“HONOR THE DEAD BY HELPING THE LIVING”
Vietnam War POWs Gather,
Remember at Nixon Library Reunion
POW Mike McGrath
demonstrated how prisoners tapped on the wall to communicate
as he stands in a replica of cells at the Hanoi Hilton camp while touring the
CAPTURED:
Shot Down in Vietnam exhibit at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library as they
celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs in Yorba Linda, CA,
Today, the DPAA is focused on the research, investigation,
recovery, and identification
of the approximately 34,000 (out of approximately 83,000 missing DoD personnel)
believed to be recoverable, who were lost in conflicts
from World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Congressional funding gap slows hunt for remains
of Vietnam War dead.
By WYATT
OLSON
STARS AND
STRIPES February
28, 2024
About
81,000 Americans are still missing from World War II, the Korean War, the
Vietnam War,
the Cold War and Gulf Wars, according to DPAA. Almost 90% of those are from
World War II.
About 41,000 are presumed lost at sea, making the recovery of many of them unlikely, if not impossible.
The 1,577 service members still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, however, are the toughest cases, Byrd said.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Joshua Alexander, left, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class
Joshua Weber,
of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, take part in an excavation in Quang
Binh Province, Vietnam, Feb. 26, 2023.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Joshua Alexander, left, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class
Joshua Weber, of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency,
take part in an excavation in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, Feb. 26, 2023.
More than 2,700 prisoners were buried on the site, some of whom were identified
and reburied by the U.S. soon after the war.
U.S. service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency carry out
a disinterment ceremony
at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 29,
2023.
“Time is our enemy,” he said. “The footprints of battlefields have been
destroyed by progress.
The acidic soil is eating away at the remains.
Many of the veterans are passing on, along with their memories of the
battlefield.”
KHAMMOUANE, Laos --
With
1,586 service members missing in action from the Vietnam War, the Defense
POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) deploys hundreds of service members,
DoD civilians, and contractors all over the world in hopes of returning our
nation’s fallen heroes.
Recently a team of 59 personnel completed DPAA’s second Laos mission of fiscal
year 2017, covering the Central East region of Laos. From rice patties to
mountainsides,
the teams excavated thousands of square meters of land recovering important
evidence relating to missing servicemen lost during the war.
“I’m
very honored to have been part of this initiative to bring our missing home,”
said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Walgenbach,
recovery non-commissioned officer. “This mission has been the most unique part
of my 13 year career in the military and I know others feel the same way.”
Every
team member plays an important role in mission success. Whether that is the
recovery non-commissioned officer setting up the sites,
or the recovery leader collecting scientific data, working together ensures
nothing is overlooked and the safety of the team remains number one priority.
Due
to the efforts of the teams, Laos representatives handed over possible remains
to the U.S. to be repatriated and welcomed back on American soil after 48 years.
Upon arrival the possible remains will be transported to DPAA’s laboratory for
examination and possible identification.
“During this mission I have worked along side some of the greatest men and women
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting,
and being chosen for the repatriation ceremony was a perfect way to end such a
great mission,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew Brod,
recovery non-commissioned officer. “It is truly an honor to be bringing closure
to the families of our fallen service members.”
The
hard work and continued dedication of these teams makes it possible for DPAA to
fulfill our nations promise and
provide fullest possible accounting for our missing service members to their
families and the nation.
U.S. Navy
Petty Officer 1st Class Ameil Fredeluces, edic, and U.S. Marine Corps. Staff
Sgt. Eddie Ludwig, explosive ordinance disposal technician,
remove dirt from units during excavation operations as part of the Defense
POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s mission in the Khammouane Province, Laos,
Recovery Team Three executed excavation operations in
search of two missing U.S. Air Force pilots who crashed while on a visual
reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War over 48 years ago. DPAA’s mission
is to provide the fullest possible accounting
for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
Members of
the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency dig units during excavation operations as
part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s
mission in the Khammouane Province, Laos. Recovery Team Three
executed excavation operations in search of two missing
U.S. Air Force pilots who crashed while on a visual reconnaissance mission
during the Vietnam War over 48 years ago. DPAA’s mission is to provide the
fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the
nation.
Jack Kenkeo,
life support investigator, shovels dirt from the screening stations during
excavation operations as part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s
mission in the Khammouane Province, Laos. Recovery Team Three
executed excavation operations in search of two missing U.S. Air Force pilots
who crashed while on a visual reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War over
48 years ago.
DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing
personnel to their families and the nation.
U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Francis Sangiamvongse, linguist, screens soil with local villagers
during excavation operations as part of the Defense POW/MIA
Accounting Agency’s mission in the Khammouane Province, Laos.
Recovery Team Three executed excavation operations in search
of two missing U.S. Air Force pilots who crashed while on a visual
reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War over 48 years ago.
DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing
personnel to their families and the nation.
Lynn Rakos,
scientific recovery expert, waters hard soil to help with excavation operations
as part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s mission
in the Khammovan Province, Laos. Recovery Team three executed
excavation operations in search of two missing U.S. Air Force pilots
who crashed while on a visual reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War over
48 years ago.
DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing
personnel to their families and the nation.
Making the effort to thank the troops for what they do out in the field
means everything.
With a DPAA recovery team in Quang Nam Province, two hours west of Da Nang,
Vietnam.
The UW-Madison
story involved
a group of six students and staff members who were part of a team that unearthed
a World War II U.S. fighter aircraft—
and possibly remains of its pilot—in the ground under a farm field in France
this summer.
The team used ground-penetrating radar and a photo taken by a
British reconnaissance plane two days after the May, 1944
crash of the P-47 Thunderbolt flown by 1st Lt. Frank Fazekas.
Search underway for Lakewood, Ohio airman of World War II
Search underway for Lakewood, Ohio airman of World War II.
Divers of the U.S. Defense
POW/MIA
Accounting Agency and Civil Defense of Grado, Italy,
prepare for an exploratory dive on the sunken B-24 bomber.
This B-24 Liberator is the same type of airplane that
Lakewood, Ohio airman Thomas McGraw was flying in when it was shot down and
crashed off the coast of Italy during World War II.
A Missing Air Crew Report details the last flight of the B-24 and nose gunner
Thomas McGraw of Lakewood, Ohio.
B-24 located in Adriatic; Crewmanis bones sought Ught Lakewood Manis remains
crewman Omber crew,am2-2k-28 bold Header from A1.
A skull fragment was recovered at the site of a wrecked B-24 bomber
off the coast of Italy that may contain the remains of
Thomas McGraw,
of Lakewood, Ohio.
An underwater view of the crash site of a B-24 off Grado, Italy.
FINDING ENSIGN HAROLD P. DeMOSS IN THE MUCK AND MIRE
“Seeing
those photos was so overwhelming that I cried like a baby”
said DeMoss’ niece, Judy Ivey. “To see this actually taking place
is not anything I ever really expected.”
Anine-person military team
has been digging up mud four days a week
in the Koolau range in search of a missing World War II pilot whose
fighter crashed in cloud cover during a night training flight.
A bucket-and-pulley system
was set up to move excavated
material to a spot where it can be bundled in tarps for
helicopter transport to Wheeler Army Airfield.
NOTE: The Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery said in a 1948 letter
to the family that “an attempt to recover the remains was
considered impracticable” because the site was 7 miles
from a traveled highway in the mountains.
On Feb. 25, 1944, Duran wasn’t supposed to be on the doomed B-24H
Liberator, nicknamed “Knock it Off.”
Normally a nose turret gunner, Duran was the substitute tail turret gunner on
the flight, replacing the usual tail gunner who had frostbite.
The earth by the headstone next to the church in this tiny mountain village was full of rocks.
Two days of digging under a hot sun had yielded buckets of
gravel, stones the size of men’s fists and many piles of dirt – but no bones.
After 73 years, Sgt. Alfonso O. Duran was still missing.
The family feels a sense of closure regardless of the outcome,
Duran said.
“What a difference it would have made to my father and to my aunt,”
she said, “to know he had died and somebody had buried him and tended the
grave.”
Members of
the recovery team attach a POW flag to the wreckage of the
Tulsamerican, a B-24 Liberator piloted by, Lt. Eugene P. Ford, a Derry Township,
Pa. native,
when it crashed into the Adriatic Sea in 1944.
FIELD OPERATIONS IN LAOS AND CAMBODIA
US Ambassador to
Cambodia Patrick Murphy,
prepares to screen dirt during a DPAA recovery mission in Ratanakiri Province,
Cambodia, February 1, 2020.
Mr. Alexander
Garcia-Putnam, right, a senior recovery expert assigned to DPAA,
speaks to US service members and Lao officials during a joint field activity
(JFA) in Khammouan Province, Laos, February 2, 2020
SG Carter Caraker,
USA, a DPAA supply non-commissioned officer,
passes buckets to local workers during a JFA in Khammouan Province, Laos,
February 10, 2020.
During the JFA, a group of more than 70 personnel, assigned to DPAA and
augmented from military units around the globe,
worked together to help fulfill our nation's promise to provide the fullest
possible accounting of our missing personnel.
Recoveries
Underwater Recovery Mission - Vietnam:
U.S. Coast Guard underwater recovery mission in
Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, May 27 2021.
Vietnam Recovery Mission:
U.S. Army DPAA recovery team member, swings a pick axe to loosen dirt during
a recovery mission in Quang Binh province, Vietnam, July 3, 2021.
Vietnam Repatriation Ceremony:
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Detachment 2 and the Vietnam Office for
Seeking
Missing Persons (VNOSMP) held the 155th Repatriation
Ceremony on 9 July 2021 at Gia Lam Airport outside Hanoi, Vietnam.
Repatriation Ceremony – Laos:
Detachment Three-Laos, pause for a photo during the signing of remains turnover
documents
at a Repatriation Ceremony June 22, 2021 in Vientiane, Laos.
Honorable Carry from Laos:
DPAA members conducted an Honorable Carry ceremony on Joint Base Pearl Harbor
Hickam, June 23, 2021.
The remains were recently repatriated to the U.S. during a ceremony in
Vientiane, Laos.
USS Arizona was
a Pennsylvania-class battleship built
for and by the United
States Navy in
the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th
state's
recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class
of "super-dreadnought"
battleships. Although commissioned in
1916, the ship remained stateside during World
War I.
Shortly after the end of the war, Arizona was
one of a number of American ships that briefly escorted President Woodrow
Wilson to
the Paris
Peace Conference.
The ship was sent to Turkey in 1919 at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish
War to
represent American interests for several months. Several years later, she was
transferred to the Pacific
Fleet and
remained there for the rest of her career.
Aside from a comprehensive modernization in 1929–31, Arizona was
regularly used for training exercises between the wars, including the annual Fleet
Problems
(training exercises). When an earthquake struck
Long Beach, California,
in 1933, Arizona's
crew provided aid to the survivors. Two years later, the ship was featured in a Jimmy
Cagney film, Here
Comes the Navy,
about the romantic troubles of a sailor. In April 1940, she and the rest of the
Pacific Fleet were transferred from California to Pearl
Harbor,
Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese
imperialism.
During the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor on
7 December 1941, Arizona was
bombed. After a bomb detonated in a powder magazine, the battleship exploded
violently and sank, killing 1,177 officers and crewmen. Unlike many of the other
ships sunk or damaged that day, Arizona was
irreparably damaged by the force of the magazine explosion, though the Navy
removed parts of the ship for reuse. The wreck still
lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial,
dedicated on 30 May 1962 to all those who died during the attack, straddles the
ship's hull.
A number of other boats were sunk in the attack, but later
recovered and repaired.
The USS California (BB-44)
lost 100 crew members that morning, after the ship suffered extensive flooding
damage when hit by two torpedoes on the port side.
Both torpedoes detonated below the armor belt causing virtually identical damage
each time.
A 250 kg bomb also entered the starboard upper deck level, which passed through
the main deck and exploded on the armored second deck,
setting off an anti-aircraft ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men.
After three days of flooding, the California settled
into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface.
She was later re-floated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbor for repairs. USS California served
many missions throughout the war,
and was eventually decommissioned in February, 1947.
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombs fell and
torpedoes slashed through the waters of Pearl Harbor,
causing a devastating amount of damage to the vessels lined up in Battleship Row
in in the dry docks nearby.
Each of the seven battleships moored there suffered some degree of damage, some
far worse than others.
The USS Arizona (BB-39)
and the USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
were completely destroyed. Though the Maryland (BB-46)
was believed by Japan to also have been sunk, she ultimately survived and became
one of the first ships to return to the war.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, ships like the USS Cassin (DD-372),
a Mahan-class
destroyer, suffered what was originally thought to be fatal damage.
While she was extensively damaged during the attack, she was resurrected and
went on to return to service during the remainder of World War II.
The sunken battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48) at Pearl Harbor after her fires
were out, possibly on 8 December 1941.
USS Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard. A Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane (marked
“4-O-3”) is upside down on West Virginia’s main deck.
A second OS2U is partially burned out atop the Turret No. 3 catapult.
In the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor during World War Two stories emerged of sailors who were trapped in the sunken battleships, some even survived for weeks.
Those who were trapped underwater banged continuously on the side of the ship so
that anyone would hear them and come to their rescue.
When the noises were first heard many thought it was just loose wreckage or part
of the clean-up operation for the destroyed harbor.
However the day after the attack, crewmen realized that there was an eerie banging noise coming from the forward hull of the USS West Virginia, which had sunk in the harbor.
t didn’t take long for the crew and Marines based at the harbor to realize that
there was nothing they could do. They could not get to these trapped sailors in
time.
Months later rescue and salvage men who raised the USS West Virginia found the
bodies of three men who had found an airlock in a storeroom but had eventually
run out of air.
Survivors say that no one wanted to go on guard duty anywhere near the USS West
Virginia since they would hear the banging of trapped survivors all night long,
but with nothing that could be done.
When salvage crews raised the battleship West Virginia six months after the
Pearl Harbor attacks,
they found the bodies of three sailors huddled in an airtight storeroom —
and a calendar on which 16 days had been crossed off in
red pencil.
The USS Oklahoma was on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. That was the morning that the Japanese Empire attacked the United States by surprise.
The Japanese
used dive–bombers, fighter–bombers, and torpedo planes to sink nine ships,
including five battleships, and severely damage 21 ships.
There were 2,402 US deaths from the attack. 1,177 of
those deaths were from the USS Arizona,
while 429 of the deaths were from the USS Oklahoma.
The crew of the USS Oklahoma did everything they could to fight back. In the first ten minutes of the battle, though, eight torpedoes hit the Oklahoma, and she began to capsize. A ninth torpedo would hit her as she sunk in the mud. 14 Marines, and 415 sailors would give their lives. 32 men were cut out through the hull while the others were beneath the waterline. Banging could be heard for over 3 days and then there was silence.
After the battle, the Navy decided that they could not salvage the Oklahoma due to how much damage she had received. The difficult savage job began in March 1943, and Oklahoma entered dry dock 28 December. Decommissioning September 1, 1944, Oklahoma was stripped of guns and superstructure, and sold December 5, 1946 to Moore Drydock Co., Oakland, Calif. Oklahoma parted her tow line and sank May 17, 1947. 540 miles out, bound from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco. Today, there is a memorial to the USS Oklahoma and the 429 sailors and marines lost on December 7, 1941, located on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The minelayer Oglala technically
didn't suffer a hit on December 7, but a torpedo passed under it and hit the USS
Helena.
The blast from that crippled the old Oglala which
had been built as a civilian vessel in 1906.
The crewmembers took their guns to the Navy Yard Dock and set them up to provide
more defenses.
They also set up a first aid station that saved the lives of West Virginia
crewmembers.
The ship suffered horribly, eventually capsizing and sinking
until just a few feet of the ship's starboard side remained above water.
It was declared lost, and the Navy even considered blowing it up with dynamite
to clear the dock it had sunk next to.
But the decision was made that it could destroy the dock, so the Navy had to
refloat it. At that point, it made sense to dry dock and repair it.
None of the crew of Oglala were killed in the attack, although three received injuries.
Sean Patterson, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System Department
of Defense DNA Quality Management Section DNA Analyst,
replaces U. S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Billy James Johnson's picture background,
signifying him as an identified service member who was previously missing in
action.
Johnson marks the 200th service member to be identified following the December
7, 1941 Pearl Harbor
attack where 429 U.S. Sailors and Marines were killed on the USS Oklahoma
(BB-37).
A
series of large posters hang in the conference room of the Defense POW/MIA
Accounting Agency laboratory located at Offutt Air Base, Nebraska.
The heading on each of the posters states “USS OKLAHOMA.” Underneath the
headings are neat rows of printed rectangular frames.
Each one represents a person who was unaccounted for when the USS Oklahoma was
sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Thanks
to the work of Dr. Brown’s team, the remains of 200 previously unknown crewmen
from the USS Oklahoma
have now been returned to their families for proper burial and their families
have those long-awaited answers.
The story of the USS Oklahoma’s lost crewmen is
an evolving history lesson that began on what
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called
“a date that will live in infamy.”
LIST OF USS OKLAHOMA IDENTIFICATIONS FROM MICHIGAN:
(Please note that in some USS Oklahoma identifications,
the primary next of kin has yet to be notified,
and therefore the names will not be released at this time.)
Seaman Second Class Warren P. Hickok of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Staff Sgt. Joseph M. King, of Detroit, Mich.
Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich.
Machinist Mate First Class Fred M. Jones, 30 of Port Huron, Michigan
Navy Fireman 2nd Class Lowell E. Valley, 19, of Ontonagon, Michigan,
Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19, Bay City, Michigan
Navy Seaman 2nd Class John C. Auld, 23, Grosse Park, Michigan,
Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessemer, Michigan,
Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of Otter Lake, Michigan,
Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19, of Bay City, Michigan,
Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward Wasielewski, Plymouth, MI
U.S. Naval Reserve Ensign Frances
C. Flaherty, 22, of
Navy Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale, 20, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward Wasielewski, 21, of Detroit,
U.S. Naval Reserve Ensign Francis C. Flaherty, 22, of Charlotte, Michigan,
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Raymond D. Boynton, 19, Grand Rapids, MI
Navy Seaman 1st Class Wilbur F. Ballance, 20, Paw Paw, Michigan
It is through this effort that the accounting community
has been able to honor the sacrifices of the USS Oklahoma Sailors and Marines
and their families who pushed for the fullest possible accounting of their loved
ones.
Ford Island
is seen in this aerial view during the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor December
7, 1941 in Hawaii.
(The photo was taken from a Japanese plane.)
Remember
the fallen: In all, 429 people on board the
battleship were killed in the attack.
Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after.
Battleship
USS Oklahoma unturned hull at the bottom of Pearl Harbor
after the devastating Japanese bombing attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
The USS
Oklahoma, moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, was sunk by
Japanese aircraft during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A total of 429 crewmen aboard the USS Oklahoma were killed in the early morning hours of Dec.
7, 1941,
after the ship quickly capsized from the numerous torpedo hits.
Breakdown by War - Still Unaccounted for/Unreturned Veterans:
WW I 4,422
WW II 71,970
Korea 7,438
Vietnam 1,573
Cold War 126
Gulf/Other 6
Total 85,535
*As of June 2025
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
WWII
from MICHIGAN - 2433
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Korea
from MICHIGAN - 323
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Cold War
from MICHIGAN - 4
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Viet Nam
from MICHIGAN - 48
HEROES in 2026
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles D. Eason, 32, Richland County, South Carolina killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Eason was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Aug. 15 while fighting North Korean forces in the vicinity of Changnyong, South Korea.
He was not accounted for following the war.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Eason's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Charles D Eason is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
Charles is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Weber S. Underwood, 25, from Kentucky, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1941, Underwood was a member of 28th Materiel Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Underwood was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp
and other historical records, Underwood died June 3, 1942,
at the Tayabas Road work detail in the present-day province of Camarines
Norte on the Philippine Island of Luzon
and was buried in the Tayabas Road camp cemetery.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Cpl. Byron F. Beard, Jr., 23, Scott County, Virginia, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1941, Beard was a member of 409th Signal Company, Aviation, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Beard was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Beard died July 22, 1942, at the Tayabas Road work detail in the present-day province of Camarines Norte on the Philippine Island of Luzon and was buried in the Tayabas Road camp cemetery.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Pvt. Ira Warren, 26, of Seth, West Virginia, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Warren's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, Warren was a member of Headquarters Company, 194th Tank Battalion, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Warren was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Warren died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 312.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel recovered 40 sets of remains buried in Common Grave 312.
To identify Warren’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis, as well as mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Warren’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Warren will be buried in Bloomingrose, West Virginia, in Spring 2026
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Paul A. Gregg, 29, of Arthur, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Gregg's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Gregg was assigned to Company H, 2d Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. On Dec. 18, Gregg was reported missing in action following combat near Fouhren, Luxembourg, during the Battle of the Bulge.
His remains were not accounted for after the war and on Dec. 19, 1945, Army officials issued a presumptive finding of death.
In April 1945, graves registration personnel recovered one set of Unknown remains from an isolated field grave in the vicinity of Fouhren.
The remains were transferred to the United States Military Cemetery at Foy, Belgium, and processed as X-114. Despite their efforts, technicians from the American Graves Registration Command were unable to identify the X-114 remains and eventually interred them as an Unknown American soldier at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Belgium.
To identify Gregg’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Gregg’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Gregg will be buried in Arcola, Illinois on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Louis E. Roemer, 43, of
Wilmington, Delaware,
Roemer's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1942, Roemer was assigned to Chemical Warfare Service, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1945 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Roemer was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that, after U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru, Roemer was placed aboard the Brazil Maru, bound for Moji, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. On Jan. 22, 1945, during the last stage of transport, Roemer reportedly died of acute colitis. However, since historical and contemporary evidence indicate that the Japanese government-reported Brazil Maru casualties list contains errors, he conceivably could have died at any point during this December 1944 to January 1945 POW transport, including the Jan. 9 attack on the Enoura Maru.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel. In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable. They were buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Between October 2022 and July 2023, DPAA disinterred Unknowns from the Punchbowl linked to the Enoura Maru. The remains were accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for further analysis.
To identify Roemer’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, Y-chromosome and autosomal DNA analysis.
Roemer’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Roemer will be buried in Pittsburgh on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Governale, 22, of Brooklyn, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Governale's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Governale was a member of 69th Bombardment Squadron, 42d Bombardment Group (Medium). He was killed on July 10 when his North American B-25C-1 Mitchell medium bomber crashed on takeoff from Carney Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared nonrecoverable on May 11, 1949.
In 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner, conducted an investigation in the Solomon Islands and located aircraft wreckage consistent with a B-25 in close proximity to Governale’s reported crash location.
In 2022, after receiving the data from Project Recover, historians and archaeologists at DPAA began excavating the site. The team recovered possible human remains, osseous material, possible osseous material, and material evidence, including life support equipment. Excavations continued until 2024, and all evidence recovered was accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
To identify Governale’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, Y-chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Governale’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others who are still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Governale will be buried in Ridgewood, New York on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Chester
A. Johnson Jr., 20, of Houston, Texas,
Johnson's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the spring of 1945, Johnson served as a radio operator aboard a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 878th Bombardment Squadron, 499th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy).
On April 14, during a combat mission to Tokyo, Japan, the aircraft was shot down over Chiba Prefecture. Johnson survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war.
He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Service was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater. Although the AGRS recovered 65 sets of remains from the Tokyo Military Prison, they were unable to identify any as Johsnon.
At the end of AGRS identification efforts, U.S. forces interred 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Military Prison in Fort McKinley Cemetery, now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.
In March and April 2022, DPAA exhumed the 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Prison Fire for comparison to associated casualties, including Johnson, and accessioned them into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Johnson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis.
Johnson’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Johnson will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pvt. Condia Lynch Jr., 20, of Knoxville, Tennessee, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Lynch's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the fall of 1942, Lynch was a member of 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Lynch was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Lynch died on June 28, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and recovered what they believed were 25 sets of remains from Common Grave 407. 17 of the sets were identified based on the presence of identification tags, leaving eight unidentified that were buried as Unknowns in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM).
In November 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, the remains associated with Common Grave 407 were disinterred from the MACM and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Lynch’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and radio isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Lynch’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), along with others still missing from WWII.
He is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Lynch will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dayton Polvado, 29, of Round Mountain, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Polvado's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Polvado was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. His battalion was engaged in combat near Pachten, Germany, when he was killed in action on Dec. 12.
His body could not be recovered due to intense fighting against heavily reinforced German forces. As American forces began to withdraw from the area, many casualties were nonrecoverable due to continued German resistance. He was not accounted for after the war.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) searched for missing American personnel in the European theater, but none of the remains found could be associated with Polvado. In 1946, an AGRC team recovered five sets of unknown, buried alongside each other in a small cemetery in Pachten, Germany.
The remains were sent to the AGRC Central Identification Point at St. Avold, France, where they were found to be comingled and consisted of six individuals. Only two were identified and the remaining four were buried as Unknowns. Polvado was declared non-recoverable.
In 2021, the Department of Defense and the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), exhumed the unknown remains and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Polvado’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Polvado’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in St. Avold, France, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Polvado will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. William L. Harper, 21, of White
Sulphur Springs, West Virginia,
Harper's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1951, Harper was a member of D Battery, 82nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Feb. 13, after the Battle of Hoengsong, South Korea.
He was captured and transported to Prisoner of War Camp 1 at Changsong, North Korea, where he died in August 1951.In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-14238 Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites.
At the time, the remains could not be identified as Harper, and he was declared non-recoverable. The remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Feb. 10, 2020, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-14238 as part of Phase 2 of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Harper’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and radio isotope analysis, as well as a chest radiograph comparison and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data, and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Harper’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Harper will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Joseph A. L. Richer, 24, Androscoggin County, Maine who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Richer was assigned to Headquarters Squadron, Fifth Interceptor Command, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Richer was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Richer died on June 30, 1942, at the Tayabas Road work detail in the present-day province of Camarines Norte on the Philippine Island of Luzon and was buried in the Tayabas Road camp cemetery.
Joseph A L Richer is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Pfc. Otmer F. Hodges, Jr., 20, from Kanawha County, West Virginia killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Hodges was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. He was reportedly killed in action on July 31 after being struck by enemy machinegun fire near Chinju, Republic of Korea (South Korea). His remains were not recovered following the battle and on Jan. 16, 1956, Hodges was declared nonrecoverable.
Private First Class Hodges is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC,
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Thomas W. Frutiger, 33
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Thomas W. Frutiger, 33,
from
Red Lion,
Pennsylvania
In 1942, Frutiger was assigned to 454th Ordnance Company on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Frutiger was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Frutiger was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
First Lieutenant Frutiger is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Orestus M. Stewart, 20, Jasper, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Stewart was a member of Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reportedly killed in action on Aug. 11 in the vicinity of Kyong-ju, Republic of Korea (South Korea), when his unit was ordered to seize control of Yonil Airfield in the eastern sector of the Pusan Perimeter. His remains were not recovered following the battle and on Jan. 16, 1956, Stewart was declared nonrecoverable.
Orestus M Stewart is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Orestus is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
U.S. Army Pfc. Wilbert G. Linsenbardt, 27, of Lohman, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Linsenbardt's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1942, Linsenbardt was assigned to Company A, 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. He was reportedly killed in action on Dec. 5, near Buna in Papua New Guinea after his unit encountered intense enemy fire. His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared non-recoverable in 1951.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service, the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, began exhuming remains from approximately 11,000 graves at the Finschhafen cemeteries and prepared them for shipment to the Central Identification Point at the Manila Mausoleum in the Philippines.
In June 1943, AGRS personnel recovered asset of remains, designated X-38 Finschhafen #2, approximately 100 yards northeast of the “Triangle,” near Buna on the Urbana Front. The remains were interred at Duropa Plantation Cemetery #1A, almost 2.5 miles away. They were later exhumed and sent to the CIP in Manila for analysis but were unable to be identified at the time.
The remains were reinterred and declared unidentifiable.
To identify Linsenbardt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and autosomal DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data, and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism analysis.
Linsenbardt’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Linsenbardt will be buried in his hometown in Spring 2026.
RECENTLY
FOUND
HEROES in 2025
Airman
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. James H.
Calfee, 36, of Boling, Texas, who was killed during the Vietnam War,
was accounted for.
Calfee's family recently received their full briefing on his
identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be
shared.
In 1968, Calfee and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos.
In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by
Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of
the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1
Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the
men. Calfee and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be
recovered.
A second recovery operation, in 2003, resulted in the discovery of remains which were subsequently identified as one of the missing U.S. servicemen, Tech. Sgt. Patrick L. Shannon. Since that time, JPAC evaluated the feasibility of conducting recoveries on Phou Pha Thi, but logistics and safety concerns precluded further attempts.
The remains were scientifically identified as one of the 11 missing Airmen from
this incident. In 2005, a Laotian citizen provided U.S. officials an
identification card belonging to another missing servicemember, and human
remains purportedly found at the base of Phou Pha Thi.
In 2023, DPAA personnel and members from partner
organizations discovered unexploded ordnance, incident-related materials,
possible material evidence, and possible osseus remains from the research site.
The osseus material was later identified as Sgt. David Price, one of the men
missing from Lima Site 85.
All remains and evidence were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for scientific analysis.
To identify Calfee’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism DNA analysis.
Today, Calfee is
memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the
Pacific in Honolulu, and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington,
D.C., (Panel 44E, Line 17).
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Calfee will be buried at Evergreen Memorial Park in Wharton, Texas, at 11 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2026.
U.S. Army Pfc. William T. Farrell, 19, of Spangler, Pennsylvania, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Farrell's recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Farrell was a member of Battery C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, during the battle of Ch’ongch’on River near the town of Somin-dong, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-14473 Operation Glory.
The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be identified as Farrell and he was declared non-recoverable. The remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
To identify Farrell’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental anthropological, isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data, and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Farrell’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Farrell will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Orestus M. Stewart, 20, Jasper County, Texas killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Stewart was a member of Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reportedly killed in action on Aug. 11 in the vicinity of Kyong-ju, Republic of Korea (South Korea) when his unit was ordered to seize control of Yonil Airfield in the eastern sector of the Pusan Perimeter.
His remains were not recovered following the battle and on Jan. 16, 1956, Stewart was declared nonrecoverable.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. John J. Ginzl,
27, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, died
Ginzl's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1942, Ginzl was assigned to 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru. Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Ginzl was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. The Japanese reported that Ginzl died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel. In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies, including those designated as designated X-546A Schofield Mausoleum #1. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable. They were buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Ginzl’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Ginzl will be buried in his hometown in May 2026.
U.S. Army Cpl. Delmont Johnston, 21, of Monmouth, Maine, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Johnston's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, Johnston was a member of 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group (Light), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Pruitt was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Johnston died on Dec. 30, 1942, and was buried in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Grave 836.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1948, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
One set of remains was recovered from Grave 836 but could not be identified as Johnston. He was declared non-recoverable on Aug. 25, 1949.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as an Unknown.
DPAA also uncovered evidence of discrepancies between Grave 836 and Grave 822, and found evidence that Johnston was, in fact, buried in Grave 822.
Today, Johnston is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Johnston will be buried in Augusta, Maine, in Spring 2026.
U.S. Army Capt. Willibald C. Bianchi,
29, of New Ulm, Minnesota,
Bianchi's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1942, Bianchi served as commander of Company D, 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts, on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. On Feb. 3, he volunteered to help clear a series of Japanese machine gun nests and despite being wounded multiple times, he continued leading the attack, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions.
On April 9, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Bianchi was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Bianchi was killed on Jan. 9 when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel.
In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Bianchi’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bianchi will be buried in his hometown in May 2026.
U.S. Navy Aviation Radioman 2nd Class Robert L. Cyr Jr., 19, Hartford, Connecticut killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In January 1944, Cyr was assigned to Navy Patrol Squadron 91.
DPAA historians report that on Jan. 22, 1944, Cyr and eight other crew members were on board a PBY-5 Catalina seaplane when it crashed during takeoff in the Segond Channel, New Hebrides, now the Republic of Vanuatu.
Of the nine crewmembers, three survived, four were recovered in the days following the crash, and two, including Cyr, were not recovered following the war.
Robert Louis Cyr Jr is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Irvin C. Ellingson, 25,
of Dahlen, North Dakota, Died
Ellingson's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the spring of 1945, Ellingson served as a radar observer aboard a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 878th Bombardment Squadron, 499th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). On April 14, during a combat mission to Tokyo, Japan, the aircraft was shot down over Chiba Prefecture.
Ellingson survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war. He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Service was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater. Although the AGRS recovered 65 sets of remains from the Tokyo Military Prison, they were unable to identify any as Ellingson.
At the end of AGRS identification efforts, U.S. forces interred 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Military Prison in Fort McKinley Cemetery, now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.
In March and April 2022, DPAA exhumed the 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Prison Fire for comparison to associated casualties, including Ellingson, and accessioned them into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Ellingson’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Ellingson will be buried in his hometown on June 20, 2026.
U.S. Army Cpl. Aubrey L. Gibson, 21, from McCulloch County, Texas killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the Summer of 1950, Gibson was a member of Battery A, 555th Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team, Eighth U.S. Army.
He was reported missing in action on Aug. 12 in the vicinity of Pongam-ni, Republic of Korea (South Korea).
The U.S. Army changed his status to Killed in Action on March 16, 1951, after receiving evidence of his death.
Gibson was declared non recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
U.S. Army Pfc. Richard P. Summers, 19, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Summers's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1945, Summers was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. On Jan. 6, Summers was reportedly killed in action while his unit was on patrol near Wildenguth, France. The Germans never reported Summers as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not immediately recovered.
Between July 1947 and July 1950, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the unit responsible for the search and recovery of fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched the area around Wildenguth and recovered four Unknowns in the vicinity that were never identified.
One set of Unknowns, designated X-5571 Neuville, was recovered from the Wildenguth Forest and evacuated to U.S. Military Cemetery (USMC) Neuville-en-Condroz (Neuville), Belgium.
To identify Summers’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Summers’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozé, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Summers will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Merrill E. Brewer, 26, of Monticello, Maine killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Brewer’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the fall of 1943, Brewer served as the waist gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber with 858th Bombardment Squadron, 492nd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. The unit was engaged in Operation CARPETBAGGER, a series of secret missions in which several specially designated bomb groups dropped supplies, arms, equipment, leaflets, and U.S. Office of Strategic Services and French agents to resistance groups operating in northern France.
On Sept. 16, 1944, Brewer’s crew was scheduled to fly its final mission to drop supplies to resistance forces 40 miles east of the Moselle River. 115th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, an American artillery unit stationed near Lebeuville, France, mistook Brewer’s B-24 for an enemy aircraft and opened fire upon it. Of the eight crewmembers aboard, two successfully parachuted to safety while the remaining six, including Brewer, died when the aircraft crashed.
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1944, American soldiers recovered remains from the crash site, along with identification tags belonging to four of the crewmembers, including Brewer. They were subsequently buried in a common grave at U.S. Military Cemetery (USMC) Andilly, France.
In 1949, official confirmed the group identification of the remains based on the presence of the identification tags and in 1951, they were repatriated to the U.S. and interred together in one casket at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
To identify Brewer’s remains, scientists from DPAA anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Brewer’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Brewer was buried in Bridgewater, Maine, in September 2025.
U.S. Army Cpl. George C. Hagie, 18 of Kingsport, Tennessee, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Hagie's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1950, Hagie was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on Dec. 12 after a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Lacking any evidence that he was held a prisoner of war, Hagie was declared killed in action on Nov. 28, 1950.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15650 Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites.
None of the remains could be identified as Hagie and he was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956. The remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
To identify Hagie’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as a chest radiograph comparison and isotope analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Hagie’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hagie will be buried in Johnson City, Tennessee, in May 2026.
Marine
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Robert G. Thompson, 21, Brooklyn, New York killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In June 1944, Thompson was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division.
He was killed in action on June 25 during the Battle of Saipan while fighting Japanese forces for control of the primary islands of the Northern Mariana Islands.
His remains were not accounted for following the war and in 1949, Thompson was declared non-recoverable
Robert Thompson remains were buried as an unknown in Fort William McKinley Cemetery, Manila
Robert George Thompson is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Court 4 Honolulu Memorial National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Austin K. Neely, 26, from Texarkana, Texas killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the Spring of 1944, Neely was assigned to 433rd Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group.
On April 14, Neely piloted one of 16 P-38J fighters during a bomber escort mission from Nadzab’s Airstrip #3 to Hollandia, Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia), along with over 300 allied aircraft.
On their return, the aircrews encountered increasingly severe weather in their flight paths. 37 aircraft went missing, bailed out in the ocean, or were forced to return to base after sustaining too much damage to fly.
The substantial aircraft losses made this the largest non-combat U.S. Army Air Forces disaster in World War II, earning it the name “Black Sunday.” Fifty-four airmen, including Neely, went missing or died in their attempts to return to Nadzab.
He was last seen when his aircraft disappeared into the storm. Postwar efforts failed to recover his remains
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Daniel Proctor, 48, from Jersey City, New Jersey who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1942, Proctor was a member of 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Proctor was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor
surrendered to the Japanese.
He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs
perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Proctor died on Nov. 4, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 707
First Sergeant Proctor is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
December
2
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Willard C. Orr, 21, Bangor, Maine killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Orr was assigned to Headquarters Squadron, 17th Air Base Group at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
On. Dec. 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircraft, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. Orr was reportedly killed during this time.
Willard Carleton Orr is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
November 25
U.S. Army Cpl. Floyd A. Dunning, 32, of
Waverly, Virginia, died
Dunning's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In April 1942, Dunning was assigned to the Medical Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru. Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Dunning was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. After U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru in January 1945, the Japanese military reported that Dunning was placed aboard the transport ship Brazil Maru, bound for Moji, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. During the transport, Japanese authorities reported that Dunning died of “wounds received in action” on 15 January 1945.Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel.
In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies, including those designated as designated X-567 Schofield Mausoleum #2 and X-581 Schofield Mausoleum #2. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable on Feb. 15, 1949, and March 11, 1949.
To identify Dunning’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, Y chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Dunning’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Dunning will be buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pvt. Arthur P. Carlsen, 19, Jersey City, New Jersey killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late1950, Carlsen was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, during a major battle in the vicinity of Unsan, in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).
The Army received no information to indicate that he was ever held as a Prisoner of War.
Lacking evidence and eyewitness reports of his survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Carlsen on Dec. 31, 1953.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Cpl. Lawrence A. Smith, 20, Haydenville, Ohio killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer 1950, Smith was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Aug. 6 after a battle in the vicinity of Yongsan, South Korea.
He was not reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battle area failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death as of Dec. 31, 1953. He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Sgt. James R. Martin, 21,
Los Angeles, California
In the Spring of 1951, Martin was assigned to D Battery, 82nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Feb. 13, in the vicinity of Ch’angdong-ni, Republic of Korea (South Korea).
Returning Prisoners of War report that Martin was held at POW Camp 1 near Changsong, North Korea and report that he died of malnutrition in late May.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Airman
November 19
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Roman J. Ropinski, 21, Jefferson, Wisconsin killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In December 1943, Ropinski was a member of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group during World War II.
On Dec. 1, he was serving as the engineer on a B-24J “Liberator” bomber while on a bombing mission from Panagarh, India, to the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, Burma.
After reaching the designated target, Ropinski’s plane was reportedly hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to burst into flames. Witnesses from another aircraft noted seeing Ropinski’s aircraft enter a steep dive while disappearing below the clouds.
It was noted that 3 enemy aircraft were also seen following the crippled plane into the clouds, and no further contact was made with the Liberator.
The remains of the crew were not recovered or identified after the war, and they were all later declared Missing in Action
Roman J Ropinski is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Cpl. Robert L. Brewster, 19, of Cottage Hills, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted-for.
Brewster's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In July 1950, Brewster was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 8 after a battle in the vicinity of Cheonan, South Korea.
He was not reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battle area failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
On Aug. 13, 1951, the 565th Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains from an isolated grave along railroad tracks of the Seoul to Cheonan Line in the vicinity of Cheonan, South Korea.
To identify Unknown X-1759 as Brewster, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Brewster’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Brewster will be buried in Bethalto, Illinois on a date yet to be determined.
November 18
U.S. Army Maj. Harry C. Hoffmeyer, 51, killed during World War II,
St Louis, Missouri
In the Spring of 1942, Hoffmeyer was assigned to the Medical Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Hoffmeyer was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Hoffmeyer died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru
Harry C Hoffmeyer is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
November 18
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Leonard J. McNeill, 27,
Prince Edward Island, Canada
moved to Florida in 1937,
In the spring of 1945, McNeill served as a tail gunner aboard a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 881st Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy).
In early April, during a bombing mission against the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Plant in Musashino City, Japan, the aircraft crashed.
The circumstances surrounding the crash are unclear, however, the unit’s records indicate that aircrews on the same mission witnessed one plane explode near the target area before falling to the ground.
McNeill survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war. He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945
Leonard James McNeill is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii.
November 18
U.S. Army Cpl. James M. Walker, 46, of Pawnee, Oklahoma, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Walker's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Walker was a member of 31st Infantry Regiment when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Walker was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Walker died Jan. 1, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 822.
Today, Walker is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Walker will be buried in Maramec, Oklahoma in January 2026.
November 18
U.S. Army Air Forces Technician Fourth Grade Howard B. Shorts, 23, Titusville, Pennsylvania who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Shorts was assigned to 28th Materiel Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Shorts was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Shorts died on Oct. 27, 1942, of dysentery, malnutrition, beri beri, and malaria, was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 702.
November 18
U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Lowell C. Akers, 21, Napa County, California who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Akers was assigned to First Platoon, 680th Ordnance Company (Aviation Pursuit), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Akers was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Akers died of malaria on Nov. 14, 1942, was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 723
Lowell C Akers is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Vester Hicks, Jr. 17, Waynesboro, Tennessee who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Hicks was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, during a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, North Korea. The U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Hicks on Dec. 31, 195
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
November 18
U.S. Army, Cpl. Richard A. Veal, 36, Bernalillo County, New Mexico who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1942, Veal was a member of Battery C, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Veal was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Veal died on Dec. 27, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 837.
Richard A Veal is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
November 18
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Paul A. Huzarewicz Jr., 22, Erie County, Pennsylvania killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Huzarewicz was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. His battalion was engaged in combat near Pachten, Germany, when he was killed in action on December 11. His body could not be recovered due to intense fighting against heavily reinforced German forces. As American forces began to withdraw from the area, many casualties were nonrecoverable due to continued German resistance. He was not accounted for after the war
Paul A Huzarewicz Jr is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Lorraine American Cemetery St. Avold, France.
U.S. Army Cpl. Charles L. Carroll, Jr. 18, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Carroll was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, during a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, North Korea. The U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Carroll on Dec. 31, 1953
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
November 18
U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. grade Thomas A. Ruth, 26, Jackson, Minnesota killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In June 1943, Ruth was a member of Fighting Squadron 21, Carrier Air Group 21. On June 30, he was reported missing in action following the crash of his F4F-4 Wildcat, in New Georgia, Solomon Islands. The Department of the Navy issued a presumptive finding of death on Jan. 5, 1946.
Thomas Arthur Ruth is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
November 17
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Charles S. Atteberry, 26 of
Wilder, Idaho,
Atteberry's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In January 1945, Atteberry was assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Army on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Atteberry was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. On Jan. 13, after U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru, Japanese authorities reported that Atteberry was placed aboard the Brazil Maru bound for Moji, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, where he died days later.
Initially, the Department of the Army recorded a date of death as Dec. 15, 1944, based on IRC reporting, but later updated it to Jan. 17, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel.
They were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Atteberry’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Atteberry will be buried in Parma, Idaho on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Donald J. Burmingham, 22, of Redfield, New York, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Burmingham's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Burmingham was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 6, in the vicinity of Waegwan, South Korea, near the Naktong River. Lacking evidence and eyewitness reports of his survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Burmingham on Dec. 31, 1953.
On March 27, 1951, the American Graves Registration Service Group recovered remains designated Unknown X-806 and four other sets near Waegwan.
In 1956, after failing to link X-806 to any missing Korean War casualty, the remains were declared unidentifiable on Jan. 16 and interred as a Korean War Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In October 2019, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In Dec. 2022, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-806 as part of Phase Four of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and accessioned the remains into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Burmingham’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Burmingham will be buried in October 2025.
November 17
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Charles H. Knecht, 27, Paragould, Arkansas killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Knecht was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 6 during an intense period of combat in the Hürtgen Forest of Germany. The exact circumstances of his loss are unknown. Knecht’s remains were not accounted for after the war
Charles H Knecht is memorialized at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten.
Airman
November 17
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John A. Pagliuso, 24, of Lyons, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Pagliuso's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the fall of 1942, Pagliuso was assigned to the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group. On Oct. 5, Pagliuso was onboard a B-25 Mitchell bomber with six other crew members during a mission over Papua New Guinea. The aircraft did not return, and postwar search efforts failed to recover any remains. In 1944, Australian officials recovered the remains of an unidentified service member, thought to be a U.S. aviator, from an isolated burial in a village in Papua New Guinea.
Aircraft wreckage and an ID bracelet belonging to one of the missing crew members were found in the same area shortly after. However, attempts to associate the remains with any of the crew members was unsuccessful.
On June 2, 1944, the remains were interred as Unknown X-6 in U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery #1B, Soputa, one of several temporary burial grounds for U.S. personnel during the war. In 1947, the remains were exhumed and transported to the Central Identification Point in Manila, Philippines for potential identification.
To identify Pagliuso’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Pagliuso’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Pagliuso will be buried on a fate yet to be determined.
November 17
U.S. Army Technician Fifth Grade Daniel Wyatt, 39, of New Orleans, Louisiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Wyatt's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1944, Wyatt was assigned to Company E, 364th Engineer General Service Regiment, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On July 7, Wyatt was one of eight servicemembers killed in the Crisbecq Battery complex near Saint-Marcouf in Normandy, France, by an explosion that partially caved in the concrete roof of a captured enemy bunker that they were clearing.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater.
Despite its efforts, the AGRC could not account for Wyatt's remains.In October 2021, the private owner of a bunker in the Crisbecq Battery contacted DPAA to report that, while removing soil and debris from the structure, he discovered possible fragmentary human remains, as well as two identification tags from Soldiers who were killed in the explosion.
In 2022, a DPAA investigation team surveyed the bunker and took possession of the remains the landowner had recovered. In 2023, a recovery team returned to the site and located additional remains and material evidence, which were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Wyatt's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wyatt will be buried in Dallas, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
November 17
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Sidney Burke, 22, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Burke's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Burke was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II. On Aug. 3, while serving as the Armor-Gunner of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including Burke, were killed.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
In 1947 the American Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered four sets of remains, later designated X-282A-D, from a common grave near the village of Kyunpobin, Burma. According to local witnesses, the remains came from an “American crash”.
The remains could not be identified at the time and were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), Honolulu, Hawaii, also known as the Punchbowl.
Burke’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Burke will be buried in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania in September 2025.
U.S. Army Pfc. Harold B. Dulyea, 23, Twin Lake, Michigan, died as a
Dulyea's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In July 1950, Dulyea was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 25 after the Battle of Yongdong in the vicinity of Yongdong, Republic of Korea (South Korea).
Based on testimonies from returning prisoners of war, it was determined that Dulyea was a prisoner of war but was not among the POWs repatriated after the armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. The Army determined that he had died in captivity and on Feb. 25, 1954, issued a presumptive finding of death.
In 1954, the United Nations Command, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel in an effort called Operation GLORY. Dulyea’s remains could not be identified by the Central Identification Unit Laboratory at Kokura, Japan at the time, and were designated Unknown X-17042. In 1956, all of the unidentified Korean War remains, including X-17042, were transported and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Dulyea’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monument Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Dulyea will be buried in Augusta, Michigan on a date yet to be determined.
November 17
U.S. Army Sgt. Melvin E. Jones, 22, Clayton, New Mexico who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1942, Jones was a member of Battery E, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Jones was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Jones died in late July 1942 and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 215.
U.S. Army Cpl. Thomas W. Neiswinger, 21, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Neiswinger was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 6, in the vicinity of Am-Sin, South Korea during engagement against enemy forces in the Naktong Bulge area.
Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and after subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains, the U.S. Army determined Neiswinger to be nonrecoverable on Dec. 31, 1953
Today,
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC,
November 17
U.S. Army Pvt. Donald R. Lichty, 29, Carleton, Nebraska who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1942, Lichty was a member of Company C, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Lichty was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Lichty died on July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 312
Private Lichty is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Earl E. Kibbey, 18, of Blanchester, Ohio, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Kibbey's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Kibbey was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 3 during a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, North Korea.
The U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Kibbey on Dec. 31, 1953.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15858 Operation Glory.
The remains were reportedly recovered from United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be identified as Kibbey and he was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
To identify Kibbey’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Kibbey’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Kibbey will be buried in Wilmington, Ohio in November 2025
Pilot
November 17
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Morton Sher, 22, of Greenville, South Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Sher's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Sher was a fighter pilot assigned to 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, 14th Air Force. On Aug. 20, while intercepting an Imperial Japanese aircraft enroute to attack Hengyang, where the 76th was stationed, Sher’s aircraft reportedly crashed in Hengshan County, Hunan Province.
Although the crash site was located by U.S. forces, Sher’s remains were not recovered or identified after the war.
In 2012, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, DPAA’s predecessor, was contacted by a private citizen who provided a photograph of a memorial dedicated to Sher in Xin Bai Village, Hengdong County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province, which initiated over a decade’s worth of research into the crash.
From Aug. 7 to Sept. 11, 2024, a DPAA recovery team excavated an aircraft crash site believed to be associated with a World War II loss in Bai Vi village, Hengdong County, Hunan Province. The team excavated approximately 96 square meters of the area and discovered possible remains as well as possible life-support equipment. Additional excavation of the site was recommended.
In April 2025, DPAA staff accessioned the discovered remains into the DPAA Laboratory for scientific analysis.
Morton Sher is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Sher will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Russell O. Chitwood, 27, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Chitwood's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1943, Chitwood was assigned to the 359th Bombardment Squadron, 303rd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, in England. On January 3, while on a bombing mission to Saint-Nazaire, France, his B-17F aircraft was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by German fighter planes. Some of the crew bailed out into the Bay of Biscay, France, while the pilot managed to ditch the bomber successfully in the water.
Of the ten crewmembers, three were taken prisoner, one was witnessed to die in the water, and the remaining six were presumed dead. Chitwood’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
In 1946 and 1947, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) exhumed graves, which purportedly held the remains of American airmen, from local cemeteries along the coast of the Bay of Biscay.
Chitwood’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Chitwood will be buried in Royal, Arkansas on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dayton Polvado, 29, Blanco County, Texas killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Polvado was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division.
His battalion was engaged in combat near Pachten, Germany, when he was killed in action on Dec. 12.
His body could not be recovered due to intense fighting against heavily reinforced German forces.
As American forces began to withdraw from the area, many casualties were nonrecoverable due to continued German resistance.
He was not accounted for after the war.
Dayton Polvado is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Lorraine American Cemetery St. Avold.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Woody T. Owen, 25,
of Beaumont, Texas,
Owen's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1942, Owen was assigned to 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Owen was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Owen died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel. In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 312 bodies.
Owen’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Owen will be buried in Eglin, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class Wayne E. Newton, 22, Terre Haute, Indiana killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Newton was assigned to the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 103 crewmen, including Newton.
Wayne Edward Newton is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army Pvt. Philip J. Geary, 37, Macomb County, Michigan killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Geary was assigned to Company F, 2d Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as “Merrill’s Marauders.”
Geary joined the unit as part of "New Galahad" replacements sent to supplement the original group of 5307th troops ("Old Galahad") in May 1944.
After arriving at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, Geary’s battalion advanced south from the village of Mankrin on June 16 against heavily fortified Japanese positions north of Myitkyina.
Although the exact circumstances of his death were not recorded, the U.S. War Department declared Geary Killed on Action on July 1, 1944.
Philip J Geary is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Norman R. Levesque, 18, Bristol County, Massachusetts who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Levesque was a member of Battery C, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Aug. 30, in the vicinity of P’ohang, South Korea.
Lacking any post-war information, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Levesque.
Norman R Levesque is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
Norman is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington. This is a National Parks Service and American Battle Monuments Commission location
Soldier
U.S. Army Pfc. Richard P. Summers, 19, Onondaga County, New York killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In early 1945, Summers was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment,45th Infantry Division.
The company came under artillery fire while engaging enemy infantry in a firefight. Summers was killed during the engagement. His remains could not be recovered at the time due to ongoing combat in the area. After the war, U.S. personnel recovered four sets of remains near Wildenguth that could not be identified at the time and were buried as Unknowns.
On Jan. 6, Summers was reportedly killed in action while his unit was on patrol near Wildenguth, France.
The Germans never reported Summers as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not immediately recovered.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Joseph A. Gala, 21, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Gala was assigned to Company E, 2d Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as “Merrill’s Marauders.”
Gala joined the unit as part of "New Galahad" replacements sent to supplement the original group of 5307th troops ("Old Galahad") in May 1944.
After arriving at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, Gala’s battalion advanced south from the village of Mankrin on June 16 against heavily fortified Japanese positions north of Myitkyina.
Although the exact circumstances of his death were not recorded, the U.S. War Department declared Gala Killed on Action on July 14, 1944
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Donald A. Dorman, 21, Meriden, Connecticut killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Dorman was assigned to 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2d Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
Dorman served as the Upper Turret Gunner aboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” and on March 22, 1945, during a bombing mission near the village of Glinica, Poland, Dorman’s aircraft crashed.
Seven of the ten crewmembers, including Dorman, were killed.
His remains were not accounted for after the war.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pfc. Milo O. Whipple, 24, Jackson, Jay County, Indiana killed during World War II, was accounted for.
He was wounded in the hand on July 6 and was confined for a time in a hospital in England and later received wounds in his left foot. He returned to active duty in November and was serving in an infantry unit.
In late 1944, Whipple was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 3 during an intense period of combat in the Hürtgen Forest of Germany. The exact circumstances of his loss are unknown.
Whipple’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Soldier
U.S. Army Technician Fifth Grade Ell T. Simantz, 23, of Grand Haven, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Simantz's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, Simantz was assigned to Service Company, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea.
He was reportedly killed in action on Dec. 19 during an Allied campaign against fortified enemy positions in Papua New Guinea. His remains were not recovered after the war.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, began exhuming remains from approximately 11,000 graves in five Finschhafen cemeteries for shipment to the Central Identification Point at the Manila Mausoleum in the Philippines. One set of remains, later designated X-128 Finschhafen #2, was recovered from the Buna Village Cemetery.
At the time, the remains could not be identified and were subsequently interred in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM).
On Sept. 16, 1949, Simantz was declared nonrecoverable.
In February 2017, DPAA personnel exhumed Unknown X-128 Finschhafen #2 from the MACM and sent to the remains to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Simantz’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Simantz will be buried in his hometown on Oct. 17, 2025.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Henry D. Bordner, 24, of Butte, Montana who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Bordner's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Bordner was a member of the 194th Tank Battalion in the Philippines, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Bordner was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Bordner died Oct. 20, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 701.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Of the seven sets recovered from Common Grave 701, five were identified. The remaining two were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In December 2020, the remains associated with Common Grave 701 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
The Cabanatuan Memorial is located 85 miles north of Manila, within the city of Cabanatuan, Luzon, and Republic of the Philippines. It marks the site of the Japanese Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp where approximately 75,000 American and Philippine servicemen and civilians were held captive from 1942 to 1945, after the fall of the Philippine Island during World War II.
Bordner is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Bordner will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
Soldier
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Charles S. Atteberry,
26 of Wilder, Idaho,
Atteberry's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In January 1945, Atteberry was assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Army on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Atteberry was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
On Jan. 13, after U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru, Japanese authorities reported that Atteberry was placed aboard the Brazil Maru bound for Moji, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, where he died days later.
Witnesses among surviving U.S. POWs reported that casualties aboard the Brazil Maru were committed to the sea. However, casualty reports from the Japanese government to the International Red Cross contained numerous errors. Five individuals were marked as "discrepancies," which the American Graves Registration Service believed had died aboard the Enoura Maru.
Initially, the Department of the Army recorded a date of death as Dec. 15, 1944, based on IRC reporting, but later updated it to Jan. 17, 1945.
Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable.
They were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Between October 2022 and July 2023, DPAA disinterred Unknowns from the Punchbowl linked to the Enoura Maru, including X-546A. The remains were accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for further analysis.
Atteberry’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Atteberry will be buried in Parma, Idaho on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward D. Bowden, 29, of New Bern, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Bowden's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Bowden was assigned to the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of approximately 102 crew members, including Bowden. From December 1941 to April 1942, 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 disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks on Oahu. In addition to the approximately 43 casualties from the USS California initially identified after the attack, the laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 39 men from the USS California at that time.
In 2018, DPAA personnel exhumed the 25 USS California Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Bowden’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Bowden’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Bowden will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on October 8, 2025
U.S. Army Sgt. Roger L. R. Duquesne, 25, Patterson, New Jersey killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Duquesne, who was also a World War II veteran, was assigned to A Company, 89th Medium Tank Battalion, 25th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 3 in the vicinity of Heirin-ri, Republic of Korea, as his unit fought a defensive battle against the North Korean People's Army attempting to breach the Pusan Perimeter in the area of Masan.
At the end of the day, when his tank was about to move out, Duquesne ran about 200 yards behind his tank to retrieve a much-needed spare parts kit but never returned.
There is no evidence that he was a prisoner of war.
The Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953
Roger L R Duquesne is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Roger is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Fatur, 19, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Fatur was assigned to 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
Fatur served as the tailgunner aboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber. On March 22, 1945, during a bombing mission near the village of Glinica, Poland, Fatur’s aircraft crashed.
Seven of the ten crewmembers, including Fatur, were killed. The pilot and some crew members bailed out near Janowek, Poland, but only the pilot and co-pilot survived.
His remains were not accounted for after the war.
Stephen J Fatur is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Charles E. Wallace, 19, from Detroit, Michigan killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Wallace was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th 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, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Wallace was killed on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 33
Private First Class Wallace is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Condia Lynch Jr., 20, Wood County, Ohio who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1942, Lynch was a member of 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Lynch was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Lynch died on June 28, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407
Condia Lynch is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Edgar W. Nevois, 21, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1944, Nevois was assigned to the 613th Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force in the European Theater during World War II.
On Oct. 7, Nevois co-piloted a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber, nicknamed “Son of a Blitz”, on a bombing mission targeting the German synthetic oil refinery in Politz, Germany.
All nine crew members, including Nevois, were killed when the aircraft was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire.
Edgar William Nevois is memorialized at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
U.S. Army
Air Forces 2nd Lt.
Blaine B. Wilcox, 26, of Pacific Junction, Iowa, killed during World
War II, was accounted for.
Wilcox's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
During World War II, Wilcox served as a bombardier assigned to 613th Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force.
On Oct. 7, 1944, during a bombing mission targeting a German synthetic oil refinery in Politz, Germany, Wilcox’s B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed near the village of Kattenhof, Germany. All nine crewmembers, including Wilcox, were killed.
In 1948, an investigation by the American Graves Registration Command in Hohenbruck, Germany, (now Widzienske, Poland), resulted in the recovery of five sets of remains from graves marked with American aircrew helmets. Two sets were identified as crewmembers from Wilcox’s aircraft. The commingled and badly burned remains of three other individuals were found in a common grave without a casket.
These remains were transported to the U.S. Military Cemetery in Neuville (now Ardennes American Cemetery) in Belgium and designated as unknowns X-7543, X-7544, and X-7545. It was determined that these three unknowns were the only recoverable remains associated with unresolved casualties from Wilcox's crew.
They were reinterred in a group burial at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, in February 1950.
The other four crewmembers remained unaccounted for. In 2019, a DPAA investigation team traveled to Poland and surveyed several American aircraft crash sites in the area of Police, Poland. Investigators determined that one of these sites, located near the village of Katy, likely belonged to Wilcox’s aircraft.
While investigating incidents near Police, local third-party researchers informed DPAA personnel that an elderly witness claimed to have seen three or four unknown airmen fall from the sky near the village in 1944.
Members of the German Luftwaffe buried the remains of the unknown airmen in unmarked graves in the village cemetery in Budzien.In January 2022, another DPAA investigation team returned to Poland to continue searching for missing Americans near Police. Believing the 1944 burial in Budzien may have been associated with the unaccounted-for aircrew, investigators surveyed the abandoned cemetery and determined several unmarked burials were present in the area indicated by the witness.
In November 2022, DPAA personnel, along with a team from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczein, Poland, exhumed the graves and discovered remains buried with equipment and clothing belonging to American airmen from World War II.
Wilcox’s name is recorded in 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.
Wilcox will be buried in Glenwood, Iowa, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Reserve Ensign Eugene E. Mandeberg, 23, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Mandeberg's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer 1945, Mandeberg was a member of the Fighting Squadron 88, USS Yorktown. On Aug. 15, while returning from a mission near Atsugi Airfield, Honshu, Japan, his formation was engaged with enemy fighter planes. Four of the six U.S. aircraft failed to return to the USS Yorktown and Navy officials reported Mandeberg as Missing in Action. His remains were not recovered or identified after the war.
On March 20, 1946, U.S. personnel retrieved remains known as X-341 Yokohama #1 from the Myoho-ji Temple in Yokohama, Japan.
These remains were believed to belong to an American Grumman F6F pilot who crashed there on Aug. 15, 1945. The wreckage was linked to the USS Yorktown, but the fragmentary state of the remains prevented a positive identification.
The family chose to have X-341 interred as a World War II Unknown, a decision honored by Navy officials at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
On Nov. 15, 2019, DPAA exhumed X-341 and accessioned the remains into the DPAA Laboratory for scientific analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Mandeberg’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Mandeberg is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Mandeberg was buried on Sept. 14, 2025, in Livonia, Michigan.
U.S. Army Pfc. William T. Farrell, 19, from Pennsylvania, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Farrell was a member of Battery C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, during the battle of Ch’ongch’on River near the town of Somin-dong, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process.
Private First Class Farrell is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
U.S. Army Pfc. Charles B. Winters, 22, Ohio County, West Virginia who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1942, Winters was a member of 808th Military Police Company, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Winters was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Winters died on Nov. 1, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 704
Private First Class Winters is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Bernard F. Sweet, 21, Rushford, New York who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1942, Sweet was a member of Headquarters Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Sweet was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Sweet died on Oct. 20, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 701
Bernard Sweet is memorialized at American War Cemetery Margraten.
Airman
U.S.
Army Air Forces Sgt. Henry L. Younge, 20,
Copiague, New York
died
In the spring of 1945, Yoonge served as a tail gunner aboard a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy).
On April 24, during a combat mission to Kawasaki, Japan, the aircraft was shot down over Chiba Prefecture.
Younge survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war and died in the prison.
He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
Henry Lawrence Younge is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Wilburn R. Saunders Jr., 29,
Starkville, Mississippi
died
In 1945, Saunders was assigned to Battery H, 59th Coast Artillery Regiment on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Saunders was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Saunders died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery.
Army Capt. Charles G. Gibson Jr., 28, of Saginaw, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Gibson's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Gibson was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 48th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action during the battle for the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir on Dec. 11, 1950, approximately 10 miles north of Hagaru-ri, North Korea.
Absent evidence of Gibson's continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of 31 December 1953.
On July 27, 2018, North Korea turned over 55 transfer cases, purported to contain the remains of U.S. 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 Gibson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Gibson will be buried in Augusta, Michigan, in October 2025.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Junior J. Shelton, 24, of Sebree, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Shelton's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1944, Shelton was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. He was reportedly killed in action on Oct. 4 after his company encountered German enemy forces near Hatterath, Germany. His remains were not accounted for after the battle.
Shortly after the war ended in 1945, American graves registration personnel recovered several sets of remains from field graves and foxholes around Hatterath. None were identified as Shelton.
Then, in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. In Aug. 1947, an AGRC investigation team went to Hatterath to search for the remains of five missing soldiers from the 115th Infantry Regiment. However, none of the remains recovered could be identified as Shelton.
In 2023, a DPAA historian studying unresolved losses at Hatterath reviewed documentation related to X-936 Margraten, an Unknown set of remains recovered from a field grave at Hatterath in June 1945 and buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. The historian determined the remains could be associated to Shelton and recommended exhumation for scientific testing.
DPAA scientists reviewed the documentation and endorsed disinterment of X-936. In August 2024, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed X-936 Margraten and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Shelton’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Shelton will be buried in his hometown in October 2025.
U.S. Army Pvt. Alfred T. Langevin, 29, of East Weymouth, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Langevin's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Langevin was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 6 during an intense period of combat in the Hürtgen Forest of Germany. The exact circumstances of his loss are unknown. Langevin’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. In May 1946, an AGRC investigation team recovered several sets of remains from the woods near Strass, and the forested area between Germeter and Hürtgen, including one set, later designated X-2756. All identification efforts were unsuccessful and in May 1949, the remains were declared unidentifiable and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.
In June 2021, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed the remains of Unknown X-2756 from the Ardennes American Cemetery and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Langevin’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Langevin will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Gerard J. Melofchik, 24, of New York, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Melofchik's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
During World War II, Melofchik was assigned to the 615th Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy), Eighth U.S. Air Force, in the European Theater of Operations. He was killed in action on Aug. 1, 1944, when the B-17G “Flying Fortress” he was piloting was struck by anti-aircraft fire, collided with another aircraft, and crashed near Néron, France.
Of the nine crewmembers aboard the B-17G, which was nicknamed Stormy Weather, two were captured and four were identified from remains found near the crash site. Three crewmembers, including Melofchik, were unaccounted for.
In 2013, historians at what is now DPAA investigated a crash site in Néron, surveyed and mapped a large debris field that was consistent with a World War II American air crash, and recommended the site be excavated to recover the remains of the missing crew members.
From 2021 to 2023, DPAA partnered with Middle Tennessee State University to excavate the site and recovered possible human remains and material evidence. All recovered evidence was accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Melofchik’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Brittany American Cemetery in Montjoie Saint Martin, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Melofchik will be buried in Newtown, Pennsylvania in November 2025.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Clifford E. Keeney, 26, of York, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Keeney's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1944, Keeney, a top turret gunner aboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber, was assigned to 327th Bombardment Squadron, 92d Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. He was reportedly killed in action on Sept. 13 during a bombardment mission to Merseburg, Germany, after is aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft fire anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the vicinity of Neustädt, Germany.
Eight of the nine crew members onboard were killed and buried by German forces in a cemetery in Neustaedt.
Keeney’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. In June 1945, an AGRC investigation team was able to exhume and transport the remains of the aircraft’s pilot to the U.S. Military Cemetery at Margraten, Netherlands. However, none of the other remains recovered could be identified as Keeney.
In 1991, a resident near the Neustädt cemetery discovered an identification tag belonging to one of Keeney's crew members along with parachute remnants. The resident was interviewed years later but unfortunately, German laws prevented further investigation. In 2007, a second investigation team was sent to the site and recommended it for excavation.
In September 2008, a recovery team excavated the area and discovered possible remains and material evidence, which was sent to a DPAA laboratory for analysis and resulted in the identification of four of Keeney’s crew members.
In May 2024, a DPAA recovery team returned to the area and continued excavation of the Neustädt cemetery. The team recovered possible remains and life support equipment. After completing excavations in June 2024, all recovered evidence was transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Keeney’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Keeney will be buried in Jacobus, Pennsylvania in November 2025.
U.S. Army Cpl. Malcolm S. Webb, 25, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Webb's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Webb was a member of 17th Ordnance Company when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Webb was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Webb died June 29, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Sixteen of the 25 sets of remains from Common Grave 407 were identified, while the remaining nine were declared unidentifiable.
To identify Webb’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial genome sequence analysis.
Today, Webb is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Webb will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Storekeeper 3rd Class Robert S. Garcia, 23, of Concepcion, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Garcia's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Garcia was assigned to the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of approximately 102 crew members, including Garcia. From December 1941 to April 1942, 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. In addition to the approximately 43 casualties from the USS California initially identified after the attack, the laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 39 men from the USS California at that time.
The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Oct. 6, 1949, a military board classified Garcia as non-recoverable.
In 2018, DPAA personnel exhumed the 25 USS California Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Garcia’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Garcia will be buried in Corpus Christi, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Charles Arnao, 30, of
Philadelphia,
Arnao's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In May 1943, Arnao was assigned to Signal Company, Aircraft Warning, Philippines Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1943 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Arnao was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Arnao was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel.
In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
To identify Arnao’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, nuclear, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Arnao’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Arnao will be buried in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, in October 2025.
U.S. Army Pfc. Vincent A. Vega, 18, of Chicago, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Vega's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1950, Vega was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action July 5, near Osan, Republic of Korea (South Korea) after his unit encountered enemy combatants.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. Lacking evidence of continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953. He was declared nonrecoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.In 1966, a member of the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division, serving in South Korea at the time, discovered a set of remains, later designated X-6380, from an old bunker.
An American Graves Registration Team was sent to recover the remains, and they were transferred to the U.S. Army Mortuary in Yokohama, Japan for review. The remains were unable to be positively identified at the time and were sent to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, where they were interred as a Korean War Unknown.
To identify Vega, DPAA scientists used dental, anthropological, and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Vega’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
Vincent is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Vega will be buried in Elwood, Illinois in October 2025.
U.S. Navy Carpenter’s Mate 2nd Class William R. Burns, 25, of Raleigh, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Burns's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
On June 8, 1944, Burns was assigned to the destroyer USS Glennon, which struck a mine off the coast of Quinnéville, France, forcing 16 sailors overboard. Ultimately, the majority of the crew had abandoned the vessel, but a few remained on board for salvage operations, including Burns. Two days later, on June 10, the Glennon was struck by multiple artillery barrages from German forces on shore, eventually causing the ship to sink late in the evening.
Following the attack, 38 sailors had been wounded and 25 were missing, including Burns. Other than the rescued sailors thrown overboard from the initial mine strike, there is not report of any recovery of other missing sailors. Burns' remains were not accounted for, and he was deemed non-recoverable on April 14, 1949.In 1957, pieces of the Glennon were hauled to shore by salvagers. A local resident was searching through the larger sections of wreckage and found human remains within the forward portion of the ship.
The remains were turned over to American officials and processing determined the remains to be those of at least two individuals, subsequently designated X-9296 and X-9297. After unsuccessful efforts to identify the remains, they were interred on March 4, 1959, at Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupré, Belgium.
In 2021, DPAA researchers began an effort to associate unresolved sailors from the Glennon based on historical documentation of the remains removed from the ship’s wreckage. By August 2022, the Department of Defense and the American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed unknown remains X-9296 and X-9297 from Ardennes American Cemetery for comparison with unaccounted-for sailors from Glennon.
To identify Burns’ remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, Y-chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis, as well as nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Burns’ name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium, 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.
Burns will be buried in Chadbourn, North Carolina, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. DeLoren D. Dage, 23, of South Gate, California, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Dage's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1950, Dage was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), 7th Infantry Division. Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1, the 31st RCT engaged the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army on the Eastern side of the Jangjin (Chosen) Reservoir in North Korea, sustaining heavy casualties.
During this moving action, Dage was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1951.In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15947 Operation Glory. In Jan. 1956, the Army's Office of the Quartermaster General acknowledged the Central Identification Unit - Camp Kokura's determination that Unknown X-15947 was unidentifiable.
In February 1956, Unknown X-15947 was sent to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu for interment.On July 11, 2022, Unknown X-15947 was disinterred from the NMCP and accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
To identify Dage’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Dage’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
Deloren is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Dage will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. Ray Johnson, 20, of Erick, Oklahoma, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Johnson's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the fall of 1950, Johnson was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 1 after the enemy attacked his unit’s position near Changyong, South Korea.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Feb. 23, 1954.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.In September 1950, following the battle, the 565th Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains from the Naktong Bulge area of the Pusan Perimeter, near Changyong and interred them in the United Nations Military Cemetery Miryang on Sept. 20, 1950.
On Aug. 20, 2015, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-173 and accessioned the remains into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Johnson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and radio isotope analysis, as well as a chest radiograph comparison and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Johnson’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Johnson will be buried in Amarillo, Texas, in September 2025
U.S. Army Sgt. Simon Garelick, 22, of St. Joseph, Missouri, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Garelick's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Garelick was a member of Headquarters Company, Philippines Department in the Philippines during World War II, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Garelick was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Garelick died Nov. 4, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 707.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Nine sets of remains from Common Grave 707 were identified, but the rest were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as Unknowns.
Garelick’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Simon Garelick is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
U.S. Army Pfc. Lawrence R. Beard, 27, of Westminster, Maryland, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Beard's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Beard was a member of Headquarters Company, 803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Beard was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Beard died Nov. 4, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave707.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed nine sets of remains from the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Two of the sets of remains from Common Grave 707 were identified, while the remaining seven were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as Unknowns.
In 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 707 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Beard’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological, and radio isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequence, and nuclear single
nucleotide polymorphism DNA testing.
Beard’s grave was meticulously cared for over the
past 70 years by the American
Battle Monuments Commission.
Today, Beard is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Beard will be buried in Snydersburg, Maryland, in September 2025.
Soldier
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Donald P. Gervais, 24, of New Orleans, Louisiana, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
Gervais's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the spring of 1968, Gervais was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On May 1, he was the door gunner on an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter on a reconnaissance mission over the A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam.
A nearby aircraft reportedly witnessed the helicopter hit a dead tree and crash into a ravine. Due to enemy ground fire and dense vegetation over the rough terrain, the aircraft was unable to conduct a visual reconnaissance of the crash site. A nearby infantry platoon attempted to investigate the area but were forced to withdraw when they encountered enemy fire.
On July 25, 1978, the U.S. Army changed Gervais’s status from Missing in Action to Killed in Action and posthumously promoted him to the rank of Master Sgt. From 1989 to 2010, joint teams investigated several locations possibly associated with the crash and conducted multiple witness interviews, including a former area military commander who stated that he saw bodies after the crash but heard later that the helicopter, and presumably the bodies as well, had been completely destroyed by United States bombing. In June 2013, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a DPAA predecessor organization, traveled to Thua Thien-Hue Province to interview Truong Ngoc Huyen, a 12.7mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Squad Leader at the time of the incident. Huyen recalled that sometime between April 27 and April 29, 1968, while he and his squad were in Hamlet 39, they observed a “UTT” helicopter flying near their location, and they began to open fire.
Huyen identified a photograph of an OH-6 Cayuse. He recalled that the helicopter had broken into two pieces, falling to the ground.
On June 5, 2013, the JPAC team interviewed Hoang The Phuong, a former Master Sergeant, Assistant Recon Squad Leader, 23rd Company, Binh Tram 42. Phuong recalled that, on approximately May 1, 1968, during an air cavalry assault by U.S. forces, he witnessed Huyen’s squad shoot down an OH-6, and the following morning, he visited the crash site.
Gervais’s name is recorded on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Gervais’s will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Marvin S. Patton, 20, Tazewell County, Virginia who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Patton was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on July 5, in the vicinity of Osan, South Korea, where his unit was deployed to assist in halting the Korean People’s Army advancement into South Korea.
Task Force Smith, a U.S. task force of 400 infantry from the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, was moved to Osan, south of Seoul. Most of the soldiers of the Task Force were teenagers with no combat experience.
The U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Patton on Jan. 16, 1956.
Marvin S Patton is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission.
Marvin is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
September 2
U.S. Navy Reserve Seaman 2nd Class Jerome M. Mullaney, 18, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Mullaney's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In the summer of 1944, Mullaney was assigned to the destroyer USS Glennon, which participated in the invasion of France on June 6, commonly known as “D-Day."
Mullaney was killed two days after the invasion, on June 8, when USS Glennon hit an underwater mine off the coast of France.
The stern of the ship became lodged on the sea floor and after unsuccessful attempts to tow the vessel to safety, USS Glennon was finally sunk after being struck by a German artillery barrage on June 10. At that time, 25 sailors, including Mullaney, were recorded as missing.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command, U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. The AGRC conducted dozens of searches along the French coast until 1951 and identified five sailors from the USS Glennon. However, the teams found no information regarding Mullaney. He was declared non recoverable in May 1949.In 1957, pieces of the USS Glennon were hauled to shore by salvagers at St. Marie du Mont, France, where they were broken down for scrap. While searching through the larger sections of wreckage, a local resident found human remains within the forward portion of the ship.
The remains were turned over to American officials from the Army mausoleum in Frankfurt, Germany, who subsequently designated them X-9296.
The remains were examined but could not be positively identified at the time. On March 4, 1959, they were interred in Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.
In 2021, historians at DPAA began an effort to associate unresolved sailors from the USS Glennon with X-9296. That research confirmed that Mullaney and the other 19 unaccounted-for sailors from the vessel were strong historical candidates for association to the unknown remains.
Mullaney’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mullaney will be buried in his hometown on Sept. 3, 2025.
August 15
U.S. Army Pvt. LeRoy B. Miller Jr., 31, of Indianapolis, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Miller's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In November 1944, Miller was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. His battalion captured the town of Kommerscheidt, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest. A series of heavy German counterattacks eventually forced his battalion to withdraw. Miller was reported killed in action on Nov. 8, while fighting enemy forces at Kommerscheidt.
His remains could not be recovered after the attack.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. During that effort, a recovery team found a mass grave at Kommerscheidt that contained the remains of several American and German soldiers. The exhumation team found Miller's identification tag on one set of remains.
The remains were sent to the United States Military Cemetery Neuville in Belgium for processing. Based upon the identification tag, AGRC officials identified the remains as Miller and transferred them to his family for final burial.
In 2017, while studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian analyzed documentation regarding three sets of unidentified remains, designated X-6566, X-6567 and X-6568, recovered from the same mass grave Miller's identification tag had been found in at Kommerscheidt in April 1946.
The historian determined that the three Unknowns were likely members of the 1st or 3rd Battalions, 112th Infantry Regiment, killed during the bitter fighting of November 1944.
Because the three Unknowns had been found in a mass grave, DPAA officials considered the possibility that Miller's remains may have been commingled in the grave or misprocessed and misidentified by the AGRC in the 1940s. They included him as a possible candidate for association to the Unknowns. The three sets of remains were exhumed from the Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, in Aug. 2018 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
Miller’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Plombières, Belgium, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Miller will be buried in Indianapolis, Indiana, on a date to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jack B. Baker, 19, from Illinois killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In 1950, Baker was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was reported missing in action Sept. 5, in the vicinity of Taegu, South Korea after his unit encountered enemy combatants.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
Lacking evidence of continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Joseph L. Burke, 30,
from New York
In January 1945, Burke was assigned to Battery F, 60th Coast Artillery Regiment, on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Burke was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Burke died on Jan. 9 when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Burke is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Pfc. Rodger E. Fields, 20, of Busy, Kentucky killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Fields’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In December 1950, Fields was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Fields was reported killed in action on Dec. 1, during the Battle of Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir.
In September and October 1954 during Operation GLORY, the United Nations Command and the Chinese Communist Forces exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel. After those remains were processed by the Central Identification Unit Laboratory at Kokura, Japan, the CIU was unable to positively associate any loss with Fields.
In 1956, all unidentified remains, including one designated as Unknown X-15693, were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and interred as Unknowns.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On March 8, 2021, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-15693 as part of Phase Three of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Fields, DPAA scientists used dental, anthropological, and radio isotope analysis, as well as a chest radiograph comparison. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Fields’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Fields will be buried in Kentucky Veterans Cemetery South East in Hyden, Kentucky, in August 2025.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. James G. Pirtle, 31, Oregon killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Pirtle served as the tail gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber with the 858th Bombardment Squadron, 492nd Bombardment Group, Eighth U.S. Air Force, in the European Theater of Operations.
The unit participated in Operation CARPETBAGGER, a series of secret missions in which several specially designated bomb groups dropped supplies, arms, equipment, leaflets, and U.S. Office of Strategic Services and French agents to resistance groups operating in northern France.
On Sept. 16, 1944, Pirtle’s crew was scheduled to fly its final mission to drop supplies to resistance forces 40 miles east of the Moselle River.
The 115th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, an American artillery unit stationed near Lebeuville, France, mistook Pirtle’s B-24 for an enemy aircraft and shot it down.
Of the eight crew, two successfully parachuted to safety. The other six crewmembers were killed, including Pirtle.
U.S. Army Pfc. Walter P. Pytak, 21, Lackawanna, New York killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the Winter of 1950, Pytak was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, after a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
Lacking evidence of continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953
U.S. Army Pfc. John A. Walko, 20, Commodore, Pennsylvania killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1944, Walko was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
He was reportedly killed in action on Oct. 20 after his company encountered German enemy fire in Aachen, Germany.
His remains were not accounted for after the war.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Walko's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
August 11
U.S. Army Tech5 Edwin E. Ross, 24, Sullivan, Indiana who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1942, Ross was a member of 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Ross was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Ross died on July 27, 1942 and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 225
Edwin Stewart Ross is memorialized at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. James H. Calfee, 26, Boling, Texas who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
In 1968, Calfee and 18 other men were assigned to
Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot
mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos.
In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain.
A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men.
Calfee and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered.
James Henry Calfee is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
James is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC.
August 8
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Edgar R. Norcross, 18, Manchester, New Hampshire killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On March 16, 1945, he was the radio gunner on a TBM-3 Avenger aircraft. During a glide bombing attack on Yap Airfield, the aircraft crashed on Yap Island in what is the modern-day Federated States of Micronesia.
The crew, including Norcross, did not survive the crash. The Marine Corps reported him killed in action and his remains were declared non-recoverable.
Airman
August 5
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Gustave Secunda, 30, Pittsfield, Massachusetts killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the spring of 1944, Secunda was the radio operator on a B-17G "Flying Fortress" bomber, assigned to 710th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group.
He was reportedly killed when his aircraft crashed in the North Sea while on a mission to Belgium. According to the co-pilot, the aircraft had bullet holes along the right wing, most likely from another B-17 in the formation testing its guns.
When the aircraft lost control, three of the crewmembers bailed out, two of whom survived, while the remaining seven crewmembers, including Secunda, drowned after bailing out of damaged B-17 in the crash.
Gustave Secunda is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.
Pilot
August 4
U.S. Army Air Forces Capt. Arthur M. Lingo, 24, of Fellows, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Lingo was assigned to 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, 66th Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Command. During a bomber escort mission to Sorau, Germany, the P-51 Mustang fighter he piloted was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed near Miesterhorst, Germany. Lingo was reported missing in action on April 11, 1944, and his remains were not identified after the war.
The Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Lingo for Oct. 18, 1945.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command team was tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. During their investigations, teams of investigators interviewed local residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen.
They were able to locate aircraft wreckage with serial numbers associated with Lingo’s aircraft from a bog. However, due to the swampy terrain, the team could not perform a full excavation of the site.
Lingo was declared non-recoverable on June 14, 1950.In 2022, a DPAA team with assistance from local researcher Werner Oeltjebruns as well as the U.S. Army Geospatial Command conducted investigation and survey operations in the Miesterhorst area.
The team interviewed local residents and administrative officials, who confirmed the location where the aircraft crashed. The team conducted a full site survey of the crash site, where they located aircraft wreckage consistent with Lingo’s aircraft. All material evidence found at the site was accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification.
Lingo’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Lingo will be buried in Arvin, California, in October 2025.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Henry G. Gish, 25, of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
Gish’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1968, Gish and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men.
Gish and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered.
In 1994, a joint U.S. - Lao People’s Democratic Republic recovery operation, led by DPAA’s predecessor Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, took place near the top of Phou Pha Thi with negative results.
A second recovery operation, in 2003, resulted in the discovery of remains which were subsequently identified as one of the missing U.S. servicemen, Tech Sgt. Patrick L. Shannon. Since that time, JPAC evaluated the feasibility of conducting recoveries on Phou Pha Thi, but logistics and safety concerns precluded further attempts. From 1994 to 2009, in cooperation with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Laos, teams pursued multiple leads from dozens of witnesses interviewed, including those involved with the attack. In 2003, a joint team recovered remains during site investigation work along the western slopes of Phou Pha Thi.
The remains were scientifically identified as one of the 11 missing Airmen from this incident. In 2005, a Laotian citizen provided U.S. officials an identification card belonging to another missing service member, and human remains purportedly found at the base of Phou Pha Thi.In 2023, DPAA personnel and members from partner organizations discovered unexploded ordnance, incident-related materials, possible material evidence, and possible osseus remains from the research site.
The osseus material was later identified as Sgt. David Price, one of the men missing from Lima Site 85.
To identify Gish’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, Y-chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.Today,
Gish is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Gish will be buried in Berea, Kentucky on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. j.g. Ralph C. Dupont, 21, Saint Augustine, Florida killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1944, Dupont was assigned to the Fighting Squadron 36 and Fighting Squadron 18, USS Intrepid, in the Pacific Theatre.
He was reportedly killed in action on Oct. 12, after an air battle with Japanese fighters near Taien Airfield, Formosa, known today as Taiwan. Subsequent searches for his remains were unsuccessful.
His remains were never recovered and he was later legally declared dead on 13 October 1945.
Ralph C Dupont is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Oscar L. Sprague, 22, of Milbridge, Maine, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Sprague’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1950, Sprague was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 3, 1950, in the vicinity of Yongsan, Republic of Korea (South Korea).
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.
Following the war, on Sept. 11, 1951, the 565th Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains from a shallow grave near the Naktong Bulge region of the Pusan Perimeter. The remains, designated Unknown X-1984, could not be positively identified at the time and on Sept. 17, 1954, were declared unidentifiable.
On Feb. 14, 1956, Unknown X-1984 was transferred and interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl.
On Oct. 7, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-1984 as part of Phase Three of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Sprague’s remains, scientists from DPAA used DNA, dental, anthropological, and isotope analysis, as well as chest radiograph and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Sprague’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Sprague will be buried in his hometown in September 2025.
He re-enlisted in the Regular Army before the Korean War. He is therefore
credited with both wars.”
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Leonard R. J. Jackson, 22, of Great Falls, Montana, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Jackson’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
Jackson was a member of Battery L of the 60th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Jackson was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Jackson died Oct. 31, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 703.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Four sets of remains from Common Grave 703 were identified, while the remaining three were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as Unknowns.
In 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 703 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Jackson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Jackson’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Today, Jackson is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Jackson will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be determined.
Soldier
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Paul A. Gregg, 29, Douglas County, Illinois killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Gregg was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.
On October 1, Gregg was reported missing in action following combat near Fouhren, Luxembourg, during the Battle of the Bulge.
His remains were not accounted for after the war and on Dec. 19, 1945, Army officials issued a presumptive finding of death.
Paul A Gregg is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Soldier
U.S. Army Pfc. Lawrence R. Beard, 27, Caroline County, Maryland who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Beard was a member of Headquarters Company, 803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Beard was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Beard died Nov. 4, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 707
Lawrence R Beard is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. George T. Hill, 18, Davidson County, Tennessee who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Hill was a member of Company B, 3rd Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Aug. 11, 1950, in the vicinity of Chang-dong, South Korea, near the Naktong River.
He was reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death as of Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
George T Hill is memorialized at Plot E Row 13 Grave 31, Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
Soldier
U.S. Army Cpl. William H. Diekmann, 24, Sonoma County, California who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1942, Diekmann was a member of Headquarters Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Diekmann was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Diekmann died on Sept. 23, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 434
U.S. Army Air Force Listed
William H Diekmann is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Robert A. Keuchel, 22, Douglas County, Nebraska killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Keuchel was assigned to 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
Keuchel served as the right waist gunner aboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber and on March 22, 1945, during a bombing mission near the village of Glinica, Poland, Keuchel’s aircraft crashed.
Seven of the ten crewmembers, including Keuchel, were killed.
His remains were not accounted for after the war
U.S. Army Air Force
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Woody T. Owen, 25,
Jefferson County, Texas
In 1942, Owen was assigned to 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Owen was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Owen died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Woody T Owen is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines
U.S. Navy Reserve Ensign Delbert L. Martin, 23, from Indiana killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Martin was assigned to Fighting Squadron 12, USS Randolph.
On March 21, 1945, he was reported missing in action after his F6F-5 “Hellcat” failed to pull up from a dive and crashed in Galig-Tomil, Yap Islands, Federated States of Micronesia.
Martin’s remains were not accounted for after the war and on March 22, 1946, the Navy issued a presumptive finding of death
Delbert L Martin is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines
Sailor
U.S. Navy Reserve Ensign Howard A. Holding, 22,Salt Lake City, UT killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Holding was assigned Fighting Squadron Twenty, USS Enterprise. On. Sept. 6, 1944, he participated in a fighter sweep over Yap Island in what is the modern-day Federated States of Micronesia.
His plane was believed to have crashed after colliding with another aircraft in his group. Holding’s remains were not accounted for after the war and on Feb. 6, 1946, the Navy issued a presumptive finding of death.
Howard Allen Holding is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Army 1st Lt. William H. Hott, 29, of Holmesville, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Hott’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Hott was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action December 2, in the vicinity of Chosin Reservoir, North Korea and witnesses later reported that he was killed during a withdrawal on December 1.
The U.S. Army disused a report of death on Feb. 28, 1951, and declared his remains non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
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 Hott’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism.
To see the most up-to-date statistics on DPAA recovery efforts for those unaccounted for from the Korean War, go to the Korean War fact sheet on the DPAA website
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hott will be buried in his hometown in August 2025.
U.S. Army Cpl. Edwin C. Martin, 18, of Foster, Ohio, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Martin’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1950, Martin was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Aug. 31, in the vicinity of Yongsan, Republic of Korea (South Korea) after his unit encountered enemy combatants attempting to cross the Naktong River.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.On Oct. 25, 1950, a set of remains was recovered near the village of Sangde Po, South Korea.
The remains, designated Unknown X-261 Tanggok, could not be positively identified at the time and were interred in the United Nation’s Military Cemetery (UNMC) Miryang, the next day.
As part of the process to evacuate U.S. casualties from the Korean warzone, X-261 was exhumed and reinterred in UNMC Tanggok, before being disinterred again and transported to the Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan for potential identification. The CUI analyzed the remains but ultimately, they were declared unidentifiable and transported to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
To identify Martin’s remains, scientists from DPAA used DNA, dental, anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as chest radiograph. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Martin’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Martin will be buried in West Chester Township, Ohio in September 2025.
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Henry J. Carlin, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Carlin's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Carlin was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II. On Aug. 3, while serving as the navigator of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including Carlin, were killed. His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
In 1947, the American Grave Registration Service recovered four sets of remains, later designated X-282A-D, from a common grave near the village of Kyunpobin, Burma. According to local witnesses, the remains came from an “American crash”.
The remains could not be identified at the time and were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2022, after the Department of Defense approved DPAA’s disinterment request, all four sets of remains were exhumed from the Punchbowl and accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Carlin’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Carlin will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in May 2026.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John H. Mann, 22, of Stow, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Mann's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
During World War II, Mann was assigned to 22nd Material Squadron at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On. Dec. 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircrafts and ships, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. Mann was reportedly killed during this time.
In the days following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Forces casualties, which were subsequently interred in the Schofield Barracks Cemetery.
In August 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel from World War II, members of the American Graves Registration Service disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the Schofield Cemetery and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks.
The laboratory staff was unable to confirm the identifications of 12 men from the Hickam Field attack at that time, including “Unknown Case 195”, later redesignated X-195.
The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Dec. 27, 1948, a military board classified Mann as non-recoverable.
In June 2019, DPAA personnel began exhuming the 12 Schofield Barracks Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis. X-195 was disinterred in 2020 and accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory.
Mann’s name is recorded in 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.
Mann will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. Nicholas Hartman, 20 of Houston, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Hartman's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, Hartman was assigned to 500th Medical Collecting Company, 60th Medical Battalion. On June 6, Hartman was aboard Landing Craft Infantry (Large) 92, along with roughly 200 other servicemembers, enroute to land on Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France. As LCI-92 steamed toward the shore, it struck an underwater mine which caused the craft to burst into flames. The craft was also hit by enemy artillery fire, causing an explosion that ignited the ships fuel stores and instantly killed everyone in the troop compartment. Due to the urgency of the situation, it was impossible for others to search for survivors. Hartman’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Around June 10, members of the 500th Medical Collecting Company examined the wreckage of LCI-92 and noted the burnt remains of servicemen in the troop compartment where Hartman and others were last seen. American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, removed small amounts of remains from LCI-92 and buried them in the United States Military Cemetery St. Laurent-sur-Mer.
Beginning in 1946, AGRC analyzed the remains found in LCI-92, segregating them into four separate Unknowns (X-53, X-83, X-83B, and X-83C). Despite their efforts, AGRC were unable to identify the Unknowns at the time, and they were interred in Normandy American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Normandy, France.
Hartman’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hartman will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Thomas W. Daniels, 20, from New York was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Daniels was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 1, after his unit encountered enemy combatants along the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yongsan, South Korea.
Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and after subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains, the U.S. Army determined Daniels to be nonrecoverable on Dec. 31, 1953
U.S. Army Cpl. Lonnie Fields, 19, from Houston, Texas killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Fields was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 21, in the vicinity of the Naktong River in the near Yongsan, South Korea.
Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time. He was never reported as a prisoner of war and after subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death as of Dec. 31, 1953.
Lonnie Fields is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.
Lonnie is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington. This is a National Parks Service and American Battle Monuments Commission location.
U.S. Army Pfc. Claude A. Dewberry, 29, from
In 1942, Dewberry was assigned to Medical Detachment, 194th Tank Battalion on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Dewberry was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Dewberry died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
PFC Claude A. Dewberry’s name appears on the Walls of the Missing at the American Military Cemetery at Manila.
His family also had a headstone placed at the New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery – Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
U.S. Army Pvt. Blanchard E. Pruitt, 19, of Florien, Louisiana, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Pruitt's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, Pruitt was a member of the Medical Detachment, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Pruitt was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Pruitt died on Jan. 1, 1943, and was buried in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Grave 822.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1948, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. One set of remains was recovered from Grave 822 but could not be identified as Pruitt.
He was declared non recoverable on Dec. 2, 1949. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as an Unknown.
In December 2020, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Grave 822 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
DPAA also uncovered evidence of discrepancies between Grave 822 and Grave 836 and ultimately determined that Pruitt was buried in Grave 836. To identify Pruitt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Today, Pruitt is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Pruitt will be buried in Anacoco, Louisiana in September 2025.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Jason K. Goldwater, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Goldwater's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Goldwater was a member of 69th Bombardment Squadron, 42d Bombardment Group (Medium). He was killed on July 10 when his North American B-25C-1 Mitchell medium bomber crashed on takeoff from Carney Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared nonrecoverable.
In 2017, Project Recover, an external provider to the DPAA, conducted an investigation in the Solomon Islands and located aircraft wreckage consistent with a B-25 in close proximity to Goldwater’s reported crash location. In 2022, after receiving the data from Project Recover, historians and archaeologists at DPAA began excavating the site.
The team recovered possible human remains, osseous material, possible osseous material, and material evidence, including life support equipment. Excavations continued until 2024, and all evidence recovered was accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Goldwater’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others who are still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Goldwater will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined.
United States Army Pfc. Charles N. Milam, 20, of Greenville, Mississippi, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Milam’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In January 1944, Milam was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. From late January through late May 1944, the 3rd Infantry Division fought in the Battle of Anzio in Italy.
On January 31, Milam was reported missing during combat against German forces near the small hamlet of Ponte Rotto, close to the town of Cisterna di Latina (Cisterna). Members of his squad believed that he may have been killed in action by artillery at some point that day, but his body was not recovered.
Having no evidence that Milam had survived the conflict, the War Department issued a presumptive finding of death on April 19, 1945.
After the end of hostilities, the American Graves Registration Service, U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the Mediterranean Theater.
In July 1944, graves registration personnel recovered a set of remains, designated as X-462 Nettuno, near Ponte Rotto. However, the AGRS did not have enough data to positively identify the remains and interred them interred at U.S. Military Cemetery Nettuno, now Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.
On Aug. 11, 1949, the Office of the Quartermaster General declared Milam non-recoverable.
To identify the remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, mitochondrial genome sequencing data, and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis.
Milam’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Milam will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech Sgt. Truman G. Causey, 33, of Port Vincent, Louisiana, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Causey’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Causey was a member of 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Causey was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Causey died Nov. 15, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 721.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Of the 15 sets recovered from Common Grave 721, five were identified. The remaining 10 were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In June 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, the remains associated with Common Grave 721 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Causey’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Causey died Nov. 15, 1942, and he was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 721
Truman G Causey is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Causey will be buried in Dubach, Louisiana in November 2025
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Willis R. Hall, 40, of Broward County, Florida, who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
(Hall's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.)
In 1968, Hall and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men.
Hall and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered.
In 1994, a joint U.S. - Lao People’s Democratic Republic recovery operation, led by DPAA’s predecessor Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, took place near the top of Phou Pha Thi with negative results. A second recovery operation, in 2003, resulted in the discovery of remains which were subsequently identified as one of the missing U.S. servicemen, Tech. Sgt. Patrick L. Shannon.
Since that time, JPAC evaluated the feasibility of conducting recoveries on Phou Pha Thi, but logistics and safety concerns precluded further attempts. From 1994 to 2009, in cooperation with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Laos, teams pursued multiple leads from dozens of witnesses interviewed, including those involved with the attack. In 2003, a joint team recovered remains during site investigation work along the western slopes of Phou Pha Thi.
The remains were scientifically identified as one of the 11 missing Airmen from this incident. In 2005, a Laotian citizen provided U.S. officials an identification card belonging to another missing service member, and human remains purportedly found at the base of Phou Pha Thi.
In 2023, DPAA personnel and members from partner organizations discovered unexploded ordnance, incident-related materials, possible material evidence, and possible osseus remains from the research site. The osseus material was later identified as Sgt. David Price, one of the men missing from Lima Site 85.Joint recovery teams surveyed and excavated the site from Jan. 16 – Feb. 16, 2025, and March 2-31, 2025, as parts of Joint Field Activities 25-2LA and 25-3LA.
To identify Hall’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis as well as material evidence.
Today, Hall is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., (Panel 44E, Line 17).
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hall will be buried in Altoona, Kansas, in September 2025
U.S. Army Pfc. Edward J. Kramer, 23, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Kramer’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1942, Kramer was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. He was reportedly killed in action on Dec. 27 near Buna Village while fighting the Japanese. His remains were not recovered after the war.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service, the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted extensive searches of dense jungle and swamps in Papua New Guinea. One set of remains, later designated X-76 Finschhafen #2, was recovered from the Buna Village Cemetery on Dec. 31, 1942.
The remains could not be identified and were subsequently interred in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Kramer’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Kramer will be buried in Holly, Michigan in October 2025.
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. William B. Bucey, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Bucey’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shard.
In 1942, Bucey was a member of 121st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Army, which conducted guerrilla operations behind Japanese lines after the invasion of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Conventional fighting ended with the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942, but Bucey's unit continued to resist.
Bucey was eventually captured by the Japanese and sent to the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Bucey died Oct. 31, 1944, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 836.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. Two of the sets of remains from Common Grave 836 were identified based on dental comparisons. The remaining four were declared unidentifiable and interred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns, including one set designated X-559.
In December 2020, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 836 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Today, Bucey is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bucey will be buried in Mayfield Heights, Ohio in August 2025.
U.S. Army Pvt. Henry J. Smith, 27, of Fulton, New York, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Smith’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, Smith was a member of the Battery F, 59th Coast Artillery Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Smith was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Smith died Nov. 1, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 704.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed 10 sets of remains buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery. However, the remains were unable to be identified at the time and were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In December 2018, as part of DPAA’s Cabanatuan Project, the remains associated with Common Grave 704 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Smith’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Today, Smith is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
Smith will be buried in Holly, Michigan in 2025.
U.S. Army Pfc. William A. Wheeler, 18, of Hazel Park, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Wheeler’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Wheeler was a member of H Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action after his unit engaged in combat actions with the North Korean People's Army along the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yongsan, South Korea, on Sept. 1.
The exact circumstances of Wheeler's death were unknown, but the U.S. Army later determined he was killed in action on Oct. 25, 1950.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, Chinese Communist Forces unilaterally turned over remains to the United Nations Command, including one set, designated as Unknown X-181. Those remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be conclusively identified as Wheeler. Those unidentified remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In October 2017, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-181 as part of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Wheeler’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wheeler will be buried in Troy, Michigan in 2025.
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Wylie W. Leverett, 28, of Wortham, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Leverett’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Leverett was assigned to the 708th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, 4th Combat Bomb Wing, 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On Dec. 30, Leverett, the pilot onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” Fuddy Duddy, was lost when his aircraft collided with another American aircraft while on a bombing mission to Mannheim, Germany.
As the formation of bombers neared their attack location, a bomber in the low position of the lead squadron suddenly lost altitude. At the same time, Fuddy Duddy rose in altitude. It’s not known why these two aircraft unexpectedly changed their altitude simultaneously, but witnesses suspected the prop-wash from the formation created turbulence around the bombers. Surviving aircrew reported seeing the first Flying Fortresses’ propellers slicing through Fuddy Duddy’s thin aluminum skin cutting the aircraft fuselage in two.
Fuddy Duddy then rolled over and went into an uncontrolled spin downwards. The other aircraft, also badly damaged, careened downward, falling through the clouds.
Of the 18 personnel serving aboard the two aircraft, only two Fuddy Duddy crewmen survived the incident. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, local farmers from Mudau, Germany, found 13 of the remaining 16 crew members. The civilians brought the remains to the Catholic church at Steinbach where they were laid out and examined and eventually buried in a single mass grave.
In Jan. 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, sent a team to Steinbach, Germany, to investigate. They interviewed witnesses to the crash, the residents who collected the remains of the crew, and the cemetery personnel. Eventually the remains were exhumed, examined, and brought to the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Avold, France, where they were interred in February 1946.In May 2019, DPAA contracted History Flight, Inc., to excavate the crash site believed to be that of Fuddy Duddy.
The History Flight team described the site as “severely scavenged,” but was able to recover possible material evidence and osseous materials, which were transferred to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification. Between June and July 2022, through a cooperative agreement with DPAA partner the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, further investigation took place using ground-penetrating radar to scan and identify areas to excavate at the Fuddy Duddy crash site. The IUP team also recovered items which were transferred to the DPAA lab.
Finally, in June 2023, the IUP team returned to the site, where they recovered an identification tag belonging to one of the missing aircrew, which confirmed the site as Fuddy Duddy’s final resting place.
Leverett’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Leverett will be buried in Dallas, Texas, in 2025.
Pilot
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Frank A. Johnstone, 20, of Beaumont, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Johnstone’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1945, Johnstone was assigned to the 721st Bombardment Squadron, 450th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. On Feb. 25, he served as a navigator aboard a B-24J on a bombardment mission to Linz, Austria. During the mission, his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Groβraming, Austria. Nine of the twelve crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft while the remaining three, including Johnstone, went down with the plane. His remains were not recovered after the war.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. During their area investigations, teams of AGRC investigators interviewed local residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen, including reported burials that could be associated with American losses or downed aircraft.
In June 1950, AGRC investigators visited the area of Großraming where they discovered that the remains of nine airmen from three different American aircraft crashes were reportedly buried in the Großraming cemetery by a local gravedigger. However, in the summer of 1946, the 535th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company has already visited Großraming and recovered the nine sets of remains and transferred them to St. Avold Cemetery in France.
The 1950 investigation found a discrepancy in that it only had evidence for seven sets of remains being recovered. At the end of the investigation, all but two of the nine sets were identified, with the final two being designated Unknowns X-6568 and X-6404 St. Avold.
In August 2013, an investigation team from one of DPAA's predecessor organizations traveled to Groβraming to investigate the loss of Johnstone's B-24. They found enough to correlate the site with the aircraft. In July and August 2017, DPAA partner teams from the University of Maryland and University of Vienna began excavation on the crash site and returned the following year to continue excavation in June and July 2018. The team recovered aircraft wreckage, pieces of material evidence, and possible human remains which were all accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for scientific analysis.
Johnstone’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinoze, France, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Johnstone will be buried on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Capt. Paul E. Pearson, 38
U.S. Army Capt. Paul E. Pearson, 38, Riley County, Kansas died as a POW during World War II, was accounted for.
Pearson’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In April 1942, Pearson was assigned to II Philippine Corps on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Pearson was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Pearson was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru. Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel.
In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
Between October 2022 and July 2023, DPAA disinterred Unknowns from the NMCP linked to the Enoura Maru.
The remains were accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for further analysis.
Pearson’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Pearson will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in March 2026.
U.S. Army Sgt. Ray Johnson, 20, from
Beckham, Oklahoma
died
In the fall of 1950, Johnson was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 1 after the enemy attacked his unit’s position near Changyong, South Korea.
Ray Johnson was captured during the Korean War and interned as a Prisoner of War, and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Feb. 23, 1954.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956
Sergeant Johnson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
U.S. Army Cpl. Donald E. Nickel, 20, Grand Rapids, Michigan killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In
late 1950, Nickel was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry
Regiment, 7th Infantry
Division.
Corporal Nickel was a member of Headquarters Battery, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy near Hagaru, North Korea on December 6, 1950.
He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953.
His family knew him as "Don" and "Donnie." Reported DOD last known home of record - Oakland, originally from Michigan.
U.S. Navy Carpenter’s Mate Second Class William R. Burns, 25, from North Carolina killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On June 8, 1944, Burns was assigned to the destroyer USS Glennon, which struck a mine off the coast of Quinnéville, France, forcing 16 sailors overboard.
Ultimately, the majority of the crew had abandoned the vessel, but a few remained on board for salvage operations, including Burns.
Two days later, on June 10, the Glennon was struck by multiple artillery barrages from German forces on shore, eventually causing the ship to sink late in the evening.
Following the attack, 38 sailors had been wounded and 25 were missing, including Burns.
Other than the rescued sailors thrown overboard from the initial mine strike, there is not report of any recovery of other missing sailors.
The remains of Burns were not accounted for, and he was deemed non-recoverable on April 14, 1949.
Carpenter's Mate Second Class
U.S. Army Pvt. Kenneth L. Kramer, 20, from Snohomish County, Washington who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In the Summer of 1942, Kramer was a member of 19th Air Base Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Kramer was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Kramer died June 29, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.
Private
U.S. Army Pvt. Ira Warren, 26, from Boone County, West Virginia who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Warren was a member of Headquarters Company, 194th Tank Battalion, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Warren was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Warren died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 312.
Today, Private
U.S. Army Pfc. John R. Stovall, 22, from Scott Field, Illinois who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In 1950, Stovall was a member of Company K, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on July 7 while fighting the enemy near Ch’onan, South Korea.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.
Private First Class
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Bennett H. Waters, 26, from Pierce County, Georgia killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1945, Waters was assigned to 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Waters was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Waters died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Private
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. John M. Larkins, 26, from Dickson County, Tennessee, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Larkins was assigned to the 678th Bombardment Squadron, 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), Bomber Command.
On June 26, Larkins was a crew member on a B-29 Superfortress when it crashed into a rice paddy in the village of Sapekhati, India after a bombing raid on Imperial iron and steel works at Yawata, Kyushu Island, Japan.
All 11 crew members were killed instantly in the crash.
Technical Sergeant Larkins is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Lester H. Libolt, 21, Gregory, South Dakota, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Libolt was assigned to 431st Bombardment Squadron, 11th Bombardment Group at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
On. Dec. 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircrafts and ships, barracks, supply buildings and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. Libolt was reportedly killed during this time.
Lester H Libolt is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Dwight M. Holmes, 27,
from California,
killed
In 1945, Holmes was assigned to 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, V Bomber Command on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was captured on April 9 and held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Holmes was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Holmes died on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru
Second Lieutenant
U.S. Army Pfc. Jack M. Cash, 19, of Broken Bow, Nebraska killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Cash's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Cash was a member of A Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit engaged in combat actions with the North Korean People's Army along the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yongsan, South Korea, on Sept. 1. The exact circumstances of his death were unknown, and the U.S. Army determined him to be nonrecoverable on Dec. 31, 1953.
In September 1950, members from the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered X-2005 near Masan-ni, South Korea. Local villagers interviewed during the recovery reported discovering the remains near the Naktong Bulge area.
In May 2021, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-2005 as part of Phase 3 of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Cash’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Cash’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Cash's funeral service will be in Calimesa, California in July 2025
Soldier
U.S. Army Tech. Sgt. Joseph R. Moore, 28, of Richmond, Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Moore’s family recently received their full briefing on his
identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be
shared.
In December 1944, Moore was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry
Regiment, 8th Infantry Division, in Europe. His regiment had recently captured
Hürtgen, Germany, during the Hürtgen Forest offensive.
Beginning Dec. 1, Moore’s unit was part of the push east from the town. He was reported missing in action as of Dec. 11 while his unit occupied the woods between Brandenberg and Kleinhau, though there is no clear indication of what happened to him.
The Germans never reported Moore as a German prisoner of war, and
Army investigators found no evidence he survived the fighting around Brandenberg
and Kleinhau. The War Department issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec.
12, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was
tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe.
They conducted several investigations and recoveries in the Hürtgen Forest
between 1946 and 1950 but were unable to find and identify Moore. He was
declared Non-Recoverable on Dec. 12, 1951.
DPAA historians are in the midst of an extensive research and recovery project focused American Soldiers missing from ground combat in the Hürtgen Forest. They determined that two sets of unknown remains previously recovered by the AGRC, designated X-2751 and X-2754B, buried at Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neupré, Belgium, were likely associated to unresolved soldiers missing north of Kleinhau. X-2751 was disinterred in April 2019 and X-2754B was disinterred in June 2021. Both were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis. After scientific analysis of the two sets of remains, it was determined they were parts of the same person, and the two sets were consolidated.
Moore’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Hombourg, Belgium, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Moore will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date to be determined
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Norman R. Thomas, 20, of Clanton, Alabama, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Thomas's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Thomas was a member of 48th Material Squadron, 5th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Thomas was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Thomas died on July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 312.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and recovered 37 sets of remains from Common Grave 312. 12 individual graveside identifications were made with the use of identification tags, leaving 25 unidentified, including Thomas.
He was declared non recoverable on Oct. 5, 1949, and buried as an Unknown at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM).In August 2014, the remains associated with Common Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Thomas's grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Thomas will be buried in Verbena, Alabama, in July 2025
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Lee I. Clendenning, 23, of Rib Lake, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Clendenning's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be World War II, Clendenning was assigned to 23rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
On. Dec. 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircrafts and ships, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel. The attack lasted four hours. Clendenning was reportedly killed during this time.
In the days following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Forces casualties, which were subsequently interred in the Schofield Barracks Cemetery.
In August 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel from World War II, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the Schofield Cemetery and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks.
The laboratory staff was unable to confirm the identifications of 12 men from the Hickam Field attack at that time, including one set of remains designated X-199. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In June 2019, DPAA personnel began exhuming the 12 Schofield Barracks Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis. X-199 was disinterred in 2020 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory.
Clendenning’s name is recorded in 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.
Clendenning will be buried in Rib Lake, Wisconsin in September 2025
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Leon R. Karwacki, 27, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Karwacki's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Karwacki was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. In mid-September 1944, his battalion advanced against enemy forces around Stolberg, Germany, between Aachen and the Hürtgen Forest.
He was killed on Sept. 17, during an attack near the village of Mausbach.
Karwacki’s body could not be recovered due to the intensity of enemy fire.
In late 1945, American graves registration personnel recovered a set of American remains between Mausbach and the town of Werth. Unable to identify the remains, officials designated them X-2192 and the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) subsequently interred them at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium.
In June 2024, the Department of Defense and the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) exhumed unidentified remains X-2192. DPAA historians and analysts researching the battles near Mausbach believed these remains could belong to Karwacki.
To identify Karwacki’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological evidence, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Karwacki’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Karwacki will be buried in Milwaukee, Wiscosin in September 2025
U.S. Army Cpl. Howard A. Troup, 29, of Ford City, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Troup’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the fall of 1950, Troup was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action during a battle in the vicinity of Hill 409, near Am-sin, South Korea, when enemy forces attacked and overran his company's defensive positions on Sept. 1. A statement from a member of his unit said he was likely killed by a grenade during an all-out “banzai” attack.
The Army issued a presumptive finding of death in December 1953.In August 1951, remains were recovered by the American Graves Registration Service Group (AGRSG), the unit tasked with finding and identifying those missing during the war, near the village of Tae-Dong. Further analysis determined there was actually two sets of remains.
One set of remains was identified in 1953, but the other, designated Unknown X-1924-A, could not be identified and was ultimately buried as an Unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu in 1956.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On May 3, 2021, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-1924-A as part of Phase Three of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Troup’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Troup will be buried in Ford City, Pennsylvania in June 2025
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Nathaniel L. Hightower Jr., 27, of Bluffton, Georgia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Hightower's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared In the summer of 1943, Hightower was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II.
On Aug. 3, while serving as the co-pilot of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed. Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including Hightower, were killed.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
In 1947, the American Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered four sets of remains, later designated X-282A-D, from a common grave near the village of Kyunpobin, Burma. According to local witnesses, the remains came from an “American crash.” The remains could not be identified at the time and were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Hightower’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hightower will be buried in Montevallo, Alabama, on a date yet to be determined
U.S. Army Sgt. Elwyn D. Nordyke, 22, of Tacoma,
Washington,
Nordyke's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
Late November 1950, Nordyke was assigned to Medical Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 28 in the vicinity Of Chosin Reservoir, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, when his convoy was ambushed by opposing forces.
It was later determined that Nordyke was held at Camp 1 in Changsong, North
Korea, where he died in captivity in the summer of 1951.
In September and October 1954, during Operation GLORY, Chinese Communist Forces
turned over remains to the United Nations Command, including numerous sets of
remains purportedly from Camp 1.
One set of remains, designated Unknown X-14168, could not be positivity identified as any unaccounted-for Soldier. Unknown X-14168 was subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, also known as the Punchbowl.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In February 2020, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-14168 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Nordyke’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A
rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Nordyke will be buried in Lakewood, Washington on a date yet to be determined
U.S. Army Cpl. Paul Eugene Hoots, 25, of Galesburg, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted-for.
Hoots' family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In July 1950, Hoots was assigned to K Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit engaged the North Korean People's Army in the vicinity of Ch’onan, South Korea, on July 7. At the time, the circumstances for his loss were not immediately recorded, and there was no evidence that he was a prisoner of war.
His unit
reported Hoots missing in action on July 8, 1950.
In October 1950, remains were recovered by the American Graves Registration
Service Group (AGRSG) near Suwon. As those remains could not be associated with
an unaccounted-for Soldier, they were designated Unknown X-16 Taejon. Unknown
X-16 was interred at the temporary United Nations Military Cemetery Taejon.
In 1952, the AGRSG searched the battlefield where Hoots was lost but was unable to locate remains that could be identified as Hoots and the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of Dec. 31, 1953.
Starting in December 1950, all identification efforts were moved to Kokura, Japan. Unable to associate Unknown X-16 Taejon with a Korean War loss, those remains were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu on 8 Feb 1956.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On June 10, 2019, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-16 Taejon as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Hoots’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hoots will be buried in Galesburg, Illinois in July 2025
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Erwin H. Schopp, 30, of Plymouth, Nebraska, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Schopp was a member of Headquarters Battery, 59th Coastal Artillery Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Schopp was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Schopp died on Jan. 1, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 822.Schopp's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and recovered four sets of remains from Common Grave 822. Due to complications in the burial and recovery process, Schopp was unable to be identified following the war.
He was declared non recoverable on Dec. 2, 1949, and buried as an Unknown at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM).
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Schopp will be buried in Plymouth, Nebraska, on a date yet to be determined
U.S. Air Force Col. Walter A. Renelt, 40, from Wilmot, South Dakota who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
In 1969, Renelt served with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron. On Nov. 20, he was an instructor pilot aboard an O-2A Skymaster aircraft with another crew member on a visual reconnaissance mission over the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
During the mission, the plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed.
Bad weather and enemy activity around the crash site prevented ground rescue attempts and subsequent searches for both crew members were unsuccessful.
The Air Force made a presumptive finding of death on July 12, 1973.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald K. Springsteadah, 35, Millville, New Jersey who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
In 1968, Springsteadah and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos.
In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain.
A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men.
Springsteadah and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Raymond A. Kaudelky, 30, Hudson County, New Jersey killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the spring of 1944, Kaudelky was assigned to the 724th Bombardment Squadron, 451st Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
On March 11, Kaudelky served as the tail gunner aboard a B-24H Liberator that was struck by anti-aircraft fire after a bombing raid on the German submarine pens and repair sheds at the harbor of Toulon, France.
Other air crews on the mission reported Kaudelky’s aircraft crashed on the Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer peninsula, south of Toulon harbor, and did not see any parachutes emerge from the aircraft.
Raymond A Kaudelky is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France.
June 25
U.S. Army Pfc. Elijah Trannon Jr., 17, Cook County, Illinois who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In 1950, Trannon was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 15, in the vicinity of Haman, Republic of Korea (South Korea), after an attack on enemy positions.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.
Elijah Trannon Jr is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Elijah is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Arthur B. Van Kleeck, 20, of Brooklyn, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Sgt. Van Kleeck was assigned to the 344th Bombardment Squadron "Waist Gunner" (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Van Kleeck was serving as the armorer gunner was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.
His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried by Romanian citizens as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania. Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification.
The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
To identify Sgt. Van Kleeck’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Sergeant Van Kleeck’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Sergeant Van Kleeck was buried in Klein, Texas on November 6, 2023.
Airman
June 24
U.S. Air Force Capt. Howard E. O’Dell, 30, of Poughkeepsie, New York, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
O'Dell's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1950, O’Dell was a member of 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Group, U.S. Fifth Air Force. He was reported missing in action on July 19, in the vicinity of Taejon, Republic of Korea (South Korea), after his aircraft crashed upon landing. He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. In January 1954, the Air Force determined that there was enough evidence to declare that O’Dell had died in combat.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956.On Oct. 3, 1950, an unidentified American unit recovered several sets of remains in Taejon and sent them to the United Nations Military Cemetery at Taejon, where they were interred the next day. In March 1952, one of the sets of remains, designated Unknown X-100, were exhumed and accessioned into the Central Identification Unit (CUI) Kokura for analysis.
Due to the badly burned state of the remains, they were declared unidentifiable on Nov. 12, 1954. They were transported and interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
O’Dell’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
O’Dell will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a ate yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. George F. Bradbury, 22, of Georgia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Bradbury's family recently received their full briefing on is identification 1Lt. George F. Bradbury, killed in a friendly fire incident over France in 1944, may now have closure., therefore, additional details on his identification can be sharedIn the fall of 1943, Bradbury served as a navigator aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber with 858th Bombardment Squadron, 492nd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. The unit was engaged in Operation CARPETBAGGER, a series of secret missions in which several specially designated bomb groups dropped supplies, arms, equipment, leaflets, U.S. Office of Strategic Services and French agents to resistance groups operating in northern France.
On Sept. 16, 1944, Bradbury’s crew was scheduled to fly its final mission to drop supplies to resistance forces 40 miles east of the Moselle River. 115th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, an American artillery unit stationed near Lebeuville, France, mistook Bradbury’s B-24 for an enemy aircraft and opened fire upon it, killing six of the eight crew members onboard, including Bradbury.
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1944, American soldiers recovered the remains discovered at the crash site, along with identification tags belonging to four of the crewmembers. Of the eight crewmembers aboard, two successfully parachuted to safety, while four were resolved through remains found at the crash site. Two were left unaccounted for, one of which was Bradbury.
To identify Bradbury’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Bradbury’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bradbury will be buried in Ranburne, Alabama in October 2025.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Milton L. Hymes, Jr., 22, of Savannah, Georgia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Hymes’ family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, Hymes was assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On June 20, Hymes, the navigator onboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber, went missing in action when his plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation.
The pilot and co-pilot of Hymes’ aircraft were able to bail out and survived, but all evidence points to the rest of the crew being killed in the crash. The U.S. War Department issued a Finding of Death for Hymes on June 21, 1945.In early 1948, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, investigated the crash, but were unable to find any of the missing crewmen.
Over the next couple of years, the AGRC also assessed unidentified remains that washed ashore in the area where Hymes’ aircraft crashed but were not able to identify any of the crew. Hymes was declared non-recoverable on May 12, 1950.In 2019, Danish divers alerted the Royal Danish Navy to a WWII-era aircraft wreck in the general area where Hymes’ aircraft crashed.
A .50 caliber machine gun with a damaged serial number that partially matched on the guns on Hymes’ aircraft was recovered. In August 2021, after the Royal Danish Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal cleared the site of unexploded ordnance, DPAA partner University of Delaware, along with the Royal Danish Navy, returned to conduct an underwater survey. The survey found possible human remains as well as enough evidence to recommend the site for an archaeological excavation.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 11, 2022, DPAA primary partner Trident Archäologie, along with Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Project Recover, and with stakeholders from the Royal Danish Navy and the Langelands Museum, returned to the site to conduct excavation and recovery operations. They found extensive evidence, including remains, material evidence, and the ID tags of two of the crew members, all of which was turned over to the Danish authorities and then accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Hymes’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA analysis.
Hymes’ name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hymes will be buried in Thunderbolt, Georgia, on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Gibbs, 21, of Charlotte, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Gibbs' family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Gibbs was assigned to 368th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force. On Dec. 29, Gibbs, a top turret gunner onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress,” went missing in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Bingen, Germany.
All nine crewmembers were able to bail out of the aircraft, and only one airman was found dead by German forces near the crash site. Five men were captured and processed into the German prisoner of war (POW) camp system, ultimately surviving the war.
Gibbs and two other crewmembers were unaccounted for, and there was no record of them being held as POWs.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating several crash sites from downed aircraft of the Bingen air raid. Local German citizens were interviewed, and several accounts were recorded seeing American troops landing by parachutes.
One airman was recovered by a local civilian who took him in and provided aid, but the airman was ultimately taken into custody by German military authorities and his fate following capture was not known. Investigators could not locate information concerning Gibbs and the third missing airman. Investigations continued for several years, but by April 1950, the AGRC exhausted all efforts to recover these missing men and recommended they be declared non-recoverable.
In 2013 DPAA researchers learned of documents discovered by two German researchers in a regional German state archive, documenting three airmen who had bailed out from their aircraft and been killed by SS troops near Kamp-Bornhofen.
Two DPAA investigation teams followed up on this lead by conducting local research in cemetery records in this area in 2015 and 2019. In May 2021, DPAA teams began excavation of a suspected burial site in the Kamp-Bornhofen Cemetery, where the three airmen were believed to be buried.
To identify Gibbs’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis and mitochondrial genome sequencing data.
Gibbs’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Gibbs will be buried in Clinton, South Carolina, on a date yet to be determined.
June 5
U.S. Army Cpl. Anthony Konze, 20, of Brooklyn, New York, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Konze’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In July 1950, Konze was a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Sept. 1 in the vicinity of Changyong in the Republic of Korea. There was no evidence that he was held as a prisoner of war.
A finding of death was issued for Konze on May 7, 1954.In 1954, the United Nations Command and the Chinese Communist Forces exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel in an effort named Operation GLORY.
Konze’s remains could not be identified by the Central Identification Unit Laboratory at Kokura, Japan, at the time, and were designated Unknown X-5046. In 1956, all of the unidentified Korean War remains, including X-5046 were transported and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
To identify Konze’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis as well as chest radiograph comparison. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Konze’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monument Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Konze will be buried in Canton, Georgia, in July 2025.
Soldier
U.S. Army Sgt. Howard L. Hasselkus, 24, of Elmore, Ohio, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Hasselkus’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Hasselkus was a member of the 192nd Tank Battalion when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Hasselkus was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Hasselkus died Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 807.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Three of the sets of remains from Common Grave 807 were identified, while the remaining nine were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as Unknowns.
In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 807 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Hasselkus’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Today, Hasselkus is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hasselkus will be buried in his hometown in August 2025.
June
5
U.S. Army Pfc. Albert H. Faust, 17, from Pennsylvania killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Faust was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action Dec. 6, 1950, near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army did not receive any information to indicate that he was ever held as a Prisoner of War and on Dec. 31, 1953, issued a presumptive finding of death.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Thomas G. Deitman, 24, Delaware County, Pennsylvania killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1944, Deitman, a tail-gunner aboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress,” was assigned to 327th Bombardment Squadron, 92d Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force.
He was reportedly killed in action on Sept. 13 during a bombardment mission to Merseburg, Germany after his aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft and anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the vicinity of Neustädt, Germany.
Eight of the nine crew members onboard were killed and buried by German forces in a cemetery in Neustaedt.
Deitman’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Thomas George Deitman is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pfc. Wilbert G. Linsenbardt, 27, Cole County, Missouri killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the winter of 1942, Linsenbardt was assigned to Company A, 128th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division.
He was reportedly killed in action on Dec. 5, near Buna in Papua New Guinea after his unit encountered intense enemy fire.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared nonrecoverable in 1951.
June 2
U.S. Army Cpl. Delmer R. Grissom, 19, of Aransas, Texas, died as POW at Camp #5 Korean War, was accounted for.
Grissom's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In November 1950, Grissom was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 8 in the vicinity of Parwon Myon, North Korea, after the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River.
After the war, returning prisoners reported that Grissom was held at Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea and died on April 30, 1951.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, approximately 4,219 sets of remains, including those from temporary cemeteries, POW camp cemeteries, and isolated burials throughout North Korea, were exchanged.
They were transported to the Central Identification Unit at Kokura, Japan, for examination but could not be positively identified. In late 1956, all unidentified remains, including remains recovered from Camp 5, designated X-14807, were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In October 2019, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Oct. 7, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-14807 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Grissom’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Grissom will be buried in San Antonio, Texas, on a date yet to be determined.
Pilot
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, of Georgetown, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
McCook’s family recently received their full briefing on is
identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be
shared.
In the summer of 1943, McCook was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II. On Aug. 3, while serving as the pilot of a B-25C “Mitchell” on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including McCook, were killed. His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
In 1947 the American Grave Registration Service recovered four sets of remains, later designated X-282A-D, from a common grave near the village of Kyunpobin, Burma. According to local witnesses, the remains came from an “American crash.” The remains could not be identified at the time and were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
McCook’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Soldier
U.S. Navy Capt. Thomas E. Scheurich, 34, Norfolk, Nebraska killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
On March 1, he was piloting an A-6A Intruder aircraft with one other crew member, conducting a night strike mission over northern Vietnam.
The last radio and radar contact with the aircraft was near the Gulf of Tonkin, over a series of islands known to have light anti-aircraft artillery.
An air search failed to locate the aircraft and both crewmembers were declared missing in action.
On April 28, 1978, the Navy reported Scheurich as Killed in Action.
He was later posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain.
Captain Scheurich is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Captain Thomas Edwin Scheurich is honored on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.
Soldier
May 23
U.S. Army Pfc. Rodger E. Fields, 20, Perry County, Kentucky killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In December 1950, Fields was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported killed in action on Dec. 1, during the Battle of Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir.
The cold weather was accompanied by frozen ground, resulting in frostbite casualties, icy roads, and weapon malfunctions.
In the end over 17,000 UN forces were killed or wounded or missing in action, or died of wounds.
Rodger E Fields is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Rodger is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
May 23
U.S. Army Technician Fifth Grade Daniel Wyatt, 39, from Louisiana was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Wyatt was assigned to Company E, 364th Engineer General Service Regiment, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
On July 7, he was one of
eight service members killed in the Crisbecq Battery complex near Saint-Marcouf
in Normandy, France,
by an explosion that partially caved in the concrete roof of a captured enemy
bunker that they were clearing.
May 23
U.S. Army Pfc. William E. Kutnock, 20, Harrison County, West Virginia missing in action during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1943, Kutnock was assigned to Company D, 4th Ranger Battalion, "Darby's Rangers." He was killed on Sept. 19 during Operation AVALANCHE, the amphibious invasion of Italy, after his unit encountered enemy fire on an overnight reconnaissance mission on the Maiori-Pagani Road toward the village of Sala in the commune of Corbara.
After the firefight, his unit conducted a thorough inspection of the battlefield but could not locate his remains.
The War Department issued a finding of death for Kutnock on Dec. 1, 1944.
William E Kutnock is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy
May 20
U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Herbert E. McLaughlin, 31, of Shawano, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, McLaughlin was assigned to Headquarters Squadron, 17th Air Group at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On. Dec. 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircrafts, ships, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. McLaughlin was reportedly killed during this time.
In the days following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Forces casualties, which were subsequently interred in the Schofield Barracks Cemetery on Dec. 9th.
In August 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel from World War II, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the Schofield Cemetery and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks.
The laboratory staff was unable to confirm the identifications of 12 men from the Hickam Field attack at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Jan. 5, 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including McLaughlin.
In June 2019, DPAA personnel exhumed the 12 Schofield Barracks Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
McLaughlin’s name is recorded in 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.
McLaughlin will be buried in Shawano, Wisconsin, on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
May 20
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Donald W. Sheppick, 26, of Roscoe, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Sheppick’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In March 1944, Sheppick was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Sheppick, the navigator onboard a B-24D Liberator bomber called "Heaven Can Wait," departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea.
Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. In March 1950, a board of AGRS officials concluded they were unable to locate any remains of Sheppick, and the other Heaven Can Wait crew members. They were designated as non-recoverable.
Between 2013 and 2017, the family of 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Heaven Can Wait's bombardier, undertook a dedicated archival research effort to collect historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the loss of the Heaven Can Wait crew.
The family worked with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to complete this effort and provided this documentation. In October 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner organization, located the wreckage of a B-24 aircraft in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a unilateral remote sensing survey effort.
In 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any unexploded ordnance.
From March 9 through April 13, 2023, an underwater recovery team excavated the crash site, where they recovered possible osseous materials and material evidence, to include life support equipment and identification tags. The recovered evidence was sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis.
Sheppick’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Sheppick will be buried in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
May 20
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Governale, 22, Kings County, New York killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Governale was a member of 69th Bombardment Squadron, 42d Bombardment Group (Medium).
He was killed on July 10 when his North American B-25C-1 Mitchell medium bomber crashed on takeoff from Carney Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared nonrecoverable on May 11, 1949
Nicholas J Governale is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Army Cpl. Albert J. Estrada, 17, of Woodland, California, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Estrada's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Estrada was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Dec. 6, 1950, in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army did not receive any information to indicate that he was ever held as a Prisoner of War and on Dec. 31, 1953, issued a presumptive finding of death.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956. 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 Estrada’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis.
Albert J Estrada is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Albert is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Estrada will be buried in Woodland, California, in June 2025.
U.S. Army Sgt. James B. Brock, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Brock's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In December 1950, Brock was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Brock was reported missing in action after his unit was forced to retreat from Hagaru-ri, North Korea, after the Battle of Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir.
The U.S. Army did not receive any information during or after the war to indicate Brock was ever held as a prisoner of war.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from Changsong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp #1, to the United Nations Command. However, Brock could not be identified as any of the repatriated remains. A presumptive finding of death was issued on March 10, 1954.
In late 1956 all unidentified remains, including one designated X-15881, were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Punchbowl.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In June 2022, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-15881 as part of Phase Four of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Brock’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Brock will be buried in a location and on a date yet to be determined.
Air
May 20
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John H. Danneker, 19, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Danneker’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, Danneker was assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On June 20, Danneker, the left waist gunner onboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber, went missing in action when his plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation. The pilot and co-pilot of Danneker’s aircraft were able to bail out and survived, but all evidence points to the rest of the crew being killed in the crash.
The U.S. War Department issued a Finding of Death for Danneker on June 21, 1945.In early 1948, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, investigated the crash, but were unable to find any of the missing crewmen. Over the next couple of years, the AGRC also assessed unidentified remains that washed ashore in the area where Danneker’s aircraft crashed but were not able to identify any of the crew.
Danneker was declared non-recoverable on May 12, 1950.
In 2019, Danish divers alerted the Royal Danish Navy to a WWII-era aircraft wreck in the general area where Danneker’s aircraft crashed. A .50 caliber machine gun with a damaged serial number that partially matched on the guns on Danneker’s aircraft was recovered.
In August 2021, after the Royal Danish Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal cleared the site of unexploded ordnance, DPAA partner University of Delaware, along with the Royal Danish Navy, returned to conduct an underwater survey. The survey found possible human remains as well as enough evidence to recommend the site for an archaeological excavation.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 11, 2022, DPAA primary partner Trident Archäologie, along with Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Project Recover, and with stakeholders from the Royal Danish Navy and the Langelands Museum, returned to the site to conduct excavation and recovery operations. They found extensive evidence, including remains, material evidence, and the ID tags of two of the crew members, all of which was turned over to the Danish authorities and then accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Danneker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Danneker’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Danneker will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in August 2025.
Pilot
May 16
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. George F. Wilson, Jr., 22, of Bountiful, Utah, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Wilson’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In July 1944, Wilson was assigned to the 601st Bombardment Squadron, 398th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On July 8, Wilson, the pilot of a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber, was killed when his aircraft crashed near Monchy-Cayeux, France, after being hit by antiaircraft fire.
Surviving crew members reported Wilson had been hit by flak and was still on board when the aircraft crashed.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater. They received information from several of Wilson’s crew members detailing the crash, but there is no evidence the crash site was ever visited. No recovered Unknowns were ever associated with Wilson, and he was declared non-recoverable in 1951.
In July 2018, a member of Wilson’s family provided DPAA with new information about a potential crash site for Wilson’s aircraft. One of Wilson’s family then traveled to Monchy-Cayeux and met three witnesses who remembered the crash.
In 2019, a DPAA investigation team visited Monchy-Cayeux and discovered a concentration of wreckage consistent with a B-17 at the site, which they then recommended for excavation.
To identify Wilson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Wilson’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wilson will be buried in Bountiful, Utah, in July 2025.
May 16
U.S. Army Pvt. Ben F.
Leslie’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In April 1942, Leslie
was assigned to Battery H, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from
1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to
Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku
Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. The Japanese government reported that Leslie died aboard the Enoura Maru on January 9, 1945. He was declared non-recoverable on March 22, 1949.
Leslie’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Tunis, Tunisia, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Leslie will be buried in White Oaks, New Mexico, in July 2025.
May 16
U.S. Army Capt. Ralph L. Rowland, 43, of Santa Cruz, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Rowland’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In May 1942, Rowland was assigned to Signal Company, Aircraft Warning, Philippines Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru. Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Rowland was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. The Japanese reported that Rowland was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel. In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies. Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
To identify Rowland’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial, nuclear, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Rowland’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Rowland will be buried in Santa Cruz, California, on a date yet to be determined.
USS California Sailor
May 14
U.S. Navy Ensign Joseph L. Richey, 21, Barnard, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
He was commissioned on August 26, 1941, and trained at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. He became a naval aviator assigned to Observation Squadron (VO) 2 aboard the battleship USS California (BB-44) at Pearl Harbor.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Richey was assigned to the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 103 crewmen, including Richey.
May 13
U.S. Army Pvt. Mack Homer, 20, Lowndes County, Georgia killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Homer was assigned to Company E, 364th Engineer General Service Regiment, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
On July 7, Homer was killed, along with seven other service members, near Saint-Marcouf in Normandy, France, after an explosion partially caved in the concrete roof of a captured enemy bunker that they were clearing.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Homer's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Mack Homer is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
May 13
U.S. Army Pfc. St. Clair M. Gibson, 30, New Haven County, Connecticut missing in action during World War II, was accounted for.
In September 1943, Gibson was assigned Company F, 2nd Battalion, 371st Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division.
He was reported killed in action on November 18, 1944, during the fighting on Monte Cauala. PFC Gibson's remains were not recovered at the time of his loss, and he is still reported missing in action on Nov. 18, 1944, after a battle in the northern Apennine Mountains near Seravezza, Italy.
His remains were not recovered following the war.
St Clair M Gibson is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
Soldier
May 9
U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas J. O’Brien, 23, of Tipperary, Ireland, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for.
O’Brien’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be sharedIn late 1950, O’Brien was a member of Headquarters Battery, 90th Field Artillery Battalion, Division Artillery, 25th Infantry Division.
He was reported killed in action by tank fire on Oct. 26, 1950, after his unit was attacked by Korean People’s Army (KPA) forces while moving through the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).
In the late summer and fall of 1954, during Operation GLORY, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from various gravesites to the United Nations Command. One set of remains, designated Unknown X-16829, was thought to be that of O’Brien but a positive association could not be made at the time.
X-16829 and all other unidentified Unknowns were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In March and April 2018, DPAA personnel disinterred 13 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl that were reportedly returned from the United Nations Military Cemetery Pyongyang during Operation GLORY.
The remains were then sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.To identify O’Brien’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial genome sequencing analysis.
O’Brien’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
O’Brien will be buried in Riverside, California, on a date to be determined
May 9
U.S. Army CWO Charles G. Benthien, 46, of St Louis County, Missouri killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Benthien's family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In April 1942, Benthien was assigned to the Headquarters, Philippine Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Benthien was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. On Jan. 9, 1945, the Japanese reported that Benthien was killed when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel. In May 1946, AGRC Search and Recovery Team #9 exhumed a mass grave on a beach at Takao, Formosa, recovering 311 bodies, including those designated as designated X-530 Schofield Mausoleum #2.
Following unsuccessful attempts to identify the remains, they were declared unidentifiable. They were buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), Honolulu.Between October 2022 and July 2023, DPAA disinterred Unknowns from the NMCP linked to the Enoura Maru, including X-530. The remains were accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for further analysis.
Benthien’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Benthien will be buried in San Diego, California, in June 2025.
May 9
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Jason K. Goldwater, 27, Kings County, New York killed during World War II, was accounted for.
He was killed on July 10 when his North American B-25C-1 Mitchell medium bomber crashed on takeoff from Carney Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared nonrecoverable.
Jason K Goldwater is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Soldier
May 9
U.S. Army Pfc. Edward J. Kramer, 23, from Michigan killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the winter of 1942, Kramer was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea.
He was reportedly killed in action on Dec. 27 near Buna Village while fighting the Japanese.
Searches for PFC Kramer following the battle were unsuccessful, and he was not identified among the remains recovered from New Guinea following the war.
His remains were not recovered after the war.
Private First Class Kramer is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
May 9
U.S. Army Air Forces Warrant Officer Junior Grade William J. McMichael, 36, from Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In January 1945, McMichael was assigned to the Philippine Air Depot.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
After a series of land and naval transfers, McMichael was transported to Takao, Formosa, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese government reported that McMichael died on January 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
McMichael is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. George F. Sepsey, 24, Sanilac County, Michigan killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Sepsey was assigned to Company M, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea.
He was reportedly killed in action on Nov. 26, 1942, during a grueling fight against Japanese forces along the Sanananda Track.
His remains were not recovered after the war.
George F Sepsey is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. William I. Berrier, 22, from Ellis County, Texas who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Berrier was a member of 21st Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Berrier was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Berrier died Oct. 24, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 710
Corporal Berrier is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Airman
U.S. Air Force Capt. Howard E. O’Dell, 30, Dutchess County, New York who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, O’Dell was a member of 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Group, U.S. Fifth Air Force.
He was reported missing in action on July 19, in the vicinity of Taejon, Republic of Korea (South Korea), after his aircraft crashed upon landing.
He was never reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains.
In January 1954, the Air Force determined that there was enough evidence to declare that O’Dell had died in combat.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan 16, 1956
Howard is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Justice J. Buttala, 24, of Chicago, Illinois,
Buttala's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the spring of 1945, Buttala served as an observer aboard a B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force.
On April 24, during a combat mission to Japan, the aircraft was shot down over Tachikawa, on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
Buttala survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war. He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Service was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater. Although the AGRS recovered 65 sets of remains from the Tokyo Military Prison, they were unable to identify any as Buttala.
At the end of AGRS identification efforts, U.S. forces interred 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Military Prison in Fort McKinley Cemetery, now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.
In March and April 2022, DPAA exhumed the 39 Unknowns associated with the Tokyo Prison Fire for comparison to associated casualties, including Buttala, and accessioned them into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Buttala’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Buttala will be buried in Alexandria, Virginia on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. David D. Crouse, 65, Guilford County, North Carolina who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Crouse was a member of 808th Military Police Company, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
1Sgt Crouse was 65 at time of death. He had retired from military service prior to World War II and was recalled.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Crouse was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Crouse died Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 807.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Donald E. Bays, 21, of Hubbard Springs, Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Bays's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In 1941, Bays was assigned to the Tow Target Detachment at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On. Dec. 7th, Japanese aircraft attacked Oahu; in addition to the ships moored in Pearl Harbor, they bombed and strafed Hickam Field, and damaged or destroyed U.S. aircraft, hangars, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. Bays was reportedly killed during this time.In the days following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Forces casualties, which were subsequently interred in the Schofield Barracks Cemetery.
In August 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel from World War II, members of the American Graves Registration Service disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the Schofield Cemetery and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks.
The laboratory staff was unable to confirm the identifications of 12 men from the Hickam Field attack at that time, including “Unknown Case 4,” later redesignated X-4. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Dec. 27, 1948, a military board classified Bays as non-recoverable.
Bays’ name is recorded in 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.
Bays will be buried in Lee County, Virginia in May 2025
U.S. Army Sgt. George M. Barbiere, 23, of Hicksville, New York, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Barbiere's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1950, Barbiere was assigned to Service Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Dec. 2, near Twigae, North Korea. Lacking evidence of continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953.
In September and October 1954, Chinese Communist Forces returned the remains of Korean War losses to the United Nations Command during Operation Glory.
One set, which could not be positively identified at the time was designated as Unknown X-15759. In 1956, those losses at the Central Identification Unit-Kokura, Japan, which could not be identified, including Unknown X-15759, were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Barbiere’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Barbiere will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. Roland Lee Bowser, 20, of New
Kensington, Pennsylvania,
Bowser’s family recently received their full briefing on is identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In November 1950, Bowser was assigned to M Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, after his battalion's fighting-withdrawal from Unsan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
After the war, returning prisoners reported that Bowser died in captivity at Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea, in early June 1951.In 1954, during Operation Glory, the United Nations Command received a set of remains reportedly recovered from Camp 5 and later designated Unknown X-14343.
They were transported to the Central Identification Unit (CIU) at Kokura, Japan, for examination but could not be positively identified. In late 1956, all unidentified remains from the CIU, including X-14343, were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
Bowser’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bowser will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Shirley B. Andrews, Jr., 18, from Massachusetts killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1950, Andrews was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Sept. 7 near Hwasan-dong, Republic of Korea.
He was not reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battle area failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death as of Dec. 31, 1953.
He was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
U.S. Army Sgt. Celestino Chavez, Jr., 19, Gallup, New Mexico killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Chavez was assigned to Battery D, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, when his convoy was ambushed by opposing forces in route to Hagaru-ri near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army did not receive any indication that he was ever held as a prisoner of war and with no evidence of his continued survival, issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Sidney Burke, 22, Lake County, Indiana killed during World War II, was accounted for on.
In the summer of 1943, Burke was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II.
On Aug. 3, while serving as the Armor-Gunner of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including Burke, were killed.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Henry J. Carlin, 27, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Carlin was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II.
On Aug. 3, while serving as the navigator of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including Carlin, were killed.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, Georgetown, Texas killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, McCook was a member of 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II.
On Aug. 3, while serving as the Pilot of a B-25C “Mitchell” bomber on a low-altitude bombing raid in Meiktila, Burma, his aircraft crashed.
Of the six individuals aboard the aircraft, two survived and were captured by Japanese forces, while the remaining four, including McCook, were killed.
His remains were not recovered after the war, and he was declared missing in action.
Charles Woodruff McCook is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class (S1c) Paul E. Newton, 20, Chicago Ill, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Newton was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Newton.
U.S. Army Pfc. George Armand Curley Jr.,
18, of
Laconia, New Hampshire,
Curley's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In December 1950, Curley was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. Curley was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, in the vicinity of Sonchu, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Based on information from returning POWs, it was determined that Curley died in captivity at Camp 5 near Pyoktong, DPRK in March 1951.
September and October 1954 during Operation GLORY, the United Nations Command and the Chinese Communist Forces exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel. After those remains were processed by the Central Identification Unit (CIU) Laboratory at Kokura, Japan, the CIU was unable to positively associate any loss with Curley.
In 1956, all unidentified remains, including one designated as Unknown X-14692, were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (the Punchbowl) in Honolulu, Hawaii and interred there as Unknowns.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Nov. 18, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-14692 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Curley’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Curley will be buried in Laconia, New Hampshire in June 2025.
U.S. Army Sgt. Orace J. Mestas, 22, of Trinidad, Colorado, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Mestas's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In April 1951, Mestas was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action near Chip’o-ri, North Korea, after his unit’s position was attacked on April 25.
The U.S. Army determined him to be nonrecoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.In April 1951, members from the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered remains about 8.5 miles southeast of Chipo-ri and designated one set as Unknown X-1381 Tanggok. In 1955 those remains were transferred to the Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan for reprocessing.
After the remains were reexamined by the CIU, Unknown X-1381 could not be identified. The remains were subsequently buried as an unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns interred at the Punchbowl. In March 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-1381 as part of Phase One of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Mestas’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mestas will be buried in Trinidad, Colorado, in June 2025.
U.S. Army Pvt. Willard D. Merrill, 21, of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Merrill's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Merrill was a member of the 2nd Observation Squadron when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Merrill was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Merrill died Nov. 14, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 305.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila.
In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Three sets of remains from Common Grave 305 were declared unidentifiable. These unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In January 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 305 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Merrill’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Today, Merrill is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Merrill will be buried in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, in June 2025.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Byron R. Michener, 23, Jackson County, Missouri killed during World War II was accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Michener served as a bombardier with the 409th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
On Aug. 1, the B-24 Liberator aircraft Michener was on crashed after encountering enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries in Ploiesti, Romania.
They were hit by flak and critically damaged, however it was reported they released their bombs on target. Their aircraft was on fire, spun down, hitting a rooftop before smashing into the Ploesti women's jail.
His remains were not identified following the war
Byron Russell Michener is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert P. Aikman, 40,
In January 1945, Aikman was assigned to Battery D, 1st Battalion, 59th Coastal Artillery Corps.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
After a series of land and naval transfers, Aikman was transported to Takao, Formosa, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese government reported that Aikman died on January 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
He was declared non-recoverable on March 22, 1949
U.S. Army Master Sgt. George C. Manring, 21, Wales, Florida killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Manring was assigned to Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Chosin Reservoir, Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army did not receive any indication that he was ever held as a prisoner of war and with no evidence of his continued survival, issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953
Master Sergeant Manring is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC
U.S. Army Sgt. Ivor D. Thornton, 34, of Martinsville, Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On June 6, 1944, "D-Day," Sgt. Thornton landed on Omaha Beach with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regimental Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division. As part of the second wave of the invasion, Company H disembarked its landing craft around 7:00 a.m.
Fellow soldiers last observed Sgt. Thornton wading ashore, but he was not seen thereafter.
On June 7, 1944, the day after the invasion, Thornton’s unit unsuccessfully searched for him. Consequently, the War Department listed him as missing in action. On June 8, 1944, graves registration personnel recovered a set of remains from Omaha Beach that they were unable to identify. They interred these remains in U.S. Military Cemetery (USMC) Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, adjacent to Omaha Beach, and designated them X-159 St. Laurent (X-159).
Graves registration personnel attempted to identify X-159 in March 1945, but they could not associate the body with a specific casualty. In June 1947, analysts with the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) were also unable to identify X-159. On March 3, 1949, a board of AGRC officers recommended the remains be declared unidentifiable.
In April 2022, Thornton's family, along with the family of another missing Soldier, requested X-159 be disinterred and compared to Thornton and the other Soldier.
In September 2023, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed the remains of X-159 and transferred them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Thornton’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Thornton will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined
U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward D. Bowden, 29, Craven County, North Carolina killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Bowden was assigned to the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 103 crewmen, including Bowden
Edward Daniel Bowden is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey, 24, of Boonville, New York, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Hennessey's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.In late 1941, Hennessey was a member of the 803rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Hennessey was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Hennessey died Nov. 1, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 704.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Two of the sets of remains from Common Grave 704 were identified, while the remaining eight were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
Today, Hennessey is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hennessey will be buried in Boonville, New York, in July 2025.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Leslie H. Solomon, 29, Shelby County Memphis, Tennessee killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Sergeant Solomon joined the Army at the age of 16 and served in Germany.
In December 1950, Solomon was assigned to Headquarters and Battery D, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2 when his convoy was ambushed by enemy forces while in route to the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953, and on Jan. 6, 1956, he was declared non-recoverable
Sergeant First Class Solomon is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
U.S. Army Pfc. Andrew E. Hathaway, 18, Winnebago County, Illinois killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Hathaway was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
He was reportedly killed on Nov. 28, after the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River, Republic of Korea.
Returning POWs reported that Hathaway was held at Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea, where he died on an unknown date
Andrew E Hathaway is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Andrew is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
U.S. Army Cpl. Delmont Johnston, 21, from Kennebec County, Maine who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Johnston was a member of 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group (Light), when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Johnston was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
Delmont Johnston is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Sgt. Elwyn Dean Nordyke, 22, from
Late November 1950, Sgt. Nordyke was assigned to Medical Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 28 in the vicinity of the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, when his convoy was ambushed by opposing forces.
Sergeant Elwyn Dean Nordyke was held as a Prisoner of War after he was captured on 28 November 1950 during the Korean War.
He was unaccounted for after the war and is presumed to have died or been killed while in captivity.
It was later determined that Sgt. Nordyke was held at Camp 1 in Changsong, North Korea, where he died in captivity in the summer of 1951.
U.S. Army Cpl. Robert Lee Brewster, 19, Cottage Hills, Illinois killed during the Korean War, was accounted-for.
In July 1950, Cpl. Brewster was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on July 8 after a battle in the vicinity of Cheonan, South Korea.
He was not reported as a prisoner of war and subsequent searches of the battle area failed to recover his remains.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953
April 7
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. John H. Newstrom, 20, from Minnesota killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the fall of 1944, Newstrom was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.
On Sept. 28, Newstrom was killed by sniper fire while attempting to clear a cave near northeastern Peleliu, Republic of Palau.
At the time, other Marines in his unit were unable to recover his remains and postwar recovery efforts were unsuccessful.
Newstrom was declared non-recoverable in 1949
John Henry Newstrom is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
March 28
U.S. Navy Mess Attendant 3rd Class (Matt3c) Neil D. Frye, 20, of Vass, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Frye's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Frye was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Frye. During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, which were interred at Halawa Naval Cemetery on Oahu.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) identified 42 individuals from the remains interred at Halawa. Those who could not be identified, including Frye, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, DPAA, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred the 35 Unknowns reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia from the Punchbowl and transferred the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Frye’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Frye’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Frye will be buried in Spring Hills, North Carolina, in April 2025
Airman
March 28
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Bruce H. Penny, 21,
from
In late 1941, Penny was a member of 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Penny was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Penny died on Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 807.
Marine
March 28
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. John W. Ruark, 21, Rock Island County, Illinois who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Ruark was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Ruark was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Ruark died on Nov. 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 717.
John Wesley Ruark is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Airman
March 27
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Gibbs, 21, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Gibbs was assigned to 368th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force.
On December 29, Gibbs, a top turret gunner onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” went missing in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Bingen, Germany.
All crewmembers were able to bail out of the aircraft, and only one airman was found dead by German forces near the crash site.
Five men were captured and processed into the German prisoner of war (POW) camp system, ultimately surviving the war.
Gibbs and two other crewmembers were unaccounted for, and there was no record of them being held as POWs.
Clarence E Gibbs is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France.
March 26
U.S. Navy Reserve S2c Jerome M. Mullaney, 18, Newark, New Jersey. killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the Summer of 1944, Mullaney was assigned to the destroyer USS Glennon, which participated in the invasion of France on June 6, commonly known as “D-Day."
Mullaney was killed two days after the invasion, on June 8, when USS Glennon hit an underwater mine off the coast of France.
The stern of the ship became lodged on the sea floor and after unsuccessful attempts to tow the vessel to safety, USS Glennon was finally sunk after being struck by a German artillery barrage on 10 June.
At that time 25 sailors, including Mullaney, were recorded as missing
Airman
March 26
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Glenn H. Hodak, 23, of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, died as a POW during World War II, was accounted for.
Hodak's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In March 1945, Hodak was a member of the 93rd Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, when the B-29 “Superfortress” he was a gunner aboard was shot down on a mission to Tokyo, Japan. Initially reported as missing in action, investigators later learned that Hodak was captured and perished in the Tokyo Prison Fire on May 26, 1945. His remains were not immediately recovered or identified after the war.
Following the close of hostilities, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. servicemen throughout the Pacific Theater.
Based on information from the Japanese government, AGRS personnel anticipated the recovery of 62 sets of remains from the Tokyo Military Prison in early 1946.
Over the following three years AGRS conducted several investigations into the Prison, identifying 25 of the 65 recovered service members, one being a repatriated Japanese unknown. After various attempts to identify the remaining 39 sets were unsuccessful, they were ultimately interred as an Unknowns in the Manilla American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM).
To identify Hodak’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Like others who died in the fire, Glenn was buried at the prison in a mass grave, and his remains were not immediately recovered or identified after the war.
Glenn H Hodak is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Court 7 Honolulu Memorial National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii.
Hodak will be buried in Spring Creek, Pennsylvania, in May 2025
U.S. Army Master Sgt. George C. Manring, 21, Polk County, Florida killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Manring was assigned to Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Chosin Reservoir, Republic of Korea.
The U.S. Army did not receive any indication that he was ever held as a prisoner of war and with no evidence of his continued survival, issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
George C Manring is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
George is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
March 24
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Charles Arnao, 30, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Died as a POW during World War II, was accounted for.
In May 1943, Arnao was assigned to Signal Company, Aircraft Warning, Philippines Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1943 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Charles "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the Enoura Maru, along with 270 other POW's.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Arnao was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Arnao was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru
Charles Arnao is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Cpl. Joshua Corruth, 20, Deerfield, FL killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In December 1950, Corruth was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army.
Corruth was reported missing in action on Oct. 8 near Kwang-Ju, Republic of Korea.
The Army did not receive any information to indicate Corruth was ever held as a prisoner of war and issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1952.
On Jan. 16, 1956, he was declared non-recoverable
He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 8 October 1950.
He was presumed dead on 31 December 1953.
Joshua is remembered at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Airman
March 20
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John A. Pagliuso, 24, Wayne County, New York killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On 5 October 1942 he was on the crew of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber #41-29701 "Battalion' Biffy" when they were shot down over New Guinea.
They were last seen in a steep dive and were never seen again.
Two of the crew managed to bail out but were captured and executed by the Japanese. The other five were killed and missing in the crash.
They were officially declared dead on 12 December 1945
The aircraft did not return, and postwar search efforts failed to recover any remains.
John A Pagliuso is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
March 20
U.S. Army Capt. Ralph L. Rowland, 43, from California killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In May 1942, Rowland was assigned to Signal Company, Aircraft Warning, Philippines Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Rowland was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
The Japanese reported that Rowland was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
Ralph L Rowland is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
March 17
U.S. Army Pvt Roman Cherubini, 22, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Cherubini’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
Cherubini was assigned to F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as “Merrill’s Marauders.” Cherubini joined the unit as part of "New Galahad" replacements sent to supplement the original group of 5307th troops ("Old Galahad") in May 1944.
After arriving at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, Cherubini’s battalion advanced south from the village of Mankrin on June 16 against heavily fortified Japanese positions north of Myitkyina.
Although the exact circumstances of his death were not recorded, the U.S. War Department declared Cherubini Killed in Action on June 16, 1944.The remains of servicemen killed during the battle were buried in at least eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial locations. Eventually, all known burials were concentrated into the U.S. Military Cemetery at Myitkyina, including remains that could not be identified.
In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S. Military Cemetery at Myitkyina were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda, India. The exhumation of the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda was conducted in September and October 1947, with unidentified remains transferred to the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) on Oahu for further analysis.
Despite the efforts of CIL staff, one of these remains, designated X-65 Kalaikunda, could not be identified and was subsequently buried as a World War II Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu on Mar. 11, 1949.
Cherubini’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City, Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Cherubini will be buried on a date yet to be determined
March 17
U.S. Army Sgt. Norman H. Drewes, 24, of Hamler, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Drewes's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, Drewes was a member of Company D, 708th Amphibious Tank Battalion. He was killed June 15 during Operation Forager on the island of Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands. Marines ashore on the island were under constant assault from Japanese mortars, which caused heavy casualties and impeded American’s movements.
The exact cause of Drewes’s death is unknown, but it is believed his unit was providing armor support to the Marines’ initial landing on the beaches.
Drewes’s remains were not known to have been accounted for during or after the war. The War Department declared him non-recoverable in September 1949.
The American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) searched for and disinterred remains throughout the Pacific theater in an effort to identify fallen service members after the end of the war. Remains identified as Unknown X-58 were first reported as buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan.
However, the AGRS was not able to identify X-58, and the remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines in 1950.
Drewes’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Drewes will be buried in Hamler, Ohio, in May 2025
March 17
U.S. Army Maj. James J. O’Donovan, 34, of Cohoes, New York, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
O'Donovan's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1942, O’Donovan was a member of 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. O’Donovan was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, O’Donovan died on Oct. 18, 1942, and was buried in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Grave 649.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1948, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
One set of remains was recovered from Grave 649 but could not be identified. They were declared unidentifiable on Feb. 27, 1952. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as an Unknown.
In 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Grave 649 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, O’Donovan’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Today, O’Donovan is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
O’Donovan will be buried in San Diego, California on a date yet to be determined.
March 12
Navy Fireman 3rd Class (F3c) Royle B. Luker, 17, from Little Rock, Arkansas killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Luker was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Luker
Fireman Third Class Luker is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
March 12
U.S. Army Sgt. Ivor D. Thornton, 34, Henry County, Virginia killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the Summer of 1944, Thornton was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regimental Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division.
On June 6, during the storming of Normandy Beach, commonly known as “D-Day”, over 156,000 allied forces targeted five beaches along the coast of Normandy, France.
This operation is often remembered as one of the largest amphibious assaults in history.
Thornton was reportedly killed during the invasion of Omaha Beach. His remains were not accounted for following the war
Ivor D Thornton is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
March 11
U.S. Army CWO Charles G. Benthien, 46, St Louis County, Missouri killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In April 1942, Benthien was assigned to the Headquarters, Philippine Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines until 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
Benthien was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
On Jan. 9, 1945, the Japanese reported that Benthien was killed when U.S. forces attacked and sank the Enoura Maru
Charles G Benthien is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines
U.S. Army Cpl. Lester William Bauer, 20, from Clinton County, Indiana, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Cpl. Bauer was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army.
He was reported missing in action on July 27 near the Hadong Pass, northwest Jinju, Republic of Korea.
He was not reported as a prisoner of war and his remains were not recovered after the war.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953
Corporal Bauer is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC,
U.S. Army Cpl. Billie C. Driver, 18, of Dallas, Texas, killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Driver's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Driver was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Eighth U.S. Army Korea. He was killed in action when his unit engaged in combat actions with the North Korean People’s Army in the vicinity of Kumbwa-dong, Republic of Korea, on Sept. 5. Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time.
The exact circumstances of his death were unknown.
On Oct. 30, 1950, Unknown Remains X-96 Taegu #2 (X-96) was recovered near the village of Namwon-dong, along with nine other sets of remains. Two sets of remains were initially identified by American Graves Registration Service personnel, and later another six were identified.
The two remaining sets could not be identified, and they were subsequently buried as Korean War Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.On April 15, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-96 and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Driver’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Driver will be buried in Dallas, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
Soldier
March 6
U.S. Army Pvt. James L. Harrington, 21, of Cincinnati, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Harrington's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In June 1944, Harrington was assigned to Company A, 149th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater.
On June 6, Harrington was aboard Landing Craft Infantry (Large) 92, along with roughly 200 other servicemembers, enroute to land on Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France.
As LCI-92 steamed toward the shore, it struck an underwater mine which caused the craft to burst into flames. The craft was also hit by enemy artillery fire, causing an explosion that ignited the ships fuel stores and instantly killed everyone in the troop compartment. Due to the urgency of the situation, it was impossible for others to search for survivors. Harrington’s remains were not accounted for after the war.
Around June 10, members of the 500th Medical Collecting Company examined the wreckage of LCI-92 and noted the burnt remains of servicemen in the troop compartment, where Harrington and others were last seen. American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, removed small amounts of remains from LCI-92 and buried them in the United States Military Cemetery St. Laurent-sur-Mer.Beginning in 1946, AGRC analyzed the remains found in LCI-92, segregating them into four separate Unknowns (X-53, X-83, X-83B, and X-83C).
Despite their efforts, AGRC were unable to identify the Unknowns at the time and they were interred in Normandy American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Normandy, France.
In June and August 2021, the Department of Defense and ABMC officials exhumed the comingled remains of the four Unknowns and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.
Harrington’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Harrington will be buried in Cincinnati, Iowa on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. Rosslyn E. Gresens, 22, from Hill City, Minnesota killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Gresens was a member of Company B, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. On August 11, Gresens was part of a patrol on the west side of the Naktong River.
After a fire fight with enemy soldiers, the patrol broke contact with and began moving east to the river, incurring heavy losses along the way.
After crossing the river, survivors reported that Gresens was last seen providing fire in a rice paddy, but did not rejoin the withdrawing soldiers.
With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1950.
Tanker
U.S. Army Pvt. James G. Loterbaugh, 35, of Roseville, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Loterbaugh’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In December 1944, Loterbaugh was assigned to Company C, 774th Tank Battalion, as a crewmember on an M4 “Sherman” tank. On Dec. 11, his platoon became separated from the rest of the company during a battle with German forces near Strass, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest.
The enemy surrounded Strass and by mid-day the entire platoon, including Loterbaugh’s tank, was reported Missing in Action. The Germans never reported Loterbaugh as a prisoner of war and Army personnel who searched the battlefield after the fighting found no lead regarding his fate. The War Department issued a presumptive finding of death in December 1945.Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe.
They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950. In the fall of 1947, investigators found unidentified remains in a destroyed tank near Strass. Officials designated them X-1128 Margraten (X-1128). Comparison and analysis were made, but at the time X-1128 could not be identified as Loterbaugh.
While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that X-1128, recovered from one of the burned-out tanks in Strass, possibly belonged to Loterbaugh.
The remains, which had been buried in Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, were disinterred in July 2022 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Loterbaugh’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Loterbaugh will be buried in Dayton, Ohio on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. James H. Murray, 25, of Hollywood, California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Murray's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Murray was a member of the 93rd Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Murray was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Murray died Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 816.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila.
In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. One of the sets of remains from Common Grave 816 were identified, while the remaining three were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.In 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 816 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Murray’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Today, Murray is memorialized on the Walls of the
Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Murray will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Ernest H. Ulrich, 26, of China, Texas, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Ulrich's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In late 1941, Ulrich was a member of Medical Department, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment in the Philippines during World War II, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Ulrich was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Ulrich died Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 807.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Three sets of remains from Common Grave 807 were identified, but the rest were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In late 2018, DPAA exhumed the remains of nine Unknowns associated with Common Grave 807 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Ulrich’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Ernest H Ulrich is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
Ulrich will be buried in Palo Alto, California, on a date to be determined
U.S. Army Pvt. Charles W. Smalley, 19, of Waterloo, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Smalley's family recently received their full briefing on his identification' therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In the Summer of 1944, Smalley was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division in the European Theater.
After the successful “D-Day” landings on the Normandy beaches, allied commanders implemented a plan for an invasion in southern France, code-named Operation DRAGOON.
On Aug. 25, Smalley’s unit’s objective was to repel German forces from a mountain between Marsanne and the village of La Coucourde. An eyewitness reported that Smalley was killed by machine gun fire during the first ten minutes of the attack. However, the War Department listed Smalley as missing in action as of Aug. 25, 1944.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched the Marsanne and La Coucourde area for Smalley and others still unaccounted for from the attack. Investigators spoke with local officials but did not uncover any leads regarding the disposition of Smalley’s remains. Smalley was declared non-recoverable on April 16, 1951.On Sept. 6, 1944, members of the 46th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company unearthed a set of unidentified remains from a secluded grave located on a wooded ridge north of Montélimar, France.
The remains were taken to a temporary U.S. Military Cemetery in Montélimar where they were labeled X-46. In November 1945, X-46 was relocated to the USMC Luynes near Marseille, France, and redesignated X-205. All efforts to identify the remains were unsuccessful.
Smalley’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Rhône American Cemetery, Draguignan, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Smalley will be buried in Chesterton, Indiana on a date yet to be determined
Sol
U.S. Army Pfc. Kenneth D. Burgess, 29, of Central City, Kentucky, missing in action during World War II, was accounted for.
Burgess's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In September 1943, Burgess was assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, “Darby’s Rangers,” in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II.
He participated in Operation AVALANCHE, the amphibious invasion of Italy near Salerno, and engaged in fighting near the Chiunzi Pass on the Sorrento Peninsula. On Sept. 25, Burgess was missing in action following a patrol toward the village of Sala, Italy.
His body was not recovered, and German forces never reported him a prisoner of war. The War Department declared him non-recoverable on May 10, 1948.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), Army Quartermaster Corps, was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the Mediterranean Theater. In 1947, AGRS investigators recovered remains from a cemetery in the village of San Nicola.
These remains were designated as X-152. The AGRS were unable to associate X-152 with nearby casualties. The remains were interred at U.S. Military Cemetery, Nettuno, which is now Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.
In 2019, while studying unresolved American losses in Operation AVALANCHE, a DPAA historian compiled unit records, company morning reports and grave registration records that indicated Burgess was likely lost in the vicinity of the X-152 recovery location. Members from the Department of Defense and the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) disinterred the remains in March 2022 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
Burgess’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, an ABMC site in Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Burgess will be buried in Central City, Kentucky in May 2025.
USS West Virginia Sailor
Navy Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Arnold E. Lyon, 22, from Greeley, CO killed during World War II, was accounted for on.
Arnold Eugene "Bill" Lyon was born and raised in the area of Greeley, Colorado.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Lyon was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Lyon.
Arnold Eugene Lyon is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Mack Kidd, 20, from West Virginia killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Kidd was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional).
After arriving at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, Kidd’s battalion was advancing south from the villages of Mankrin and Radhapur against heavily fortified Japanese positions north of Myitkyina.
Kidd was reported to have been killed during the battle and was declared non-recoverable in August 1950
U.S. Army Cpl. Floyd A. Dunning, 32, killed from Virginia during World War II, was accounted for.
In April 1942, Dunning was assigned to the Medical Department on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines.
He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Dunning was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru.
After U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru in January 1945, the Japanese military reported that Dunning was placed aboard the transport ship Brazil Maru, bound for Moji, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. During the transport, Japanese authorities reported that Dunning died of “wounds received in action” on Jan. 15, 1945.
U.S. Army Pvt. Ben F. Leslie, 31, killed during World War II, from New Mexico was accounted for.
In April 1942, Leslie was assigned to Battery H, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru.
Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay.
The Japanese government reported that Leslie died aboard the Enoura Maru on January 9, 1945.
He was declared non-recoverable on March 22, 1949
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum, 22, of Cleveland, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
McCollum’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, McCollum was assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On June 20, McCollum, the bombardier onboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber, went missing in action when his plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation. The pilot and co-pilot of McCollum’s aircraft were able to bail out and survived, but all evidence points to the rest of the crew being killed in the crash. The U.S. War Department issued a Finding of Death for McCollum on June 21, 1945.
In early 1948, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, investigated the crash, but were unable to find any of the missing crewmen. Over the next couple of years, the AGRC also assessed unidentified remains that washed ashore in the area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed but were not able to identify any of the crew. McCollum was declared non-recoverable on May 12, 1950.In 2019, Danish divers alerted the Royal Danish Navy to a WWII-era aircraft wreck in the general area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed. A .50 caliber machine gun with a damaged serial number that partially matched on the guns on McCollum’s aircraft was recovered. In August 2021, after the Royal Danish Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal cleared the site of unexploded ordnance, DPAA partner University of Delaware, along with the Royal Danish Navy, returned to conduct an underwater survey. The survey found possible human remains as well as enough evidence to recommend the site for an archaeological excavation.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 11, 2022, DPAA primary partner Trident Archäologie, along with Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Project Recover, and with stakeholders from the Royal Danish Navy and the Langelands Museum, returned to the site to conduct excavation and recovery operations. They found extensive evidence, including remains, material evidence, and the ID tags of two of the crew members, all of which was turned over to the Danish authorities and then accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
Trident Archäologie, Wessex Archaeology, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Langelands Museum again returned to the site from Sept. 4-23, 2023, and May 18 to June 9, 2024, to conduct further operations, during which they found further material evidence and possible remains. That evidence was also accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
McCollum’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
McCollum will be buried in San Jose, California, on a date yet to be determined
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. David P. Skjeie, 22, of Los Angeles, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In early 1944, Skjeie was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb 24, Skjeie, the pilot onboard a B-24J “Liberator”, was killed in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. One of the surviving crewmembers reported seeing the plane on fire and in a steep dive, before eventually exploding on the ground. While two crewmembers survived, the others, including Skjeie, were killed in the incident. German forces garrisoned in the area documented the crash site north of Leimbach Bahnhof, near Bad Salzungen, Germany.
After the crash, German troops recovered the remains of the ball turret gunner and buried them in a local cemetery. The other six crewmembers, including Skjeie, were unaccounted for following the war.
In March 1952, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, took custody of comingled unidentified remains recovered from Bad Salzungen Cemetery.
These remains, X-9093 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9093), X-9094 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9094), and X-9095 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9095), were believed to be those belonging to 1st Lt. Skjeie’s downed aircraft. At the time, identification of these remains was not possible, and they were interred in the Ardennes America Cemetery, Belgium.
To identify Skjeie’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Skjeie’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Skjeie will be buried in Sylmar, California on a date yet to be determined
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Robert D. McKee, 27, of Portland, Oregon, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
McKee's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In spring 1944, McKee was assigned to the 732nd Bombardment Squadron, 453rd Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater.
On April 8, McKee, the co-pilot onboard a B-24H “Liberator,” Little Joe, was killed in action when his plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany. Airmen aboard other aircraft flying in formation with Little Joe did not report seeing any crewmembers exiting the aircraft before it crashed in the vicinity of Salzwedel. The crash site could not be located by Allied forces during the war, and the remains of all ten crewmembers, including McKee, were unaccounted for following the war.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating the numerous bomber losses in the Salzwedel and Wistedt areas of Germany. German forces had maintained accurate documentation (Kampfflugzeug Unterlagen, or KU reports) of American aircraft shoot-downs, with several reports indicating B-24s crashing in the area. However, AGRC was unable to associate any KU reports with Little Joe and investigators were unable to locate any crash or burial sites associated with the loss.
In 2015, an independent research group, Missing Allied Air Crew Research Team (MAACRT), contacted DPAA historians with new information related to a possible crash site near Wistedt, Germany. Interviews with elderly local residents indicated there were two crash sites, but only one was recovered by American forces following the war. Investigators located the second crash site and were able to recover various pieces of wreckage. Possible remains were also located and transferred to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification. At the time, no matches could be made with any Unknowns and further investigations were scheduled.
McKee’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
McKee will be buried in Boulder City, Nevada, on a date to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Walter Archie Ross Jr., 29, of St. Louis, Missouri, who died in captivity during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Ross's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In early 1951, Ross was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on 14 February 1951, after his unit engaged the Chinese Communist Forces near Sang-nok, South Korea and the division's defensive positions were attacked and overrun.
Following the war, two repatriated U.S. POWs indicated that Ross was captured by the CCF, and while in Captivity died from dysentery in April 1951 at the Suan POW Camp Complex in North Korea. Ross remained unaccounted for and determined to be nonrecoverable in January 1956.
In
1994, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea government, unilaterally turned
over 14 boxes of remains believed to be those of U.S. service members.
Documentation accompanying those remains indicated that the remains in box 3
were exhumed from Suan County.
This information correlates with Ross' last reported location at the Suan POW Camp Complex.
To identify Ross’s remains, scientists from DPAA used DNA, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph and other circumstantial evidence.
Ross’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Ross will be buried in Missouri, on a date yet to be determined
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Herbert G. Tennyson, 24, of Wichita, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on.
Tennyson's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In March 1944, Tennyson was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Tennyson, the pilot onboard a B-24D “Liberator” Heaven Can Wait departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield, and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea.
Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. In March 1950, a board of AGRS officials concluded they were unable to locate any remains of Tennyson and the other Heaven Can Wait crew members. They were designated as non-recoverable.
Between 2013 and 2017, the family of 2nd Lt. Kelly, Heaven Can Wait bombardier, undertook a dedicated archival research effort to collect historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the loss of the Heaven Can Wait crew. The family worked with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to complete this effort and provided this documentation. In October 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner organization, located the wreckage of a B-24 aircraft in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a unilateral remote sensing survey effort. In 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team (UIT) conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any unexploded ordnance.
Tennyson’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Tennyson will be buried in Wichita, Kansas, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pvt. James C. Loyd, 19, of Brilliant, Alabama, missing in action during World War II, was accounted for.
Loyd's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In January 1944, Loyd was assigned to the Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On Jan. 31, Loyd was reported missing when his unit was engaged by German Forces near the town of Cisterna di Latina (Cisterna), Italy. He was last seen during a reconnaissance patrol north of the village of Conca.
His body was not recovered, and the Germans never reported him a prisoner of war. The War Department issued a finding of death on Apr. 19, 1945.Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), Army Quartermaster Corps, was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. In 1945, AGRC investigators recovered a set of remains designated as X-834, near the small hamlet of Ponte Rotto thought to be associated with Loyd.
The investigators didn’t have enough identifying data to positively ID the remains and they were interred at U.S. Military Cemetery Nettuno, which is now Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. He was declared non-recoverable in 1948.While studying unresolved American losses in the Anzio battlefield, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains designated X-834 recovered near Ponte Rotto possibly belonged to Pvt. Loyd.
The remains which had been buried at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy, in 1948, were disinterred in September 2021 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
Loyd’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Loyd will be buried in Elwood, Illinois, in May 2025.
U.S. Army Pfc. Willard H. Edwards, 39 of Wise, Virginia, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Edwards's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1950, Edwards was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on Dec. 2 after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15728 Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be identified as Edwards and he was declared non-recoverable in January 1956. The remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
In March 2021, DPAA disinterred X-15728, and after a decade of scientific advances and increased historical research, DPAA was able to positively associate X-15728 to Edwards.
Edwards’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Edwards will be buried in Mims, Florida, on a date yet to be determined.
Airman
U.S. Army Air Force Tech5 William E. Eby, 19, of Portland, Oregon, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Eby's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In late 1941, Eby was a member of 409th Signal Company, Aviation, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps.
Eby was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Eby died June 28, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Sixteen of the 25 sets of remains from Common Grave 407 were identified, while the remaining nine were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In November 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 407 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Eby’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
Today, Eby is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Eby will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Navy Aviation Chief Metalsmith John W. Reimer, from California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1941, Reimer was a member of Patrol Squadron 102, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Reimer was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Reimer died on Oct. 24, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 710.
John W Reimer Jr is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
U.S. Army Pvt. Erwin H. Schopp, 30
U.S. Army Pvt. Erwin H. Schopp, 30, from Nebraska, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines.
Schopp was a member of Headquarters Battery, 59th Coastal Artillery Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Schopp was among those reported captured when U.S. forces on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese. He was subsequently held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Schopp died on Jan. 1, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 822.
Private Schopp is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Luther Grace, 34, of Lumber City, Georgia, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Grace's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In July 1950, Grace was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 30 in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
There was no evidence that he was held as a prisoner of war. The U.S. Army issued presumptive finding of death of 31 December 1953.In 1954, the United Nations Command and the Chinese Communist Forces exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel in an effort named Operation GLORY.
Grace’s remains could not be identified by the Central Identification Unit Laboratory at Kokura, Japan at the time, and were designated Unknown X-15760. In 1956, all of the unidentified Korean War remains, including Unknown X-15760 were transferred, as Unknowns, to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, DPAA researchers and anthropologists proposed a plan to disinter and identify the 652 Korean War unknown burials from the Punchbowl. Unknown X-15760 was disinterred March 29, 2021, during phase three of the Korean War Disinterment Project and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory.
Grace’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monument Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Grace will be buried in Lumber City, Georgia, on a date to be determined
U.S. Army Sgt. Orace J. Mestas, 22, Las Animas County, Colorado killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In April 1951, Mestas was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action near Chip’o-ri, North Korea after his unit’s position was attacked on April 25.
Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered. The U.S. Army determined him to be nonrecoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Mestas's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Sergeant Mestas is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Joe A. De Jarnette, 24, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
De Jarnette's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In spring 1944, De Jarnette was assigned to the 732nd Bombardment Squadron, 453rd Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On April 8, De Jarnette, the pilot onboard a B-24H “Liberator,” Little Joe, was killed in action when his plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany. Airmen aboard other aircraft flying in formation with Little Joe did not report seeing any crewmembers exiting the aircraft before it crashed in the vicinity of Salzwedel.
The crash site could not be located by Allied forces during the war, and the remains of all ten crewmembers, including De Jarnette, were unaccounted for following the war.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating the numerous bomber losses in the Salzwedel and Wistedt areas of Germany. German forces had maintained accurate documentation (Kampfflugzeug Unterlagen, or KU) of American aircraft shoot-downs, with several reports indicating B-24s crashing in the area. However, AGRC was unable to associate any KU reports with Little Joe and investigators were unable to locate any crash or burial sites associated with the loss.
In 2015, an independent research group, Missing Allied Air Crew Research Team (MAACRT), contacted DPAA historians with new information related to a possible crash site near Wistedt, Germany. Interviews with elderly local residents indicated there were two crash sites, but only one was recovered by American forces following the war. Investigators located the second crash site and were able to recover various pieces of wreckage. Possible osseous remains were also located and transferred to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification. At the time, no matches could be made with any Unknowns and further investigations were scheduled.
Between 2021 and 2023, DPAA investigators returned to the crash site and continued investigation, and then excavations and recoveries. By the end of November 2023, all evidence, including possible osseous remains and possible life support equipment, had been recovered and returned to the DPAA laboratory.
De Jarnette’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
De Jarnette will be buried in Erlanger, Kentucky, on a date to be determined
U.S.
Army Sgt. James B. Brock, 20, from
Phoenix,
Arizona
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Sergeant James Byron Brock was a member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On December 12, 1950, he was reported missing in action after the roll call taken at Hamhung; specific details surrounding his loss are unknown.
He was not reported on any prisoner of war records, and he remains unaccounted-for.
Today, Sergeant Brock is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
Pilot
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Gilbert A. Rauh, 28, of Thornwood, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for on.
Rauh's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In December 1943, Rauh was a member of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group during World War II.
On Dec. 1, he was serving as the pilot of a B-24J “Liberator” bomber while on a bombing mission from Panagarh, India, to the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, Burma. After reaching the designated target, Rauh’s plane was reportedly hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to burst into flames. Witnesses from another aircraft noted seeing Rauh’s aircraft enter a steep dive while disappearing below the clouds.
It was noted that 3 enemy aircraft were also seen following the crippled plane into the clouds, and no further contact was made with the Liberator. The remains of the crew were not recovered or identified after the war, and they were all later declared Missing in Action.
In 1947, the American Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of what they believed to be eight individuals involved in a potential B-24 Liberator crash near Yodayadet, Burma.
According to local witnesses, there were no survivors from this aviation loss and Japanese forces had instructed local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves.
In early 2019, DPAA received a family disinterment request for Unknown X-505A-H based on past attempts to associate the remains with other unresolved losses from southern Burma. DPAA historians reviewing the associated files believed a more likely association for the remains was possible in X-505A-H. The Department of Defense approved the disinterment request, and in October 2020, DPAA personnel exhumed the remains from NMCP where they were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Rauh’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Rauh will be buried in Pleasantville, New York in May 2025.
U.S. Army Cpl. Frederick Carrino, 18, of Berkeley, Missouri, missing during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Carrino's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared. In December 1950, Carrino was assigned to B Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, in the Korean theater. He was reported missing in action (MIA) after his unit was forced to retreat from Hagaru-ri, North Korea, after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
The U.S. Army could not establish that Carrino was ever held as a prisoner of war.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from Changsong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp #1, to the United Nations Command. However, Carrino’s name did not appear on any of the transfer rosters and the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, did not associate him with any repatriated remains. A presumptive finding of death was issued on Dec. 31, 1953. In late 1956 all unidentified remains, including one designated X-15880, were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Punchbowl.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In June 2020, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-15880 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Carrino’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Carrino will be buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. David Eugene Hardy, 20, of Cascade, Virginia, who died while a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Hardy's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Hardy was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 82nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery – Automatic Weapons Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after the 2nd Infantry Division's withdrawal from Kunu-ri to Sunchon, North Korea, on Nov. 30, following the Battle of Ch’ongch’on. In 1953, a POW from Sgt. Hardy’s unit was returned during Operation Big Switch, and reported that Hardy died on Feb. 28, 1951, while a prisoner at POW Camp #5, Pyoktong, North Korea.
In the late summer and fall of 1954, during Operation Glory, Chinese Communist Forces returned remains reportedly recovered from Pyoktong to the United Nations Command. None were associated with Hardy.
One set of remains returned from Camp #5 during Operation Glory, which could not be identified, were designated Unknown X-14527 and buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Dec. 9, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-14527 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Hardy’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hardy will be buried in Eden, North Carolina, in March 2025
Airman
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Justice J. Buttala, 24, Chicago, Illinois killed during World War II, was accounted for on Jan. 14, 2025.
In the spring of 1945, Buttala served as an observer aboard a B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force.
On April 24, during a combat mission to Japan, the aircraft was shot down over Tachikawa, on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
Buttala survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war. He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Buttala's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Justice Joseph Buttala is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army Pvt. Charles W. Smalley, 19, from Chesterton, Indiana killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the Summer of 1944, Smalley was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division in the European Theater. After the successful “D-Day” landings on the Normandy beaches, allied commanders implemented a plan for an invasion in southern France, code-named Operation DRAGOON.
On August 25, Smalley’s unit’s objective was to repel German forces from a mountain between Marsanne and the village of La Coucourde.
An eyewitness reported that Smalley was killed by machine gun fire during the first ten minutes of the attack. However, the War Department listed Smalley as missing in action as of Aug. 25, 1944.
Private Smalley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at Rhône American Cemetery, Draguignan, France.
U.S. Army Pfc. Robert L. Bryant, 23, of Bloomington, Illinois, missing in action during World War II, was accounted for.
Bryant's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1943, Bryant was assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger
Battalion, “Darby’s Rangers,” in the Mediterranean Theater in World War II. He
participated in Operation AVALANCHE, the amphibious invasion of Italy near
Salerno, and engaged in fighting near the Chiunzi Pass on the Sorrento
Peninsula.
On September 23, Bryant was reported missing in action following a four-man
patrol west of Pietre, Italy. His body was not recovered, and German forces
never reported him a prisoner of war. The War Department declared him
non-recoverable on July 19, 1949.
In
2019, while studying unresolved American losses in Operation AVALANCHE, a DPAA
historian compiled unit records, company morning reports and grave registration
records that indicated Bryant was likely lost in the vicinity of the X-152
recovery location.
Members from the Department of Defense and the American
Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
disinterred the remains in March 2022 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
Bryant’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, an ABMC site in Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bryant will be buried in Richmond, Virginia in April 2025
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Eugene J. Darrigan, 26, of Wappinger’s Falls, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Darrigan's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In March 1944, Darrigan was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Darrigan, the radio operator onboard a B-24D “Liberator” Heaven Can Wait departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield, and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea. Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service, the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. In March 1950, a board of AGRS officials concluded they were unable to locate any remains of Darrigan and the other Heaven Can Wait crew members. They were designated as non-recoverable.
Between 2013 and 2017, the family of 2nd Lt. Kelly, Heaven Can Wait bombardier, undertook a dedicated archival research effort to collect historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the loss of the Heaven Can Wait crew. The family worked with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to complete this effort and provided this documentation. In October 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner organization, located the wreckage of a B-24 aircraft in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a unilateral remote sensing survey effort. In 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any unexploded ordnance.
Darrigan’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Darrigan will be buried in Calverton, New York on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Sgt. DeLoren D. Dage, 23, from Los Angeles, California killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the winter of 1950, Dage was a member of Able Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.
Between November 27 and December 1, his company engaged with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army on the Eastern side of the Chosen Reservoir in North Korea, sustaining heavy casualties, including Dage.
He was declared missing in action on Dec. 2, 1951.
Sergeant Dage is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
U.S. Army Pfc. Joseph R. Travers, 24, of Taunton, Massachusetts, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Traver’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1951, Travers was a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on April 22, 1951, after his unit had engaged enemy forces near the village of Undam-Jang, Republic of Korea, on Nov. 30, following the Battle of Ch’ongch’on. In 1953, several POWs who returned during Operation Big Switch reported Travers had been a prisoner of war and died in December 1951 at Prisoner of War Camp #1.
In the late summer and fall of 1954, during Operation GLORY, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from Changsong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp #1, to the United Nations Command. None were associated with Travers.
One set of remains disinterred from Camp #1 returned during Operation Glory was designated Unknown X-14197 and buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In August 2019, the DPAA disinterred Unknown X-14197 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Travers’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph comparison. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Travers’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A
rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Travers will be buried in Taunton, Massachusetts, on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Felix J. Shostak, 24, of Oxnard, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Shostak's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In August of 1944, Shostak was assigned to the 860th Bombardment Squadron, 493rd Bombardment Group, in the European Theater of Operations. On Aug 18, Shostak was a crewmember onboard a B-24H “Liberator,” when it was struck by anti-aircraft fire after a bombing raid on a German position near Boussicourt, France. Only one airman survived, while the other eight crew members, including Shostak, were still on board. German records indicate the bomber crashed roughly two kilometers west of Boussicourt, where the remains of several individuals were recovered and buried.
Beginning in 1945, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), Army Quartermaster Corps, was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. Following the war, the AGRC disinterred and identified six sets of remains recovered from the village cemetery at Pierrepont-sur-Avre, France. At the time they were unable to identify Shostak and one other crewmember.
In 2018, DPAA investigators excavated a site near Boussicourt which they believe correlated with Shostak’s crash site. While there, they were able to recover possible remains along with other materials believed to be associated with the B-24H. This new evidence, along with previously unidentified remains, were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification.
Shostak’s name is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neupré, Belgium, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Shostak will be buried in Proctor, Vermont in June 2025.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Donald W. Downing, 33, of Columbus, Wisconsin, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
Downing's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1967, Downing was assigned to 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force. On Sept. 5, he was piloting an F-4C Phantom II aircraft as the second in a flight of two aircraft conducting a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission over the then-Democratic Republic of Vietnam. While on a run to their target, the first aircraft witnessed a large, bright fireball in the air, and Downing’s aircraft did not respond to any radio calls. Search and rescue efforts began at daylight, but electronic and visual searches didn’t find anything. On April 28, 1978, the Air Force reported Capt. Downing as Killed in Action. He was later posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
After decades of investigation into the incident yielding no results, a recovery team with Joint Field Activity 24-3VN recovered life support equipment, possible material evidence, aircraft wreckage, unexploded ordnance and possible osseous material at a site in Quang Binh Province in May and June 2024. Evidence from the mission was accessioned into the DPAA laboratory in June 2024.
To identify Downing’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis
Lieutenant Colonel Downing is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
His name is also inscribed along with all his fallen comrades on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall 25E 113 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Donald E. Bays, 21, Hubbard Springs, Lee County, Kentucky killed during World War II, was accounted for.
During World War II, Bays was assigned to the Tow Target Detachment at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On. Dec. 7th, 1944, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft expanded to Hickam Field, targeting U.S. aircrafts and ships, barracks, supply buildings, and the base chapel.
The attack lasted four hours. Bays was reportedly killed during this time.
Donald Edgar Bays is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Loring E. Lord, 28, of Sommerville, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Lord’s family recently received their full briefing on his
identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be
shared.
In March 1945, Lord was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th
Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force. He was a gunner
aboard an A-26B “Invader”, when his aircraft was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire
during a bombing mission to Duelmen, Germany. Airmen aboard other aircraft
flying in formation witnessed the A-26B lose altitude, crash and explode. There
was no indication that anyone escaped the crash, and the crew was reported
Missing In Action.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was
tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the
European Theater. During their investigations, AGRC members interviewed local
residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen. In
1949, they visited villages between Velen and Dulmen, including Groß Reken,
where a former police chief reported seeing an American plane go down after one
of its wings was shot off. Mr. Heinrich Mels, reported the German Wehrmacht
immediately secured the crash site, and buried several airmen in the local
cemetery.
Earlier in April 1945, those remains were exhumed when U.S. Army forces occupied
the town. Designated X-273 and X-274 Margraten, they were identified as
crewmembers aboard Lord’s aircraft. This prompted a renewed search of the crash
site outside Groß Reken, where investigators located several aircraft parts.
Unfortunately, no other remains were located.
In 2014, DPAA historians received information from a German researcher, Adolf
Hagedorn, about a possible crash site he believed could be associated with
Lord’s aircraft. A DPAA investigation team met with Hagedorn and reviewed his
extensive research, and the possible crash site. Later in 2018, after several
recovery missions, DPAA excavations located identification media for one of
Lord’s crewmembers, and possible osseous remains. These collected materials were
then sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification.
Lord’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site
in Hombourg, Belgium, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Lord will be buried in Everette, Massachusetts on a date to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. Arthur A. Clifton,
17, of Los
Lunas, New Mexico, killed during the
Korean War, was accounted for.
Clifton’s family recently received their full
briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his
identification can be shared.
In the winter of 1950, Clifton was a member of
Headquarters Battery, 48th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He
was reported missing in action on Dec. 11 after his unit was attacked by Chinese
Communist Forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North
Korea.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea
unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set,
designated Unknown X-15690 Operation Glory.
Those remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be identified as Clifton and he was declared non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
The remains were subsequently buried as an
unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
Clifton’s name is recorded on the Courts of the
Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the
Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name
to indicate he has been accounted for.
Clifton will be buried in San Antonio, Texas, in
January 2025.
Marine
Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck, 25, of Chicago, IL, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Van Heck’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.In November 1943, Van Heck was a member of Company A, 2nd Amphibious Tractor 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, while the Japanese forces were virtually annihilated. Van Heck died on the first day of battle, Nov. 20. A memorial marker for Van Heck was placed in Cemetery 11.In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery for later repatriation.
Almost half of the known casualties were never found. The remains that were recovered were sent to Hawaii for analysis. Those that could not be identified or associated with one of the missing were buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set designated Tarawa Unknown X-265.In 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-265 from the Punchbowl as part of an effort to identify the Tarawa Unknowns buried there.
To identify Van Heck’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Van Heck’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Van Heck will be buried Jan. 7, 2025, in Hillside, Illinois.
November 13
U.S. Army Air Force Sgt. James W. Swartz, 21, of Webberville, Michigan, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Swartz was a member of 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Swartz was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Swartz died Sept. 23, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 434.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Four of the sets of remains from Common Grave 434 were identified, while the remaining seven were declared unidentifiable.
The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In April 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 434 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Swartz’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Today, Sgt. Swartz is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Swartz will be buried in Williamstown Township, Michigan, in April 2025.
September
19
U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class William A. Wheeler, Oakland County, Michigan killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In September 1950, Wheeler was a member of Company H, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He went missing in action after his unit engaged in combat actions with the enemy along the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yongsan, South Korea, on Sept. 1. Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time.
The exact circumstances of his death were unknown, but the U.S. Army determined him to be killed in action on Oct. 25, 1950.
William A Wheeler is buried or memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Edward K. Pyle, 31, of Alliance, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In December 1943, Pyle was a member of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group during World War II. On Dec. 1, he was serving as a gunner onboard a B-24J Liberator bomber while on a bombing mission from Panagarh, India, to the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, Burma. After reaching the designated target, Pyle’s plane was reportedly hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to burst into flames. Witnesses from another aircraft noted seeing Pyle’s aircraft enter a steep dive while disappearing below the clouds. It was noted that 3 enemy aircraft were also seen following the crippled plane into the clouds, and no further contact was made with the Liberator. The remains of the crew were not recovered or identified after the war, and they were all later declared Missing In Action.
In 1947 the American Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of what they believed to be eight individuals involved in a potential B-24 Liberator crash near Yodayadet, Burma. According to local witnesses, there were no survivors from this aviation loss and Japanese forces had instructed local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves. The AGRS designated the remains recovered from these graves as Unknowns X-505A, X-505B, X-505C, X-505D, X-505E, X-505F, X-505G, and X-505H Barrackpore (X-505A-H).
In early 2019, DPAA received a family disinterment request for Unknown X-505A-H based on past attempts to associate the remains with other unresolved losses from southern Burma. This led DPAA historians to review the other associated X files from the crash. The Department of Defense approved the disinterment request, and in October, 2020, DPAA personnel exhumed the remains X-505 A thru H from NMCP where they were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
SSgt. Pyle’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
SSgt. Pyle will be buried in Augusta, Michigan, on a date to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas A. Smith, 17 of Grant, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Smith was a member of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company A, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Aug. 2 when his unit took part in defensive action near Chinju at the southern end of the Korean peninsula.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered, and there is no evidence that he was ever a prisoner of war. Smith was never listed as a prisoner of war, and the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps (AGRSG) was responsible for recovering, identifying, and repatriating those lost during the Korean War. In late 1950 they recovered a set remains designated as Unknown X-5077 Tanggok near the village of Hwagye, South Korea. After extensive analysis by the Central Identification Unit-Kokura in Japan was unable to identify X-5077 the remains were declared unidentifiable. In February 1956, the remains were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, with other Korean War Unknowns.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. In March 2019, DPAA disinterred X-5077 as part of Phase One of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Smith’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Smith will be buried in Grant, Michigan, on a date to be determined.
Pilot
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. John E. McLauchlen Jr., 25, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In December 1943, McLauchlen was a member of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group during World War II. On Dec. 1, he was serving as the pilot of a B-24J Liberator bomber while on a bombing mission from Panagarh, India, to the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, Burma. After reaching the designated target, McLauchlen’s plane was reportedly hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to burst into flames. Witnesses from another aircraft noted seeing McLauchlen’s aircraft enter a steep dive while disappearing below the clouds. It was noted that 3 enemy aircraft were also seen following the crippled plane into the clouds, and no further contact was made with the Liberator. The remains of the crew were not recovered or identified after the war, and they were all later declared Missing In Action.
In 1947 the American Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of what they believed to be eight individuals involved in a potential B-24 Liberator crash near Yodayadet, Burma. According to local witnesses, there were no survivors from this aviation loss and Japanese forces had instructed local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves. The AGRS designated the remains recovered from these graves as Unknowns X-505A, X-505B, X-505C, X-505D, X-505E, X-505F, X-505G, and X-505H Barrackpore (X-505A-H). The remains could not be scientifically identified at the time and were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), Honolulu, Hawaii, also known as the Punchbowl.
In early 2019, DPAA received a family disinterment request for Unknown X-505A-H based on past attempts to associate the remains with other unresolved losses from southern Burma. DPAA historians reviewing the associated files believed a more likely association for the remains was possible in X-505A-H. The Department of Defense approved the disinterment request, and in October, 2020, DPAA personnel exhumed the remains from NMCP where they were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
2nd Lt. McLauchlen’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines, along with the others missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
2nd Lt. McLauchlen will be buried in Summer 2024, on Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
U.S. Army Cpl. Frank V. Benak, 24, of Scottsville, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for on February 2, 2024.
In December 1942, Benak was assigned to Cannon Company, 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. As part of an attempt to neutralize the Japanese threat near the town of Buna, Benak’s unit attacked enemy defensive positions in northern Papua. Benak was reported as missing in action on Dec. 5, while on a combat patrol near Buna Creek.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. A set of remains, initially found in 1944 near where Benak was killed, could not be positively identified, and he was later declared non-recoverable September 1949.
The unidentified remains from Papua New Guinea were eventually interred as Unknowns at Fort McKinley Cemetery, now Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines.
DPAA predecessor organizations began researching and recovering service members from Papua New Guinea in 1995. In May 2012, Australian Defence Force personnel looking for unresolved casualties near Buna, observed an identification tag (“dog tag”) belonging to Cpl. Benak in the possession of a village leader at Buna. Years of investigation led to the disinterment of a set of remains from Manila American Cemetery, X-168 Finschhafen #2 in January 2017. The remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis.
Benak’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Cpl. Benak will be buried on April 13, 2024, in Miami, Florida.
U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Richard J. Kasten, 24, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In January 1944, Kasten was assigned to the 68th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in the European Theater. On Jan. 21, Kasten, a navigator on board a B-24D Liberator, was killed in action when his plane was attacked by German air forces near Écalles-sur-Buchy, France.
The aircraft ultimately crashed near Lignières-Châtelain, where four of the 11 crewmembers were killed. German forces quickly found the crash site and recovered three sets of remains, which were then interred in the French cemetery at Poix-de-la-Somme. Kasten’s remains were not reported among those buried by German forces, and he was listed as Killed In Action by October 1944.
American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) personnel exhumed American remains from Poix cemetery in June 1945, where they recovered four the remains of three of 1st Lt. Kasten's crewmates and four sets of unknown remains, including one set designated X-411 St. Andre (X-411). These remains were ultimately interred in Suresnes American Cemetery in France.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater. Teams from the AGRC searched the area around Lignières-Châtelain, but they uncovered no new leads regarding the disposition of 1st Lt. Kasten’s remains.
In April 2019, DPAA historians and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel, exhumed X-411 from Suresnes American Cemetery and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis where it was later determined the remains of X-411 belonged to Kasten.
To identify Kasten’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Kasten’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
1st Lt. Kasten will be buried in Battle Creek, Michigan, on a date to be determined.
September
25
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Max W. Thurston, 19, of Flint, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1944, Thurston was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. His regiment was engaged in fierce fighting near the town of Germeter, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest, when he was reported killed in action on Nov. 6. His body was unable to be recovered due to intense fighting against heavily reinforced German forces. As American forces began to secure the area, many casualties were nonrecoverable due to dense tangled vegetation and heavy snowfall.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to identify Thurston’s remains among hundreds recovered during that period.
He was officially declared Killed in Action in November 1944.
While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-7476 Neuville, recovered in April 1948, possibly belonged to Thurston. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, in 1949, were disinterred in July 2021 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
Thurston’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A
rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Thurston will be buried in Holly, Michigan on a date to be determined.
September
25
Army Tech Sgt. Leonard J. Dettloff 26, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1944, Dettloff was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hürtgen, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest, when he was killed in action on Nov. 10. Due to the tactical situation, his remains could not be immediately recovered.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Dettloff’s remains.
He was declared non-recoverable in October 1951.
While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-8118 St. Avold, recovered from Germeter and Hürtgen possibly belonged to Dettloff. The remains, which had been buried in Lorraine American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Saint-Avold, France, in 1949, were disinterred in 2018 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification. While analyzing X-8118, DPAA scientists also examined X-8122 St. Avold, had been recovered commingled with X-8118.
Dettloff’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Dettloff will be buried in Holly, Michigan on a date to be
determined.
U.S. Army Cpl. Lewis W, Hill, 18, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1950, Hill was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit was forced to retreat from the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea, on July 20.
Due to the fighting, his body could not be recovered at that time, and there was never any evidence that he was a prisoner of war.
The Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
After regaining control of Taejon in the fall of 1950, the Army began recovering remains from the area and temporarily interring them at the United Nations Military Cemetery (UNMC) Taejon. One set of remains recovered during this period was designated Unknown X-29 Taejon. A tentative association was made between X-29 and Hill, but definitive proof could not be found, and X-29 was determined to be unidentifiable. The remains were sent to Hawaii where they were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On July 15, 2019, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-29 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory, for analysis.
Hill’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hill will be buried in Imlay City, Michigan, on a date to be determined.
September
8
U.S. Army Air Forces Flight Officer Chester L. Rinke, 33, of Marquette, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Rinke was assigned to the 678th Bombardment Squadron, 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), 58th Bombardment Wing, Twentieth Bomber Command.
On June 26, Rinke while serving as the flight officer on the B-29 Superfortress crashed into a rice paddy in the village of Sapekhati, India after a bombing raid on Imperial iron and steel works at Yawata, Kyushu Island, Japan. All 11 crew members were killed instantly in the crash.
On June 28, 1944 a team from 342nd Service Squadron, 329th Service Group visited the crash site recovering and identifying only seven sets of remains which were interred at in United States Military Cemetery in Panitola, Assam, India and subsequently disinterred and sent to their final internment on Jan. 13, 1948. By September of that same year, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) concluded that Rinke’s remains were non-recoverable.
In October 2014 the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (a DPAA predecessor organization) conducted a Joint Field Activity in Sapekhati, which led to the location of the crash site and the recovery of life support equipment and wreckage associated with the B29 aircraft. In 2018 and 2019, Southeastern Archaeological Research (SEARCH) a DPAA partner organization excavated the site and recovered possible osseous remains and material evidence.
To identify Rinke’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis as well as material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), analysis.
Rinke will be buried at Seville, Ohio, on a date to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. James L. Miller, 21, of Detroit, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Miller was a member of K Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Miller and the 24th Infantry Regiment took part in the unsuccessful defense of the town of Sangju in July 1950. He was reported killed in action on July 30, while fighting with the North Korean forces. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered, and there is no evidence that he was ever a prisoner of war.
Miller was declared nonrecoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
After regaining control of Sanju in the fall of 1950, the Army began recovering remains from the area and temporarily interring them at the United Nations Military Cemetery (UNMC) Taejon. One set of remains recovered during this period was designated Unknown X-5156. After extensive analysis by the Central Identification Unit-Kokura in Japan was unable to identify X-5156, the remains were declared unidentifiable.
They were later sent to Hawaii where they were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, with other Korean War Unknowns.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Nov. 4, 2019, the DPAA disinterred Unknown X-5156 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.
Miller’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Miller will be buried in Holly, Michigan, on a date to be determined.
Army Cpl. Gordon D. McCarthy, 20, Palmer, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, McCarthy was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
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.
McCarthy’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
McCarthy will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on date yet to be determined.
May 15
U.S. Army Pfc. Willard H. Brinks, 24, of
Grand Rapids, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1942, Brinks was assigned to the Company K, 3rd
Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, deployed in present
day Papua New Guinea. As part of an attempt to neutralize the Japanese threat to
Port Moresby, the Allied center of communications in the area, Brinks’ unit
attempted to flank the enemy defensive lines stretched across the Sanananda
Track in northern Papua. Brinks was reported as killed in action on Nov. 22, the
first day of the Allied attack.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS),
the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American
personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas
and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. A number of
remains were found in the area where Brinks was killed, but none could be
positively identified as him. He was declared non-recoverable Sept. 7, 1949.
The unidentified remains from Papua New Guinea were eventually
interred as Unknowns at Fort McKinley Cemetery, now Manila American Cemetery and
Memorial, an American
Battle Monuments Commission site
in the Philippines.
DPAA predecessor organizations began researching and recovering
service members from Papua New Guinea in 1995. Years of investigation led to the
disinterment of a set of remains from Manila American Cemetery, X-70 Finschhafen
#2 in November 2016. The remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air
Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Brinks’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Brinks’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from
WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Brinks will be buried on May 19, 2023, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Peter A. Timpo, 24, of Ecorse, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Timpo was assigned to the 343rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Timpo was serving as the bombardier was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
Timpo’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the
Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American
Battle Monuments Commission site
in Impruneta, Italy,
along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Timpo will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined.
U.S. Army Pfc. Donald Hofman, 19, of
Grand Rapids, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for
July 8, 2022.
In January 1945, Hofman was assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd
Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. Elements of the unit
were supporting five companies attempting to secure terrain near Reipertswiller,
France, when they were surrounded by German forces while being pounded by
artillery and mortar fire. The surrounded companies were given the order to
attempt a break-out on Jan. 20, but only two men made it through German lines.
The rest were either captured or killed. Hofman was among those killed, but his
body could not be recovered because of the fighting.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC),
the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in
the European Theater, searched the area around Reipertswiller, finding 37
unidentified sets of American remains, but it was unable to identify any of them
as Hofman.
He was declared non-recoverable on May 22, 1951.
DPAA historians have been conducting on-going research into
Soldiers missing from combat around Reipertswiller, and found that Unknown
X-6376 Neuville, buried at Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle
Monuments Commission site in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, could be associated
with Hofman. X-6376 was disinterred in July 2021 and transferred to the DPAA
Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
Hofman’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal
American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinozé,
France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Hofman will be buried in Byron Center, Michigan, at a date yet to
be determined.
Army Pfc. Lowell D. Smith, 24, of
Battle Creek, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In January 1945, Smith was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion,
157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. The unit was in regimental
reserve during the Battle of Reipertswiller in France. On Jan. 21, Smith was
part of a Browning Automatic Rifle squad when his company attacked German forces
surrounding several companies in an attempt to help them break out. Company F
immediately drew enemy artillery and mortar fire followed by sniper and
machine-gun fire and was forced to withdraw.
When the unit reassembled following the withdrawal, Smith was
missing. In May that year, Army personnel reviewing captured German records
discovered a German death report for Smith dated the day he went missing.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC),
the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in
the European Theater, searched the area around Reipertswiller, finding 37
unidentified sets of American remains, but it was unable to identify any of them
as Smith. He was declared non-recoverable on July 19, 1951.
DPAA historians have been conducting on-going research into
Soldiers missing from combat around Reipertswiller, and found that Unknown
X-8062 St. Avold, buried at Lorraine American Cemetery, an American Battle
Monuments Commission site in St. Avold, France, could be associated with Smith.
X-8062 was disinterred in June 2021 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at
Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
Smith’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal
American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinozé,
France, along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Smith will be buried in Augusta, Michigan, at a date yet to be
determined.
May 19
U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Adolph
“Leonard” Olenik, 19, of Detroit, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Olenik was assigned to the 345th
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On
Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Olenik was serving as a
gunner crashed as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL
WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at
Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following
the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the
Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova,
Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC),
the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel,
disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification.
The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and
those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle
American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated
with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were
sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination
and identification.
Olenik’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in
Impruneta, Italy,
along with others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he
has been accounted for.
Olenik will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Tceollyar Simmons, 18, of
Detroit, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Simmons was assigned to the battleship USS
California, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS California sustained multiple torpedo and
bomb hits, which caused it catch fire and slowly flood. The attack on the ship
resulted in the deaths of 104 crewmen, including Simmons.
From December 1941 to April 1942, 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 39 men from the USS California at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains at the National Memorial Cemetery
of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a
military board classified the 25 Unknowns who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Simmons.
In 2018, DPAA personnel exhumed the 25 USS California Unknowns
from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Simmons’ name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments
Commission’s 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.
Simmons will be buried on June 14, 2022, in Hacoda, Alabama.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that 33
Sailors from the USS Oklahoma
killed during World War II were accounted for on Oct. 18, 2021.
The Sailors included in this group accounting are:
On October 18, 2021, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) made a group identification which included Musician Second Class Louis Edward Harris Jr,. missing from World War II.
Musician Second Class Harris entered the U.S. Navy from Michigan. On December 7, 1941, he was a crew member aboard the USS Oklahoma when the ship came under attack from Japanese forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Oklahoma capsized in the attack, and MUS2 Harris was among those killed in the incident. In the years following the attack, remains were recovered from the Oklahoma. Those that could not be identified at the time were buried as unknown remains at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2015, the DPAA received authorization to exhume unknown remains associated with the Oklahoma and reexamine them using advances in forensic techniques. A group of unidentified remains were disinterred and accessioned into the DPAA laboratory as part of this effort. A group identification was made for these remains, which included MUS2 Harris.
Musician Second Class Harris is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The names of these Sailors are recorded on the American Battle
Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,
along with the others who are missing from WWII.
Marine
Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew Pellerito, 22,
of Grand Rapids, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In November 1943, Pellerito was a member of Company K, 3rd
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, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Pellerito was killed on the first day of
the battle, Nov. 20. His remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 33.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery for later
repatriation. Almost half of the known casualties were never found. The remains
that were recovered were sent to Hawaii for analysis. Those that could not be
identified or associated with one of the missing were buried as Unknowns at the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in
Honolulu, including one set designated Tarawa Unknown X-118. None of the
recovered remains could be associated with Pellerito, and, in October 1949, a
Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2009, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
discovered a burial site on Betio Island believed to be Cemetery 33, which has
been the site of numerous excavations ever since. In 2014, possible human
remains and identification media were found and were turned over to the Joint
POW/MIA Accounting Command, a DPAA predecessor.
At the end of 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-118 from
the Punchbowl as part of an effort to identify the Tarawa Unknowns buried there.
Scientific analysis determined that elements of the History Flight turnover were
associated with X-118.
Pellerito’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific along with the others still missing
from World War II.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Pellerito will be buried Nov. 30, 2021, in Augusta, Michigan.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale,
20, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nightingale 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 Nightingale.
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 Nightingale.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nightingale remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Nightingale’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.
Nightingale will be buried Dec. 7, 2021, at
Ft. Custer National Cemetery,
in Augusta, Michigan.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Wesley E. Graham, 21,
of Watervliet, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Graham 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 Graham.
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 Graham.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Graham’s remains, scientists from DPAA
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Graham’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Graham will be
buried 1:00 p.m. Wednesday,
October 27 at Ft. Custer National Cemetery
in Augusta, Michigan.
Army Cpl. Dale W. Wright, 19, of Flint, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Wright was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
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.
Wright’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wright will be buried in Holly, Michigan. The date has yet to be determined.
July 23,
Navy Radioman 3rd Class Irvin F. Rice,
22, of Detroit, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Rice 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 Rice.
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 Rice.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Rice’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Rice will be buried Oct. 2, 2021, Roseland
Park Cemetery in Berkley, Michigan.
June 22
Army Pfc. Philip T. Hoogacker, 23, of
Detroit, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1950, Hoogacker was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion,
29th Infantry Regiment. He was reported missing in action on July 27 after his
unit was attacked near Anui, South Korea. He was last seen after receiving first
aid for a minor shrapnel wound. DPAA historians believe Hoogacker was captured
by the Korean People’s Army and forcibly marched to Seoul and then on to
Pyongyang,
where he died as a prisoner of war.
In the fall of 1954, United Nations Command struck a deal with
North Korea and China regarding the recovery and return of war dead to their
rightful nations. This agreement, known as Operation GLORY, took place between
Sept. 1 and Oct. 30, 1954. A set of remains, later labeled Unknown X-16833, was
returned with three other sets of remains from a group burial. Two of the sets
of remains were identified by the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan,
but the other two, including X-16833, couldn’t be identified. They were sent to
Hawaii and interred with the rest of the Korean War recovered but unidentified
remains as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known
as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In April 2018, during Phase 1 of the Korean War Disinterment
Project, X-16833 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and transferred to the DPAA
Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii for analysis.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he
has been accounted for.
Hoogacker will be buried July 23, 2021, in
Livonia, Michigan.
June 15,
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Raymond D.
Boynton, 19, of Grandville, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Boynton 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 Boynton.
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 Boynton.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Boynton’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.
Raymond Devere Boynton is buried or memorialized at Tablets of
the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Boynton will be buried on Sept. 8, 2021, at the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Wilbur F. Ballance, 20, Paw Paw, Michigan killed during World War II, was accounted for.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Ballance will be buried on Dec. 3, 2021, at the Punchbowl.
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Robert
Parker, 23, of Lansing, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Parker was a pilot assigned to the 35th Fighter
Squadron, 8th Fighter Group. On Nov. 15, he was piloting a P-40N Warhawk fighter
on a patrol mission with seven other P-40s over the Markham River Valley, New
Guinea, when his formation encountered a swarm of enemy aircraft on the southern
edge of the Finisterre Range. After shooting down one enemy aircraft, Parker
collided with another, the impact shearing a wing off of each. The P-40 crashed
near Sagarak, and it was reported that he did not bail out. After an aerial
search of the area found nothing, Parker was declared missing in action. In
November 1944, the War Department issued a presumptive finding of death.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service, the
organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel,
conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in northeastern
New Guinea, concluding their search in April 1948. Investigators could not find
any evidence of Parker or his aircraft. He was declared non-recoverable Sept.
14, 1949.
In 2010, a team of third-party investigators visited an aircraft
crash site in Morobe Province where they found a portion of a P-40N tail
assembly and part of a possible tail number, both of which matched Parker’s
aircraft.
In September 2018, DPAA investigators visited Warom village in
the Markham district. Residents said the alleged aircraft wreckage was within
half a day’s walk from the village. The team also observed several pieces of
P-40 wreckage in the village. An attempt was made to reach the wreckage site,
but inclement weather, hazardous terrain, and time constraints prevented the
team from reaching the site. They did, however, observe a propeller blade and
landing strut located “downstream” from the reported site, and a local guide was
able to get pictures of additional wreckage.
In May 2019, DPAA investigators returned to Warom after receiving
information that residents had possible human remains reportedly recovered from
the crash site. After extensive negotiations, local officials turned over the
possible remains and a piece of the P-40 aircraft to the team, who then took
them to DPAA’s laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for
analysis.
Parker’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with others
still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been
accounted for.
Parker’s funeral date and location has yet to be
decided.
Army Sgt. Jesse
"Johnny "D.
Hill, 20,
Highland Park, Michigan
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Hill was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on
Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be
recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald
Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 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 Hill’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
Hill’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who
are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name
to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hill will be buried in Holly, Michigan. The date
has yet to be determined.
September 10
U.S. Naval Reserve Ensign Francis C.
Flaherty, 22, of Charlotte, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Flaherty 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 Flaherty. Flaherty was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor for saving several crew members at the cost of his own life.
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 Flaherty.
Flaherty’s name is recorded on the Walls 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.
Flaherty will be buried in his hometown. The date
has yet to be determined.
June 12
Navy Seaman 1st Class Wesley E. Graham,
21, from Benton Harbor, Michigan was killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Graham 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 Graham.
Place of Burial: USS Oklahoma Memorial Pearl Harbor Honolulu County Hawaii.
Graham will be buried Oct. 27, 2021, in Augusta, Michigan.
May 20
Army Sgt. William E. Cavender, 20, of
Leslie, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Cavender was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported
missing in action on Nov. 28, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces
near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could
not be recovered.
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.
Cavender’s name is recorded in the Courts of the Missing at the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who
are still missing from the Korean War.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he
has been accounted for.
Cavender will be buried in his hometown
March 11
Marine Corps Sgt. Duane O. Cole, 23, of
Niles, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Cole was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion,
8th 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, while the Japanese were virtually
annihilated. Cole was killed on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. His
remains were reportedly buried in either Division Cemetery 5 or Central Division
Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 26.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found. No recovered remains could be associated with Cole, and in October 1949,
a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
To identify Cole’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Cole’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
Punchbowl, along with the others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Cole
died of gunshot wounds suffered on 20 November 1943.
Cole’s will be buried June 20, 2020, in Spooner,
Wisconsin.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward
Wasielewski, 21, of Detroit, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wasielewski 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
Wasielewski.
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
Wasielewski.
To identify Wasielewski’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Wasielewski 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.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Wasielewski will be buried Feb. 21, 2020, in San
Diego.
Marine
February 4
Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Oscar E. Koskela, 22,
from Detroit Michigan,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In June 1944, Koskela was a member of Headquarters Company, 29th
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, when American forces participated in the
battle for Saipan, part of a larger operation to secure the Mariana Islands.
Koskela reportedly sustained wounds in combat and was taken onboard the USS Solace for treatment. He died onboard the ship June 18, 1944.
Koskela was wounded during landing operations on 15 June 1944, and although speedily evacuated to the hospital ship Solace, ultimately died of his wounds.
Following his death, his body was delivered on shore and buried on Saipan.
After the war, Koskela’s remains were interred in Manila American Cemetery as an unknown. He was finally exhumed, identified, and accounted for on 8 June 2017.
Koskela’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others still missing from WWII.
A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale, 20, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nightingale 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 Nightingale.
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 Nightingale.
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.
Nightingale’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.
Army
Pfc. John A. Shelemba, 19,
Hamtramck, Michigan
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Shelemba will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in
Virginia.
Army Sgt. Walter H. Tobin, Jr., 22, of
Glen Lake, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Tobin was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat
Team.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered following the attack.
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.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered all U.S. and Michigan flags
to be lowered to
half-staff in honor of Tobin.
The exact dates of Tobin's burial have yet to be finalized.
November 1
U.S. Naval Reserve Ensign Frances C. Flaherty,
22, of
(The official DoD release will be updated following the primary
next of kin briefing.)
He was a parishioner at St. Mary's Catholic Church while living
in Charlotte. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in July 1940 and was commissioned
as an Ensign in
December of that year.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Flaherty was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was
moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese
aircraft.
The Oklahoma was based at Pearl Harbor for patrols and exercises, and was moored in Battleship Row when the attack began. Almost immediately after the first Japanese bombs fell, the ship was hit by three torpedoes and began to capsize. Those who could began to abandon ship as more torpedoes struck home. Ensign Flaherty remained in one of the ship's turrets, providing light so that the turret crew could escape.
When the Oklahoma rolled completely over, he was trapped inside the hull along with many others. Thirty-two crewmembers of the Oklahoma were rescued from inside the hull over the next few days, but Ensign Flaherty was not among them.
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 Flaherty.
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, HI
Army Sgt. David A. Feriend, 23, of Fife
Lake, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Feriend was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, in the
vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains
could not be recovered.
The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA
laboratory for identification.
Feriend will be buried Oct. 13, 2019, in Kingsley, Michigan.
Airmen
U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Walter J.
Kellett, 22, of Ironwood, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In 1942, Kellett was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th
Pursuit Group when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942. Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at prisoner of war camps.
Kellett was among those reported captured after
the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500
POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Kellett
died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the
local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in grave number 312.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS)
personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the
remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In late 1947, the
AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them.
Due to the
circumstances of the POW deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the
limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be
individually identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in
the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In May 2018, 23 “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave
312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one
set, designated X-2843 Manila Cemetery #2.
Kellett will be buried Oct. 5, 2019, in his hometown
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Kenneth W.
Likens, 20, of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Likens was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 6th 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, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated. Likens died on the third day of the
battle, Nov. 22, 1943. He was reported to have been buried in the East
Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed to Cemetery #33.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
(604th GRC) centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm
Cemetery for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties
were never found. No recovered remains could be associated with Likens, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2009, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, notified
DPAA that they discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the
remains of what they believed to be missing American service members who had
been buried in Cemetery #33. In March 2019, following continued excavations, a
previously undiscovered burial trench was uncovered. The remains were
accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Likens’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
June 17
Army Cpl. Charles S. Lawler, 19, of
Traverse City, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In November 1950, Lawler was a member of Company M, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by
enemy forces near Unsan, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered
following the attack and he was not reported as a prisoner of war.
The U.S. Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.
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.
A burial ceremony for Lawler is planned for July 27,
2019, in Traverse City.
May 24
Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward Wasielewski,
Plymouth,
MI was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
He had enlisted in the Navy. Served during World War II. He had
the rank of Enlisted. Occupation or specialty was Seaman First Class. Service
number was 3114243. Served with USS Oklahoma.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wasielewskiwas 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 Wasielewski.
December 17
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.
December 11
Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M.
Jones, 31, of Otter Lake, Michigan, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jones 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 Jones.
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 Jones.
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 Jones’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which
matched a niece and a grand niece, as well as circumstantial evidence and
laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis,
which matched Jones’ records.
December 10
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.
December 10
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.
Army Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist, 32,
of Willmar, Minnesota.
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.
Soldier
Army Staff Sgt. Marshall F. Kipina, 21,
of Calumet, Michigan, accounted for , will be buried October 18 in
Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. On July 13, 1966 Kipina was
assigned to the 131st Aviation Company, serving as an observer aboard an OV-1C
aircraft, on a night surveillance mission from Phu Bai Airfield over Attapu
Province, Laos People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.). Visibility was poor due
to heavy thunderstorms. Radar and radio contact were lost with the aircraft,
which was not uncommon due to the mountainous terrain in that part of Laos. When
the aircraft did not return as scheduled, search efforts were initiated, but no
crash site was found. Also lost in the crash was Army Lt. Col. Robert G. Nopp,
31, of Salem, Oregon, the aircraft’s pilot.
During the 1990s and 2000s, joint U.S./L.P.D.R. teams
investigated the incident and recommended a potential crash site in Attapu
Province, L.P.D.R. for excavation. The site, located in extremely difficult
terrain, required multiple missions to excavate. The teams recovered osseous
material, personal equipment and material evidence. Analysis of the aircraft
indicated the crash was of the same aircraft Kipina was in, and an ejection seat
component indicated at least one person was in the aircraft when it crashed.
Nopp was identified concurrently with Kipina.
To identify Kipina’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as well as
anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence.
Marine Corps Reserve 2nd Lt. Elwood R.
Bailey, 22, of Parma, Michigan, accounted for, will be
buried October 13 in his hometown. On August 24, 1942, Bailey was a member of
Marine Fighting Squadron 223 (VMF-223), Marine Aircraft Group 23, (MAG-23).
Bailey was piloting a F4F-4 Wildcat in aerial combat with Japanese Military Air
Forces over Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, when he was reported missing in action
after being shot down.
In October 1948, a Board of Review declared Bailey’s remains to
be non-recoverable.
In April 2015, Clay Chualu, a resident of the Solomon Islands,
turned over human remains and material evidence to DPAA. The remains had been
reportedly recovered from a crash site of an F4F-4 aircraft located southwest of
Mbarana Village. The remains were subsequently sent to DPAA for analysis.
To identify Bailey’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, which matched his records; as well as historical
and material evidence.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19, Bay City, Michigan was killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for on Aug. 6, 2018.
Seaman First Class Robert W. Headington, of Sidney Street, Bay City, Michigan, was a 19-year-old printer aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941.
His remains were never Identified but is listed as one of the
approximately 390 unknowns from the USS Oklahoma that have been buried in mass
graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Interment services are pending; more details will be released
7-10 days prior to scheduled funeral services.
Headington's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from World War II. A rosette
will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
July 6
Army Sgt. 1st Class Harry E. Harkness,
22, of Lansing, Michigan, will be buried March 17 in his hometown. On
In November 1950, Harkness was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, participating in combat actions against the
Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the vicinity of Unsan, North Korea.
Harkness was reported missing in action as of Nov. 2, 1950 when he could not be
accounted for by his unit.
Following the war, during an operation known as
“Operation Big Switch,” when prisoners of war were returned, returning Americans
from Pyoktong Camp 5 reported that Harkness had been captured and died while at
POW Camp 5 sometime between January and April 1951.
On Dec. 21, 1993, North Korea unilaterally turned over 34 boxes
containing remains reportedly to be unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the
Korean War. One set of remains came from Tongju-ri, Pyokdong County, North
Pyongan Province, North Korea, which corresponds to the known location of POW
Camp 5, where Harkness was believed to have died.
To identify Harkness’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and autosomal (auSTR)
DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as anthropological analysis
which matched his records; and circumstantial evidence
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Arnold J.
Harrison, 19, of Detroit, Michigan, will be buried March 2, in
Dallas, Texas. In November 1943, Harrison was assigned to Company B, 1st
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 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.
Harrison died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20,
1943.
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
Harrison’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, known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Jan. 30, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-166 from the
Punchbowl and submitted the remains for analysis.
To identify Harrison’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his
records, as well as circumstantial evidence.
The Defense
POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S.
serviceman, recently accounted-for from World War II, are being returned to his
family for burial with full military honors.
Navy Reserve Aviation Radioman 2nd Class Albert P.
Rybarczyk, 21, of St. Joseph, Michigan, will be buried December 11 in
his hometown. On Sept. 8, 1944, Rybarczyk was a member of the Navy Torpedo
Squadron Eighteen (VT-18), USS Intrepid, on a bombing mission against Japanese
positions on Babelthuap Island, Palau. As the aircraft reached the target area,
the pilot began a dive near Bokerugeru Point and the crew released its
2,000-pound bomb. While attempting to pull out of the dive, the bomb hit an
ammunition dump and exploded. The explosion tore the tail from the aircraft,
causing it to crash off-shore. Rybarczyk was reported missing in action.
After combat operations in the area ceased, the American Graves Registration
Service- Philippine Command travelled to Palau to investigate and attempt to
recover missing service members. No record of the crash site was found.
In 2005, BentProp Project, a nonprofit NGO of volunteers who work with DPAA in
the Republic of Palau, located a piece of the starboard wing of an aircraft near
Bokerugeru Point. Subsequent investigations located the main body of the
aircraft offshore.
In 2014, possible human remains were located within the main body of the
aircraft, and sent to the Central Identification Laboratory for analysis.
In April 2015, a DPAA Underwater Recovery Team excavated the site and recovered
additional remains and material evidence.
To identify Rybarczyk’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched
his family; anthropological analysis, which matched his records; and historical
evidence.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that
the remains of a U.S. serviceman, recently accounted-for from World War II, are
being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Technician Fourth Grade Pete M.
Counter, 24, of Detroit, will be buried November 11 in Onaway,
Michigan. On Dec. 5, 1942, Counter was a member of Company C, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, when he was killed during intense engagement
with Japanese forces in the vicinity of Soputa-Sanananda Track in the Australian
Territory of Papua (present-day Papua New Guinea.) He was reportedly buried in
an isolated grave north of Soputa.
In February 1943, the remains of an unidentified American
soldier, tentatively associated with the 32nd Infantry Division, were interred
at the U.S. Temporary Cemetery #2 at Soputa. On April 6, 1943, the remains,
designated “Unknown X-10” were reinterred at Temporary Cemetery #1 at Soputa,
then interred at U.S. Armed Forces Finschhafen #2, and redesignated “Unknown
X-171.”
In 1947, the American Graves Registration service exhumed
approximately 11,000 graves, including X-171, which was redesignated to X-2693,
and shipped the remains to the Central Identification Point at the Manila
Mausoleum in the Philippines. X-2693 could not be identified and were interred
at Fort McKinley (now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.)
In November 2016, DPAA received authorization to reexamine the
remains from the MACM. Unknown X-2693 was disinterred Nov. 4, 2016 and sent to
the laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska for analysis.
To identify Counter’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis, which
matched his family, as well as dental and anthropological analysis, which
matched his records, and circumstantial evidence.
Marine Corps Reserve 2nd Lt. Elwood R. Bailey, 21, Parma, Michigan, killed during World War II, has now been accounted for.
The air raid siren blared across Henderson Field at around 1400 hours on August 24, 1942. A Japanese flight of 15 bombers, escorted by 12 Zero fighters, was on its way. VMF-223 quickly scrambled as many planes as possible, and intercepted the enemy at 1425. The first wave released its bombs with little effect, and the second was stopped altogether by the Wildcat fighters. Nearly every American who flew that day scored a hit; many had one or more confirmed kills.
Lieutenant Elwood Bailey
was seen to flame two Zeros before breaking out of the fight. (2) His smoking
Wildcat, F4F-4 02095, headed out to sea, and the pilot was observed bailing out
near the occupied island of Tulagi, but he never returned to American lines.
Interment services are pending; more details will be released
7-10 days prior to scheduled funeral services.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Klement Chualo, a Solomon Islander, for
his assistance in this recovery.
Bailey’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an
American Battle Monuments Commission site 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
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, recently accounted-for from World War II, are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Francis J. Pitonyak, 25, of Detroit, Michigan will be buried September 22 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. On Oct. 28, 1943, Pitonyak was a member of the 36th Fighter Group, 8th Fighter squadron and was the pilot of a single-seat fighter aircraft. Pitonyak led a formation of four aircraft from Wards Airdome near Port Moresby, Territory of Papua on an armed patrol mission to Nadzab in the Markham River Valley. Due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions and loss of visibility one of the four pilots aborted the mission, returned to base and immediately reported the other three pilots missing. The following day, an aerial search was conducted for the missing aircraft, with no results. The U.S. Army declared Pitonyak deceased as of Oct. 28, 1943.
In June 1987, a team of investigators from the U.S Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, accompanied by local witnesses, located the wreckage of an aircraft in the vicinity of Urulau Village, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. The wreckage, which was largely intact, included a serial number consistent with the aircraft piloted by Pitonyak. In October 1988, a second team visited the crash site and noted the positioning of the wreckage suggested a low-angle controlled impact or hard landing, but they were unable to recover remains or flight equipment. In July 2016, a DPAA recovery team recovered possible dental remains and supporting material evidence from a site located in the vicinity of Urulau Village, Kerema District, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea.
To identify Pitonyak’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental analysis, which matched his records, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Donald E. Underwood, 23, Detroit, Michigan killed during World War II, has now been accounted for.
Underwood, who was 23, was a member of the Army Air Forces during World War II. He was aboard a bomber known as the “Miss Bee Haven” when it crashed in shallow water after takeoff from the Gilbert Islands in January 1944. Bodies were recovered and buried.
On Jan. 21, 1944, Underwood was a member of the 38th Bombardment Squadron, (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group, stationed at Hawkins Field, Helen Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, when his B-24J bomber crashed shortly after take-off. Witnesses noted the plane was unable to gain altitude and crashed into the water, killing all 10 members on board.
Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days prior to scheduled funeral services.
DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Underwood’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site 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.
Remains of Machinist Mate First Class Fred M. Jones, 30 of Port Huron, Michigan killed in the attack on the USS Oklahoma during World War II, have now been identified.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jones 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 Jones. No single vessel at Pearl Harbor, with the exception of the USS Arizona, suffered as many fatalities.
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 Jones.
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.
DNA analysis and circumstantial evidence were used in the identification of his remains.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert R. Cummings, 20, of Manistique, Michigan, will be buried March 4 in Clarksville, Tennessee. In late November, 1950, after several months of battle alongside the United Nations Command and Republic of Korea against the Korean People’s Army, an estimated 300,000 soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces attacked the unit during an allied movement north near the Yalu River. Facing constrictive terrain, poor weather conditions and being outnumbered, the advancing U.S. forces were facing unfavorable circumstances. The 187th regiment was moved to positions along the Chongchon and Kuryong rivers in order to preserve lines of communication. The regiment assembled a reconnaissance patrol to gather enemy information on Nov. 29, 1950, when it encountered an enemy ambush near Hajoyang, North Korea. Following this ambush, Cummings was declared missing in action.
**Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned 208 boxes of commingled human remains to the United States, which we believe to contain the remains of at least 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents included in the repatriation indicate that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where Cummings was believed to have died.
In the identification of Cummings’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, dental comparison, and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA analysis, Y-chromosome short tandem repeat DNA analysis and autosomal (nuclear) DNA testing, which matched a sister and a brother.
November 23, 2016
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Daniel Hunt, 18, of Columbiaville, Michigan, will be buried Dec. 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. On Sept. 28, 1951, Hunt was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in the vicinity of Hill 1030, conducting operations near an area referred to as Heartbreak Ridge. The Chinese launched an attack, which the company repelled. They were then ordered to move east and attack the enemy on Hill 867 nearby. Prior to their attack, the enemy launched a barrage of mortar fire against the Americans, and survivors withdrew to friendly lines. Following the withdrawal, Hunt was reported missing in action.
During an investigation by the U.S. Army Casualty office, three members of Hunt’s unit reported that he had been killed during the fight. Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased.
On Feb. 12, 2016, the Republic of Korea unilaterally turned over remains believed to be unaccounted-for Americans from the Korean War. The recovered remains were reported to have been found near Heartbreak Ridge.
To identify Hunt’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial, Y-chromosome short tandem repeat and autosomal DNA analysis, which matched two brothers, as well as anthropological analysis, which matched his records and circumstantial evidence.
Daniel was born February 10, 1933 to Ownie and Lillie (White) Hunt. He was one of seventeen children. Daniel joined the Army with his brother, John, and was a member of A Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On September 28, 1951 Daniel's Company was attacked in an area later referred to as Heartbreak Ridge.
October 14, 2016
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Bullis’ name did not appear on any POW list provided by the CPVF or the North Korean People’s Army, however four repatriated American prisoners of war reported that Bullis died at Pukchin-Tarigol Camp Cluster in early 1951. Based on this information, a military review board amended Bullis’ status to deceased in 1951.
In April and May of 2005, a Joint Recovery Team conducted the 37th Joint Field Activity in Unsan County, South Pyongan Province, North Korea. On April 19, the team visited a site reported by a local witness to contain American remains.
To identify Bullis’
remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory
used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched a brother and nephew, as well as
anthropological analysis, which matched his records and circumstantial evidence.
In late
November 1950, Bullis was a member of Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment,
2nd Infantry Division, fighting units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF)
in North Korea, in a delaying action south to Kunu-ri. Within days, the regiment
had lost half of its assigned men against attacks from the CPVF. The unit was
ordered to withdrawal, and when Bullis could not be accounted for, he was
declared missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950.In April and
May of 2005, a Joint Recovery Team conducted the 37th Joint Field Activity in
Unsan County, South Pyongan Province, North Korea.
On Dec. 1, 1950, his unit was captured by Chinese soldiers in North Korea. Bullis received little in the way of nourishment as his captors marched their improperly dressed prisoners across the Korean peninsula at night, to avoid detection by allied planes. The combination of short rations and cold temperatures took its toll on Bullis and the other soldiers in his unit. Nearly every morning one or more of them died. Only 31 of the 133 captured soldiers survived. Cpl. Milton Bullis did not. He passed away due to malnutrition and exposure sometime in March of 1951, at the age of 19.
Lab analysis, in conjunction with the totality of circumstantial evidence available, established Bullis’ remains were included
Missing From World War II
Accounted For
September 23, 2016
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert W. Ward, 22
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert W. Ward, 22, of Pontiac, Michigan, will be buried Oct. 1 in his hometown. On Dec. 23, 1944, Ward was assigned to the 559th Bombardment Squadron, 387th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. Ward was the co-pilot of a B-26C Marauder, with eight other crew members, that crashed after being struck by enemy fire while on a bombing mission against enemy forces near Philippsweiler, Germany. Ward and one other of the nine-member crew were reported killed in action. The other seven crewmen survived the crash by parachuting to safety; however, one crewman was captured by enemy forces and was reported to have died in captivity. His remains were later returned to U.S. custody. Ward and the other crewman killed in action were not recovered during the war.
In April 2009, a Department of Defense (DoD) team traveled to Philippsweiler to interview several Germans who recalled an American war-time crash. The team surveyed the possible crash site. Between June 2010 and July 2011, two DoD recovery teams excavated the suspected crash site, recovering human remains and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Ward’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used forensic identification tools to include mitochondrial DNA, which matched his nieces.
Soldier Missing From Korean War
Accounted For
September
1, 2016
Army Cpl. Curtis J. Wells, 19 of Ubly, Michigan
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Curtis J. , 19, of Ubly, Michigan, will be buried Sept. 10 in Harbor Beach, Michigan. In late November 1950, while Wells was assigned to Company C, 65th Engineer Combat Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, his company joined with Task Force (TF) Wilson to fight the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the vicinity of Unsan, North Korea. The TF was overwhelmed by a large force of CPVF soldiers, and by Nov. 27, 1950, they began to extricate themselves south and Company C returned to the control of the battalion. As the battalion attempted to account for its casualties, Wells was reported missing in action.
Wells’ name did not appear on any POW list provided by the CPVF or the Korean People’s Army, nor did any repatriated American POWs have any information about Wells.
In late 1953, as part of a prisoner of war exchange, known as “Operation Big Switch,” no repatriated Americans had any knowledge of Wells’ whereabouts. As a result of this, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of March 18, 1954.
In October 1998, during a Joint Recovery Operation, a U.S./North Korean recovery team excavated a site in Kujang County, North P’yongan-Pukto Province, North Korea, based on information provided by witnesses concerning buried American soldiers. This site correlated with the area of the battle between TF Wilson and the CPVF.
To identify Wells’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, DNA analysis, including mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat and autosomal DNA, which matched two brothers, as well as dental and anthropological analysis, which matched Wells’ records.
Soldier Missing From Korean War
Accounted For
June 20, 2016
Army Cpl. George P. Grifford, 18
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. George P. Grifford, 18, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, will be buried June 27, 2016 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Nov. 30, 1950, Grifford was a member of the 37th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Kunu-ri, North Korea. He was reported missing in action after the battle.
In 1953, the Chinese reported that Grifford died Feb. 6, 1951, while being held prisoner in North Korea. Based on this information, a military review board amended his status to deceased.
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. The remains they were unable to identify were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.”
To identify Grifford’s remains, scientists from DPAA used circumstantial
evidence, dental analysis, and chest radiographs, which matched
Grifford’s records.
Soldier Missing From Korean War
Accounted For
April 7, 2016
Army Cpl. Dennis D. Buckley, 24,
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Dennis D. Buckley, 24, of Detroit, Michigan will be buried April 14, 2016 in Rittman, Ohio. On Feb. 5, 1951, Buckley was assigned to A Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, which was supporting the South Korean Army attacks against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the area known as the Central Corridor in South Korea. The CPVF launched a counterattack, overwhelming neighboring units and leaving the 15th Field Artillery Battalion behind enemy lines. As the unit conducted a fighting withdrawal south toward Wonju, Buckley went missing near Hoengsong and was reported missing on February 13.
Captured by Chinese forces on Feb. 5, 1951, at the age of 23, near Wonju, when U.S. Army units were supporting the Republic of Korea against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces.
Buckley’s remains were not located after the CPVF units withdrew north in March 1951, nor by the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service during organized searches in 1953. Additionally, his name never appeared on any list of Americans who were in custody of the North Koreans or the CPVF.
However, a repatriated American prisoner of war provided information that Buckley was captured by the CPVF and died in their custody at the Suan POW camp. Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared Buckley dead on June 30, 1951.
To identify Buckley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used dental comparison analysis, which matched his records; mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat DNA analysis, which matched a brother and a sister; anthropological analysis; as well as circumstantial evidence.
NO MICHIGAN POW/MIA's REPORTED IN 2015
Michigan's POW/MIA's from 2014
Missing From World War II
Accounted For
October 24, 2014
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, lost during World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Pvt. Robert J. McConachie, 18, of Detroit, will be buried Nov. 3, in Augusta, Mich., In June 1945, McConachie was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and was deployed to Okinawa, Japan. As his unit took part in the battle with enemy forces on Kunishi Ridge, it sustained heavy losses. McConachie was reported killed in action June 14, 1945.
On Nov. 23, 1987, the Army’s Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI) received remains from the U.S. Air Force Mortuary at Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan. The remains were recovered from Kunishi Ridge where McConachie was lost, and were believed to be those of an American service member from World War II. Efforts to identify the remains proved unsuccessful at that time.
Due to technological advances in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing, the case was re-examined in 2010 by Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Affairs analysts to identify possible individuals who were unaccounted for from this battle and to facilitate family reference sample collection.
In the identification of McConachie, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used forensic identification tools including dental comparisons which matched his records and mtDNA which matched his brother.
Soldier Missing From Korean War
Accounted For
June 23, 2014
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. William N. Bonner, 23, of Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., will be buried June 28, in his hometown. On Nov. 2, 1950, Bonner was assigned to Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit was attacked by Chinese forces near Unsan, North Korea. Bonner was reported last serving as a litter bearer near the battalion aid station when the area was overrun by enemy forces.
In 1953, as part of a prisoner exchange, known as Operation Big Switch, returning U.S. service members reported that Bonner had been captured by the Chinese and died from malnutrition in early 1951, in the prisoner of war (POW) camp known as Camp 5, near Pyoktong, North Korea.
During Operation Glory in September 1954, United Nations and Chinese forces exchanged the remains of war dead, some of which were reportedly recovered from POW Camp 5. When a military review board declared the remains as unidentifiable, the remains were transferred to Hawaii to be buried as unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2013, due to advances in forensic science, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) determined there was a possibility of identifying the remains. After extensive historical and analytical research, the unknown remains were disinterred for analysis and possible identification.
To identify Bonner’s remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including radiograph comparisons and dental records which matched Bonner’s records.
Soldier Missing From
Vietnam War Accounted For
June 26. 2013
Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, 21, of Sutton Bay, Mich.,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that an Army soldier, missing from the Vietnam War, has been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors along with two of his crew members.
Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, 21, of Sutton Bay, Mich., was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter that crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam. Also, killed in the crash were 1st Lt. Leslie F. Douglas Jr., of Verona, Miss.; lst Lt. Richard Dyer, of Central Falls, R.I.; and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Colon-Diaz, of Comerio, Puerto Rico. Another crew member, Pfc. John Goosman, survived the crash and was rescued. Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, will be buried as a group in a single casket, on July 2, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On June 30, 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer. The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors. At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.
From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.
Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.
February 7, 2013
Cpl. Robert W. Scott, 19, of Detroit,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Cpl. Robert W. Scott, 19, of Detroit, will be buried Feb. 11, in Sarasota, Fla. In late November 1950, Scott and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. Scott was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit was engaged by vastly superior number of enemy forces.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Scott was last seen.
In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA–which matched Scott’s brother.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
January 9
Army Pfc. Ernest V. Fuqua Jr., 21, of Detroit,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Ernest V. Fuqua Jr., 21, of Detroit, will be buried Jan. 15, in Rochester Hills, Mich. In late November 1950, units of the 35th Infantry Regiment and allied forces were deployed in a defensive line advancing across the Ch’ongch’on River in North Korea, when Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces enemy forces attacked their position. American units sustained heavy losses as they withdrew south towards the town of Unsan. He was listed as killed in action on Nov. 28, 1950.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Fuqua was believed to have died in 1950, near the Ch’ongch’on River.
To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, mitochondrial DNA which matched Fuqua’s brother.
August 24
Army Cpl. Kenneth R. Block, 22, of Ann Arbor, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Kenneth R. Block, 22, of Ann Arbor, Mich., will be buried Aug. 29, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. In late November 1950, Block and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as “Task Force Faith,” were advancing along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir, in North Korea, when they came under attack. On Dec. 3, 1950, Block, along with many other Americans, was listed as missing in action as a result of the heavy fighting.
In September and October 2001, two joint U.S./Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a mass grave that had been discovered on the eastern shore of the Chosin Reservoir. Human remains, of at least 12 individuals were recovered, along with two military identification tags and military equipment.
For 2004 through 2011 scientists from JPAC used mitochondrial DNA to determine the identification of six of the soldiers, who served with Block as part of Task Force Faith. To identify Block’s remains, experts used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including radiograph and dental comparisons.
May 24
Army Pfc. Arthur W. Leiviska, 18, of Calumet, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Arthur W. Leiviska, 18, of Calumet, Mich., will be buried May 28, in his hometown. On Jan. 20, 1951, Leiviska, of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was reported missing in action, when he failed to return from a reconnaissance patrol near Yangyon-ni, South Korea.
In 1953, returning Americans who had been held as prisoners of war reported that Leiviska had been captured by the Chinese on Jan. 20, 1951. He died several months later as a result of malnutrition while being held as a prisoner of war in the camp known as “Bean Camp” in Suan County, North Korea.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Leiviska had reportedly died while in captivity.
To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools including mitochondrial DNA – which matched Leiviska’s sister and niece.
Missing From World War II
Accounted For
June 5,
2012
Marine Corps Pfc. John A. Donovan, 20, of Plymouth, Mich.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Corps Pfc. John A. Donovan, 20, of Plymouth, Mich., will be buried June 8, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Donovan was a crewmember aboard a PBJ-1 aircraft that failed to return from a night training mission over the island of Espiritu Santo, in what is known today as Vanuatu. None of the crew was recovered and in 1945 they were officially presumed deceased.
In 1994, a group of private citizens notified the U.S. that aircraft wreckage had been found on the island of Espiritu Santo. Human remains were recovered from the site at that time and turned over to the Department of Defense.
In 1999, a survey team traveled to the site, which was located at an elevation of 2,600 ft. in extremely rugged terrain, and determined that recovery teams would need specialized mountain training to safely complete a recovery mission. In 2000, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team visited the site and recovered human remains. From 2009 to 2011, multiple JPAC recovery teams excavated the site and recovered additional remains, aircraft parts and military equipment.
Scientists and analysts from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and dental records in the identification of Donovan’s remains.
February 27
Staff Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie, of Ann Arbor, Mich.
DOD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On Feb. 25, the armed forces medical examiner at the Dover Port Mortuary in Dover, Del., positively identified the remains of Staff Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie, of Ann Arbor, Mich. He was assigned to the Provincial Reconstruction Team, Divisional Training Center, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
On Dec. 11, 2006, a casualty review board declared Altaie “missing – captured” after his disappearance in Baghdad, Iraq on Oct. 23, 2006. Altaie was the final missing soldier and casualty to be recovered from the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn mission.
June 13
P.O.W. Army Cpl. A.V. Scott, 27, of Detroit,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. A.V. Scott, 27, of Detroit, will be buried June 22 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On Feb. 12, 1951, Scott’s unit, the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, was supplying friendly forces approximately 70 miles east of Seoul, South Korea, when Chinese Communist units attacked the area and forced a withdrawal. Scott was captured by enemy forces and marched north to a prisoner of war camp in Suan County, North Korea. Surviving POWs within the camp reported Scott died in April 1951.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains were exhumed near Suan County, which correlates with Scott’s last known location.
Among forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Scott’s cousins—in the identification.
April 22.
2011
Army Staff Sgt. Melvin C. Dye, of Carleton, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Staff Sgt. Melvin C. Dye, of Carleton, Mich., will be buried on April 26, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The men were aboard a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter on Feb. 19, 1968, when it was shot down by enemy fire in Laos. They were involved in an attempt to extract a long-range reconnaissance patrol in the mountains of Attapu Province. Three other American service members survived the crash and were rescued, but three Vietnamese Montagnards did not survive.
Several hours after the crash a team was dispatched to survey the location and reported seeing remains of at least five people. Enemy activity prevented remains recovery at that time. The following month a second team was sent to the crash site but found no remains.
In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic team traveled to the recorded grid coordinates for the crash site but found no evidence of a helicopter crash. The team then surveyed a second location in the area where they found helicopter wreckage and human remains.
In 2006, a follow-on team was not able to resurvey the same site due to severe overgrowth and time constraints. Another team excavated the location in late 2007 recovering human remains, wreckage and military-related equipment.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
March 3,
2011
Capt. Lewis J. Geerlings, 36, Freemont, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen and one civilian, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Capt. Lewis J. Geerlings, 36, Freemont, Mich will be buried today in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 10, 1944, the five were aboard a B-25C Mitchell bomber which took off from Ajaccio, Corsica, on a courier mission to Ghisonaccia, Corsica. They failed to reach the destination and were officially reported missing on May 13, 1944. Two days later French police reported finding aircraft wreckage on the island’s Mount Cagna.
The U.S. Army’s Graves Registration Command visited the crash site in 1944 and reported remains were not recoverable.
In May 1989, Corsican authorities notified U.S. Army Memorial Affairs Activity-Europe that they had found wreckage of an American WWII-era aircraft and turned over human remains collected at the mountainous location. They sent a survey team to the site and determined the terrain was too rugged to support a recovery effort. In 2003 and 2004, two French nationals provided U.S. authorities crew-related equipment recovered from the crash site.
A team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated the location in September 2005 and recovered additional human remains as well as more crew-related equipment.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA–which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families–in the identification of the remains.
January 11. 2011
Air Force Col. James E. Dennany, 34, of Kalamazoo, Mich., Maj. Robert L. Tucci, 27, of Detroit,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Air Force Col. James E. Dennany, 34, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Maj. Robert L. Tucci, 27, of Detroit, will be buried as a group Jan. 14, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery. On Nov. 12, 1969, they were flying the number three aircraft of three F-4Ds escorting an AC-130 gunship on a night strike mission over Laos. After the gunship attacked six trucks, setting two of them on fire, the AC-130 crew’s night vision equipment was impacted by the glow from the fires. They requested that Tucci attack the remaining trucks. During the attack, gunship crew members observed anti-aircraft artillery gunfire directed at Tucci’s plane followed by a large explosion. No radio transmissions were heard from the F-4D following the attack and no parachutes were seen in the area. An immediate electronic search revealed nothing and no formal search was initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.
Beginning in the mid-1990s analysts at DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) developed case leads they collected from wartime reporting and archival research.
In 1994, a joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team led by JPAC analyzed leads, interviewed villagers, and surveyed five reported crash sites near the record loss location with negative results.
In 1999, during another joint survey, officials in Ban Soppeng, Laos, turned over remains later determined to be human, two .38 caliber pistols and other crew-related equipment that villagers had recovered from a nearby crash site. Between 1999 and 2009, other joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. teams pursued leads, interviewed villagers, and conducted three excavations. They recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.
JPAC scientists used forensic tools and circumstantial evidence in the identification of the remains.
October 8
Sgt. Donald M. LaForest, of Bay City, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Sgt. Donald M. LaForest, of Bay City, Mich. U.S. Army. They will be buried Oct. 14 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with the soldiers’ next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
In early November 1950, the men were assigned to the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan in the bend of the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head.” Two enemy elements attacked the U.S. forces, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. The soldiers’ unit was involved in heavy fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around their command post. Almost 400 men of the 8th Cavalry Regiment were reported missing in action or killed in action from the battle at Unsan.
In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported during his debriefing that he and nine other American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. He provided detailed information on the location of the incident and the identities of the other soldiers.
Following the armistice in 1953 and the release of POWs, the other surviving soldier confirmed the details provided in 1950.
In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team excavated a mass grave near the “Camel’s Head.” An elderly North Korean national reported that he had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.
The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons for both men and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA, which matched that of each soldier’s relatives in the identification of their remains.
June 10,
2010
Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich., U.S. Navy. He will be buried Saturday in Hancock.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket and discovered that it contained Lehman’s remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his sister and nieces -- in the identification of Lehman’s remains.
More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. They include those buried with honor as unknowns, those lost at sea, and those missing in action. That number also includes the 1,100 sailors entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted-for from WW II.
NO MICHIGAN POW/MIA's REPORTED IN 2009
April 25,
2008
Tech. Sgt. Robert C. Morgan, of Flint, Mich.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Tech. Sgt. Robert C. Morgan, of Flint, Mich.; U.S. Army Air Forces. The dates and locations of the funerals are being set by their families.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On Dec. 3, 1943, these men crewed a B-24D Liberator that departed Dobodura, New Guinea, on an armed-reconnaissance mission over New Hanover Island in the Bismarck Sea. The crew reported dropping their bombs on target, but in spite of several radio contacts with their base, they never returned to Dobodura. Subsequent searches failed to locate the aircraft.
In 2000, three Papua New Guineans were hunting in the forest when they came across aircraft wreckage near Iwaia village. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) was notified and began planning an investigation. In 2002, a JPAC team traveled to Deboin Village to interview two individuals who said they knew where the crash site was, however the witnesses could not relocate the site.
In 2004, the site was found about four miles from Iwaia village in Papua New Guinea where a JPAC team found an aircraft data plate that correlated to the 1943 crash.
Between 2004 and 2007, JPAC teams conducted two excavations of the site and recovered human remains and non-biological material including some crew-related artifacts such as identification tags.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
January 23
Pfc. Billy M. MacLeod, U.S. Army, of Cheboygan, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Pfc. Billy M. MacLeod, U.S. Army, of Cheboygan, Mich. He was buried Saturday in Cheboygan.
Representatives from the Army met with MacLeod’s next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
MacLeod was a member of Company B, 32nd Infantry Regiment, then making up part of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, operating along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. From Nov. 27-Dec. 1, 1950, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces overran the U.S. positions, forcing their southward withdrawal. Regimental records compiled after the battle indicate that MacLeod was killed in action on Nov. 28, 1950.
Between 2002 and 2005, three joint U.S.-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated an area with two mass graves on the eastern shore of the Chosin Reservoir. They were believed to be burial sites of U.S. soldiers from the 31st RCT. The teams found human remains and other material evidence. Analysis of the remains subsequently led to the identifications of eight individuals, including MacLeod.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of MacLeod’s remains.
December 11
Capt. Richard H. Simpson, of Fairhaven, Mich.,
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Capt. Richard H. Simpson, of Fairhaven, Mich., U.S. Air Force. Funeral dates have not been set by the families.
On April 12, 1951, Hatfield and Simpson were two of eleven crewmembers on a B-29 Superfortress that left Kadena Air Base, Japan, to bomb targets in the area of Sinuiju, North Korea. Enemy MiG-15 fighters attacked the B-29, but before it crashed, three crewmembers were able to bail out. They were captured and two of them were later released in 1954 to U.S. military control during Operation Big Switch. The third crewmember died in captivity. He and the eight remaining crewmembers were not recovered.
In 1993, the North Korean government turned over to the United Nations Command 31 boxes containing the remains of U.S. servicemen listed as unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Four sets of remains from this group were subsequently identified as crewmembers from the B-29.
In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated an infantry fighting position in Kujang County where they recovered remains which included those of Hatfield and Simpson.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains recovered in 2000.
April 22.
2007
Maj. Robert G. Lapham, U.S. Air Force, of Marshall, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Maj. Robert G. Lapham, U.S. Air Force, of Marshall, Mich. He will be buried Friday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On Feb. 8, 1968, Lapham was flying the lead A-1G Skyraider in a flight of two in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. The aircraft were alerted to join an airborne forward air controller to destroy enemy tanks that had overrun the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp. After completing one pass on the tanks, Lapham was nearing his target on the second pass when he crashed. The crew of the other aircraft involved in the mission reported seeing no parachute.
Between 1993 and 1998, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), traveled to Quang Tri Province two times to investigate the incident and interview witnesses. One team also surveyed the crash site and found aircraft wreckage.
In 2003, another joint team investigated the incident and resurveyed the crash site. The team found more wreckage and pilot-related evidence, including Lapham’s identification tag.
Between 2004 and 2006, JPAC teams traveled to Quang Tri Province four times to excavate the crash site. The teams recovered human remains, aircraft wreckage and pilot-related items.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
October 10,
2007
Staff Sgt. Walter O. Schlosser, of Lake City, Mich.
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of nine U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Staff Sgt. Walter O. Schlosser, of Lake City, Mich.; The burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. on a date to be determined.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On July 7, 1944, the men were aboard a B-24J Liberator that departed North Pickenham, England, on a mission to bomb a German aircraft factory near Bernburg, Germany. The plane was last seen by U.S. aircrew members in that vicinity. Captured records revealed that it had crashed near Westeregeln, about 20 miles northwest of the target in what would become the Soviet sector of a post-war-divided Germany.
In 2001, a group of German citizens interested in recovering wartime relics and remains learned of a potential crash site south of Westeregeln. Later that year and in 2002, the group found the site and uncovered human remains from what appeared to be two burial locations. The remains and other personal effects, including identification tags, were turned over to U.S. officials.
In 2003, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the crash site and recovered additional remains, identification tags and non-biological material evidence.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.
May 11,
2007
1st Lt. Archibald Kelly, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Detroit, Mich
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is 1st Lt. Archibald Kelly, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Detroit, Mich. He will be buried on May 12 in Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, Mich.
Representatives from the Army met with Kelly’s next-of-kin in his hometown to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On July 22, 1944, Kelly was the navigator on a B-24J Liberator on a bombing raid of the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania. Returning to Lecce air base in Italy, the plane was struck by enemy antiaircraft fire and crashed in what is now Croatia, approximately 430 miles southwest of Ploesti. Of the ten crewmen on board, eight survived and bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed. The rear gunner died and his body was later recovered. One of the surviving crewmen saw Kelly bail out before the crash, but said he struck a rocky cliff face when the wind caught his parachute. His body was not found at that time.
After researching information contained in U.S. wartime records, specialists from DPMO’s Joint Commission Support Directorate (JCSD) in 2005 interviewed residents from Dubrovnik and Mihanici village who had information related to WWII aircraft losses in the area. One resident recalled a crash in which one of the crewmen landed on a pile of rocks on Mt. Snijeznica after his parachute failed to open. He said locals buried the individual. Based on witness descriptions of the burial location, the team searched the mountaintop, but was unable to locate the burial site.
Additional JCSD archival research in Croatia confirmed the earlier information found in U.S. records. In June 2006, the Dubrovnik resident reported to JCSD that he had continued the search and found the grave site of the American serviceman. He sent pictures of both the site and the remains to DPMO. In September 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the burial site, confirming with local villagers that it was the same site photographed by the Dubrovnik resident. The team recovered human remains at the site.
Among other traditional forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Kelly’s remains.
April 9,
2007
They
are: 2nd Lt. Raymond A. Cooley, of Leary, Texas; 2nd Lt. Dudley R. Ives, of
Ingleside, Texas; 2nd Lt. George E. Archer, of Cushing, Okla.;
2nd Lt. Donald F. Grady, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Richard R. Sargent,
of N. Girard, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Steve Zayac, of Cleveland, Ohio;
Staff Sgt., Joseph M King, of Detroit, Michigan;
Staff Sgt. Thomas G. Knight, of Brookfield, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Norman L. Nell, of
Tarkio, Mo.;
and Staff Sgt. Blair W. Smith, of Nu Mine, PA; all U. S. Army Air Corp.
Staff Sgt. Joseph M. King, of Detroit, Mich.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of ten U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are 2nd Lt. Raymond A. Cooley, of Leary, Texas; 2nd Lt. Dudley R. Ives, of Ingleside, Texas; 2nd Lt. George E. Archer, of Cushing, Okla.; 2nd Lt. Donald F. Grady, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Richard R. Sargent, of North Girard, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Steve Zayac, of Cleveland, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Joseph M. King, of Detroit, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Thomas G. Knight, of Brookfield, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Norman L. Nell, of Tarkio, Mo.; and Staff Sgt. Blair W. Smith, of Nu Mine, Pa.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. The dates and locations of the funerals are being set by their families.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator crewed by these airmen was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it never returned to friendly lines.
In late 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea notified the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that wreckage of a World War II bomber had been found in Morobe Province. Early the next year, a JPAC team surveyed the site and found aircraft wreckage and remains. They also collected more remains and Grady’s identification tag from local villagers who had found the items at the crash site.
Later in 2002, a JPAC team began excavating the crash site and recovered remains and crew-related items, included identification tags for Knight and Smith. The team was unable to complete the recovery, and another JPAC team re-visited the site two weeks later to complete the excavation. The team found additional remains and identification tags for Sargent and King.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.
NO
MICHIGAN POW/MIA's REPORTED IN 2006
December 15,
2005
Seaman Second Class Warren P. Hickok of Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. Navy seaman, missing in action from the attack on Pearl Harbor, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Seaman Second Class Warren P. Hickok of Kalamazoo, Mich. The family has not set a date for his burial.
Hickok was assigned to the Light Mine Layer USS Sicard when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Many crewmembers from the Sicard, including Hickok, were dispatched to assist the crew of the USS Cummings, a Navy destroyer docked nearby. The Cummings succeeded in getting underway and clearing Pearl Harbor, but no casualties were reported aboard that ship. During an investigation to determine who was still unaccounted-for after the attack, it was surmised that Hickok may have been a casualty aboard the battleship USS Pennsylvania. Some crewmen from the Sicard had been dispatched to the Pennsylvania during the attack, but there was no record to indicate that Hickok was lost aboard that ship.
In the days following the attack, burial details interred many of the unknown dead in Nuuanu Cemetery on Oahu. Among those buried were an unknown sailor identified only as X-2. Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service oversaw the disinterment of unknown remains, including the X-2 remains. They could not be identified, and were reburied in Section E, Grave 731, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, on June 9, 1949.
In 2004, an avocational historian contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii and suggested that the remains in Grave 731 may be those of Hickok. Based on available records, JPAC exhumed the grave in June 2005. Forensic anthropologists at JPAC were able to match those remains, including dental remains, with detailed information found in Hickok’s World War II medical and dental records.
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