains to the Central Identification Point in Manila, where they were redesignated X-3788 Manila No. 2. The remains were sent to Fort McKinley, now the Manila American Cemetery, for permanent burial.

On Jan. 20, 2016, DPAA, along with representatives from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, disinterred X-3788.

To identify Boegli’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Army Pfc. William H. Jones, 19

Army Pfc. William H. Jones, 19, of Whitakers, North Carolina, was accounted for.

In November 1950, Jones was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, engaged in attacks against the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces near Pakchon, North Korea. On Nov. 26, 1950, after his unit made a fighting withdrawal, he could not be accounted for and was reported missing in action.

Throughout the remainder of the war, the United Nations Command regularly requested that the CPVF and Korean People’s Army (KPA) provide lists of American and allied servicemen held in their custody. No lists provided included his name as a prisoner of war. Additionally, no returning American prisoners provided any information on Jones. Based on the lack of information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953, and his remains were reported as non-recoverable.

On June 12, 2018, in the first meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. The leaders signed a joint statement, including a commitment to return the remains American service members lost in North Korea.

On July 27, 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Jones’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19

Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19, of Bay City, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Headington was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Headington. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Headington.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Headington’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Musician 2nd Class Francis E. Dick, 20

Navy Musician 2nd Class Francis E. Dick, 20, of Woodland, Washington, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Dick was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Dick. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Dick.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Dick’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. 

Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Merle A. Smith, 20, of Woodland, Washington, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Smith was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Smith. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Smith.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Smith’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.

Navy Fireman 1st Class Claude O. Gowey, 20, of Onawa, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Gowey was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Gowey. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Gowey.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Gowey’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

Navy Reserve Fireman 1st Class Lewis F. Tindall, 18

Navy Reserve Fireman 1st Class Lewis F. Tindall, 18, of Oakland, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Tindall was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Tindall. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Tindall.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Tindall’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) DNA analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Joe M. Kelley, 20, of Springfield, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Kelley was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Kelley. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Kelley.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Kelley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his records, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Seaman 1st Class Daniel L. Guisinger, Jr., 21

Navy Seaman 1st Class Daniel L. Guisinger, Jr., 21, of Everett, Washington, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Guisinger was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Guisinger. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Guisinger.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Guisinger’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Seaman 1st Class Wesley V. Jordan, 23

Navy Seaman 1st Class Wesley V. Jordan, 23, of What Cheer, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Jordan was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Jordan. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Jordan.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Jordan’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard V. Keffer, 26

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard V. Keffer, 26, of Los Angeles, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Keffer was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Keffer. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Keffer.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Keffer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence and dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his records.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Wilbur C. Barrett, 26

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Wilbur C. Barrett, 26, of El Dorado, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Barrett was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Barrett. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Barrett.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification. To date, DPAA has identified more than 135 servicemen killed on board.

To identify Barrett’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Fireman 1st Class Elmer D. Nail, 23

Navy Fireman 1st Class Elmer D. Nail, 23, of Kansas City, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Nail was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Nail. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nail.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Nail’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Fireman 1st Class Frank E. Nicoles, 24

Navy Fireman 1st Class Frank E. Nicoles, 24, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Nicoles was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in 429 casualties, including Nicoles.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nicoles.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Nicoles’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 17, 2018

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James, 18

 Navy Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James, 18, of New Boston, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, James was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including James.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including James.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify James’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, 26, Salt Lake City killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On March 21, 1945, Hadfield was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, piloting an A-26B, when the aircraft was reported to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hadfield, and his two crewmen, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton and Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.

DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Germany, Mr. Adolph Hagedorn and History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.

Hadfield’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton,

Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On March 21, 1945, Hamilton was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, aboard an A-26B, when the aircraft was reported to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hamilton, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.

DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Germany, Mr. Adolph Hagedorn and History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.

Hamilton’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Airmen From World War II Accounted For
December 14, 2018

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Hulen A. Leinweber, 21

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Hulen A. Leinweber, 21, of Houston, killed during World War II, was accounted for. 

On June 10, 1945, Leinweber, a member of 40th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, was piloting a P-51 aircraft, on a strafing mission targeting a large convoy north of Payawan in Infugao Province, Republic of the Philippines. The aircraft reportedly was struck by anti-aircraft fire, causing the right wing to break off. Leinweber’s aircraft crashed just south of Ilap village. The American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) searched the area south of Ilap village between August 26-28, 1947, locating wreckage but recovering no remains. In October 1947, Leinweber’s remains were declared non-recoverable.

Between March and July 2017, a Joint University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Recovery Team (RT1) excavated a site believed to be associated with Leinweber’s crash. The recovery team found material evidence and possible osseous remains. The remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Leinweber’s remains, scientists from DPAA used laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez, Jr., 19

Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez, Jr., 19, of Slidell, Louisiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for. 

On Dec. 7, 1941, Gomez was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Gomez. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Gomez.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Gomez’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 14, 2018

Navy Storekeeper 2nd Class Gerald L. Clayton, 21

Navy Storekeeper 2nd Class Gerald L. Clayton, 21, Central City, Nebraska, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Clayton was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Clayton. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Clayton.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Clayton’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 14, 2018

Army Cpl. Frederick E. Coons, 22

Army Cpl. Frederick E. Coons, 22, of Fairview Township, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In July 1950, Coons was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1950, Coons was declared missing action in the vicinity of Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, when he couldn’t be accounted for after a unit withdrawal action to set up a roadblock against North Korean Forces. 

On Feb. 23, 1952, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered three sets of remains from a shallow, temporary grave near the village of Apkong-ni, South Korea. The remains, designated X-5272, X-5273 and X-5274, were transferred to the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok for temporary burial. The remains were then sent to the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for identification.

One set of remains, X-8272 was declared unidentifiable and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu for burial.

On March 12, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-8272 from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Coons’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 14, 2018

Army Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce, 21

Army Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce, 21, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In July 1950, Boyce was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea. Boyce could not be accounted-for and was declared missing in action on July 11, 1950.

In December 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Boyce was declared deceased. 

On October 7, 1950, a set of remains was recovered from an isolated grave in the vicinity of Choch’iwon, South Korea. The remains, unable to be identified, were designated as Unknown X-170 and were buried in the Taejon United Nations Military Cemetery. In 1951, the graves at Taejon were exhumed and the unknowns were transferred to the Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan. Again, X-170 could not be identified and the remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. 

On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-170 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.

To identify Boyce’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as and circumstantial and material evidence.

Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey, 32, of Delmar, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.

On Feb. 6, 1967, Kibbey was a member of Detachment 5, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, when he, along with three other service members, were crew members of an HH-3E helicopter on a rescue and recovery mission over North Vietnam. After rescuing the pilot of a downed aircraft, Kibbey’s helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire, resulting in an internal explosion and crash. Kibbey was subsequently reported missing in action. His status was later amended to deceased. 

In March 2017, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team excavated a crash site associated with Kibbey’s loss, near Bai Dinh Hamlet, Dan Hoa Village, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, and recovered possible osseous remains and material evidence. On March 31, 2017, a Joint Forensic Review team examined the possible remains in Da Nang and recommended them for repatriation to the United States. The remains were sent to DPAA in April 2017. A VNOSMP team continued excavation of the site between February and April 2018, recovering additional remains. These remains were sent to DPAA on April 16, 2018 and consolidated with the remains received in 2017.

To identify Kibbey’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 11, 2018

Navy Water Tender 1st Class Edwin B. McCabe, 26

Navy Water Tender 1st Class Edwin B. McCabe, 26, Carteret, North Carolina, killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, McCabe was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including McCabe. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

McCabe's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 10, 2018

Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44

Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessemer, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Finnegan was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Finnegan. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Finnegan.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Finnegan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Navy Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch, 25, of Rockford, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Roesch was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Roesch. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Roesch.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Roesch’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. 

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 10, 2018

Navy Seaman 2nd Class John C. Auld, 23

Navy Seaman 2nd Class John C. Auld, 23, Grosse Park, Michigan, United States killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.

John Cuthbert Auld and his brother Edwin were born in England, the sons of Richard and Lillian Auld. The family emigrated after 1921 to the US.
Auld was a Seaman 2nd Class aboard the USS Oklahoma went it was attacked at Pearl Harbor.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Auld was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Thompson. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

Auld's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Navy Seaman 2nd Class George A. Thompson,

Navy Seaman 2nd Class George A. Thompson, Great Lakes, Ill. killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Thompson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Thompson. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

Thompson's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 3, 2018

Navy Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller, 21

Navy Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller, 21, of Garber, Oklahoma. Geller was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Geller was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Geller. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Geller.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Geller remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA, Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence and anthropological analysis, which matched his records.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
December 3, 2018

Army Pfc. John A. Taylor, 22

Army Pfc. John A. Taylor, 22, of Winnsboro, Louisiana. Taylor was accounted for.

In August 1950, Taylor was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in South Korea. On Aug. 11, his regiment encountered a Korean People’s Army unit near the village of Haman. Taylor’s company was ordered to move southwest, where they were ambushed and forced to disperse. In the days following, the battalions of 24th Infantry Regiment consolidated their positions, reorganized and began accounting for their Soldiers. After several days of checking adjoining units, aid stations and field hospitals, Taylor was reported as killed in action on Aug. 12, 1950, but his remains were not recovered.

On Jan. 6, 1951, an Army Graves Registration Service search and recovery team recovered a set of unidentified remains near the village of Haman. The remains, which could not be identified, were interred in United States Military Cemetery Masan in South Korea, as Unknown X-213 Masan.

In February 1954, the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, examined Unknown X-213 Masan. Unable to make an identification, the remains were declared unidentifiable in April 1955 and buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In 2016, research into unresolved losses and unknowns remains from the Korean War led researchers to conclude that Unknown X-213 could likely be identified. The unknown had been recovered in the area where Taylor went missing. DPAA disinterred Unknown X-213 in June 2017 and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Taylor’s remains, scientists from DPAA used as dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.

Pilot killed From World War II Accounted For
December 3, 2018

Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell, 22

Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell, 22, of Houston. Cornwell was accounted for.

On January 27, 1944, Cornwell was a member of the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, Twelfth (XII) Air Force, piloting a Supermarine Spitfire aircraft, which was shot down over Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. Cornwell was engaged in battle with a German Messerschmitt 109 (Me-109). Another pilot also engaged in battle witnessed two unidentified aircraft crash into the side of a mountain several miles northeast of Grande Bastide. Cornwell could not be reached through radio contact. Because southern France was occupied by enemy forces, an immediate search could not be conducted. After Allied forces liberated the area, they were unable to locate Cornwell’s remains.

In October 2016, French researcher Mr. Steve Leleu contacted DPAA about a possible aircraft crash site near his home in the village of Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. In a February 3, 1944 document provided by Leleu, the Prefecture of Var reported that two American airplanes were shot down near the aerodrome at Cuers, France. A French report from Jan. 3, 1944, also from the Prefecture of Var, discussed the burials of two American aviators.

Leleu reported recovery of a large amount of evidence, including aircraft parts, personnel equipment and possible remains. 

In June 2017, DPAA’s Europe-Mediterranean Regional Directorate Investigation Team conducted a field investigation, confirmed the evidence from Leleu, and took possession of the remains. 

To identify Cornwell’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
December 3, 2018

Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason, 48

Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason, 48, of Corwith, Iowa. Mason was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Mason was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Mason. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Mason.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Mason’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. 

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Jack R. Goldwater, 19, of San Francisco. Goldwater was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Goldwater was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Goldwater. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Goldwater.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Goldwater’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 30, 2018

Navy Shop fitter 3rd Class John M. Donald, 28

Navy Shop fitter 3rd Class John M. Donald, 28, of Ball Ground, Georgia. Donald was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Donald was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Donald. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Donald.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Donald’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. 

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
November 30, 2018

Army Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist, 32

Army Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist, 32, of Willmar, Minnesota. Langhorst was buried Nov. 26, 2016, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Lindquist was accounted for.

In late November 1950, Lindquist was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. The unit, designated the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), engaged with forces of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in a battle on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Lindquist was reported missing in action during the battle, on Nov. 29, 1950. 

In 1954, United Nations and communist forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army’s Central Identification Unit for analysis. None of the recovered remains could be associated with Lindquist and he was declared non-recoverable.

One set of remains returned during Operation Glory were reportedly recovered from an isolated grave on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. The remains, designated X-15902, were determined to be unidentifiable and were interred as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In July 2013, following thorough historical analysis and research, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-15092 from the Punchbowl and sent the remains to the lab for identification.

To identify Lindquist’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.

Tuskegee Airman From World War II Accounted For
November 29, 2018

Army Air Forces Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson, 24,

Army Air Forces Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson, 24, of New York, New York. Dickson was accounted for.

In December 1944, Dickson was a pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, in the European Theater. On Dec.23, 1944, Dickson departed Ramitelli Air Base, Italy on an aerial reconnaissance mission toward Praha, Czechoslovakia. On his return, Dickson’s P-51D aircraft suffered engine failure and was seen to crash along the borders of Italy and Austria, reportedly between Malborghetto and Tarviso, Italy. According to witnesses, Dickson’s plane had rolled over with the canopy jettisoned. He was not observed ejecting from the plane. Dickson’s remains were not recovered and he was subsequently declared missing in action. 

After combat operations in the area ceased, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) and American Graves Registration Service- Mediterranean Zone U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps searched for and disinterred remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe, as part of the global effort to identify and return fallen servicemen. 

On April 6, 1946, a search team investigated Dickson’s case, and spoke to municipal officials, locals and priests in a number of towns along the Italy-Austria border. While the team received information on several crashes, none correlated to Dickson’s loss.

On May 12, 1948, an investigation, conducted by the Austrian Detachment, First Field Command, American Graves Registration Command spoke with the Burgermeister, a local magistrate, of Arnoldstein, Austria, as well as with current and former police chiefs of Maglern, Austria. One witness stated the plane exploded when it crashed. The wreckage and remains found were allegedly taken to Klagenfurt, Austria, by German military. 

With no further leads on Dickson’s case, a Board of Officers declared him non-recoverable on Sept. 29, 1949. 

In January 2012 researchers with the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (a predecessor to DPAA) contacted Mr. Roland Domanig, an Austrian researcher who had recently reported the discovery of a separate crash site in northern Italy. 

In April 2012, historians and analysts from DPMO and Joint Personnel Accounting Command (JPAC, also a predecessor to DPAA) met with Mr. Domanig and additional witnesses who had seen the crash and been to the crash site. The team subsequently visited the crash site, finding wreckage matching Dickson’s aircraft type in Austria.

From July 11 through Aug. 8, 2017, partnered with DPAA, the University of New Orleans and University of Innsbruck conducted an excavation of the crash site. Recovered remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis, and circumstantial and material evidence.

Army Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer, 27, South Carolina was killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1944, Fulmer was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Fulmer was among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased. 

DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this mission.

Fulmer's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Wilder’s grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
November 28, 2018

Army Pvt. Harry W. Wilder,

Army Pvt. Harry W. Wilder, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1944, Wilder was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Wilder was among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.

DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this mission.

Wilder’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Wilder’s grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Army Cpl. DeMaret M. Kirtley, 19,

Army Cpl. DeMaret M. Kirtley, 19, of Kaycee, Wyoming. Kirtley was accounted for.

In late November 1950, Kirtley was a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south. The U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Kirtley was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, when he could not be accounted for after the withdrawal. He was last seen in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri, Changjin County, Hamgyeong Province, North Korea.

Kirtley’s name did not appear on any prisoner of war lists and no returning Americans reported Kirtley as a prisoner of war. Due to a lack of information regarding his status, the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.

In 1954, an agreement was reached between the United Nations Command (UNC), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) regarding the recovery and return of each side’s dead. This agreement, known as Operation Glory, lasted from 1 September to 30 October 1954. 

During the Operation Glory exchange, Chinese and Korean officials returned the remains of more than 4,000 individuals to the UNC, of which 2,944 were determined to be American. Those remains were sent to the American Graves Registration Service Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan, for possible identification. By the end of the CIU-Kokura identification process, 416 sets of American remains from the D.P.R.K. remained unidentified. Those 416, along with another 451 sets of remains recovered in the Republic of Korea by the AGRS, were sent to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, Hawaii, for burial as “Unknowns.”

One set designated as “X-15900 Operation Glory,” was among a group of remains that North Korea unilaterally turned over after reportedly being recovered from isolated burial sites on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. 

On May 8, 2017, DPAA disinterred X-15900 Operation Glory and sent the remains to the laboratory.

To identify Kirtley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, and material and circumstantial evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 27, 2018

Navy Seaman 1st Class Kenneth H. Sampson,

Navy Seaman 1st Class Kenneth H. Sampson, killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Sampson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Sampson. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

Sampson's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Marine Corps Sgt. Meredith F. Keirn, 24,

Marine Corps Sgt. Meredith F. Keirn, 24, of Niagara Falls, New York. Keirn was accounted for on May 22, 2018.

In late November, 1950, Keirn was a light machinegun section leader for Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He was reported to have been killed Nov. 30, 1950 while defending a hill overlooking the Toktong Pass, a critical main supply route between the villages of Hagaru-ri and Yudam-ni, North Korea. His remains were reportedly buried at the base of “Fox Hill,” in the Toktong Pass, but they could not be recovered following the war.

In August 2015, a South Korean citizen turned over remains believed to be U.S. servicemen from the Korean War. The remains were turned over to the U.S. Forces Korea Mortuary Affairs Office in Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, South Korea, which were subsequently turned over to DPAA.

To identify Keirn’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Next Generation Sequencing and mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
November 27, 2018

Army Cpl. Joseph Akers, 23,

Army Cpl. Joseph Akers, 23, of Kenova, West Virginia. Akers was accounted for.

In November 1944, Akers was a member of Company C, 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, participating in intense fighting in the Hürtgen Forest. His company was deployed as direct fire support for American infantrymen attacking the town of Grosshau. Two tank destroyers and six tanks, including the M10 tank destroyer Akers was on, were knocked out in the fighting around Grosshau on Nov. 25, 1944. He was killed during the battle, though his status was initially listed as missing in action. On Dec. 21, 1944, his status was amended to killed in action.

In 1947, an American investigation team found remains inside the remnants of an America tank destroyer near Grosshau. The remains were later designated X-6852 Neuville. Due to the condition of the remains, they were declared unidentifiable and were interred at United States Military Cemetery Draguignan, France, present-day Rhone American Cemetery.

After thorough research and historical analysis, historians from DPAA determined that Akers was a strong candidate for association to the remains.
In June 2017, X-6852 Neuville was disinterred and sent to DPAA.

To identify Akers’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, and
circumstantial evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 26, 2018

Navy Fireman 3rd Class Willard I. Lawson, 24

Navy Fireman 3rd Class Willard I. Lawson, 24, Butler County, OH was killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Lawson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Lawson. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.

Lawson's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Marine Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
November 20, 2018

Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Johnson McAfee, 27,

Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Johnson McAfee, 27, of Laveen, Arizona. McAfee was accounted for.

In late November, 1950, McAfee was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force fighting against units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in North Korea.
McAfee was reported to have been killed in action on Nov. 28, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir at the Marine position known as Fox Hill.
Following his death, McAfee was buried alongside others at the base of Fox Hill prior to the evacuation of the outpost.

In September 1953, in accordance with provisions in the armistice agreement, North Korea began the return of U.S. and United Nations Command (UNC) dead for identification. On Sept. 10, 1954, a set of remains, "Unknown X-15012,"
was returned, which was reportedly recovered in the vicinity of where McAfee was buried. The remains were determined to be unidentifiable and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu and
interred as a Korean War Unknown.

After a thorough historical and scientific analysis indicated that the remains could likely be identified, X-15012 were disinterred in August 2013 and sent to DPAA for analysis.

To identify McAfee's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his records, as well as circumstantial evidence.

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Harry H. Gaver, Jr., 24, of Annapolis, Maryland. Gaver was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Gaver was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Gaver. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Gaver.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.

To identify Gaver’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 20, 2018

Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Charles H. Harris, 22,

 Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Charles H. Harris, 22, of Pine, Louisiana. Harris was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Harris was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Harris. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Harris.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Harris’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 20, 2018

Navy Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Marvin B. Adkins, 22

Navy Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Marvin B. Adkins, 22, of Seattle. Adkins was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Adkins was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Adkins. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu'uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from
the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.
The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Adkins.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On
June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for identification.

To identify Adkins' remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.

Army Pfc. Leo J. Duquette, 19, of Toledo, Ohio. Duquette was accounted for.

In July 1950, Duquette was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against North Korean forces near Choch’iwon, South Korea. Duquette could not be accounted-for and was declared missing in action on July 11, 1950.

In December 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Duquette was declared deceased. In January 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.

In October 1950, the remains of 164 Americans were found in the vicinity of the Chonui and Choch’iwon, South Korea, in an area corresponding to where Duquette’s unit engaged in battle. One set of remains, designated X-132, was processed for identification, but a match could not be made. The remains were interred in American Cemetery No. 1, later renamed to United Nations Military Cemetery Taejon. 

From October 1950 to September 1954, the American Graves Registration Service attempted to associate Unknown X-132 with a U.S. Soldier. When a possible association could not be made, the remains were declared unidentifiable and X-132 was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu as an Unknown.

On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-132 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Duquette’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, as well as dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, and circumstantial evidence.

Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
November 19, 2018

Army Pfc. Lewis E. Price, 23

Army Pfc. Lewis E. Price, 23, of Rogersville, Tennessee. Price was accounted for.

In November, 1944, Price was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, which moved into the Hürtgen Forest in Germany, to relieve U.S. forces who had been fighting for weeks. The fighting in and around the forest was frequently chaotic, and while details surrounding his loss are sparse, he was reported missing in action as of Nov. 6, 1944. 

After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest, to locate Price’s remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable. 

In 2015, a historian from DPAA analyzed documentation of X-2736 Neuville, an unidentified set of remains recovered from the Hürtgen Forest in 1946. Army officials had been unable to identify the remains following the war and subsequently interred them as an unknown Soldier at Neuville, present-day Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium. 

Based upon the original recovery location and evidence from the personal effects associated with X-2736, the DPAA historian determined that there was a possible association between the remains and Price. In June 2016, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-2736 and accessioned the remains to the laboratory for identification

To identify Price’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
November 19, 2018

Army Pfc. John W. Martin, 23,