USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
July 16, 2019

Navy Fire Controlman 3rd Class Adolph J. Loebach, 22

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
July 16, 2019

Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Johnnie C. Laurie,

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
July 11, 2019

Army Pvt. James I. Trick,

Army Pvt. James I. Trick, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In late 1944, Trick was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, which was engaged against enemy forces in the Hürtgen Forest, near Germeter, Germany.

He reportedly killed by enemy shrapnel on Nov. 4, 1944, while bring supplies for his unit. 

Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
July 8, 2019

Marine Corps Platoon Sgt. George E. Trotter,

Marine Corps Platoon Sgt. George E. Trotter, Missouri killed during World War II, was accounted for.


In November 1943, Trotter was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 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, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

Trotter died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. 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 Trotter’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 as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown X-055.

On March 13, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-055 from the NMCP for identification.

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

Absent of evidence of continued survival, the Department of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.

 He was given a posthumous promotion from Private First Class to Corporal. Today, Corporal Angle is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
July 8, 2019

Army Pvt. Penn Franks, Jr.

Army Pvt. Penn Franks, Jr., killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In February 1945, Franks was a member of Company G, 371st Infantry Regiment 92nd Infantry Division.

His unit was engaged in battle on the Gothic line in the northern Apennine Mountains near Strettoia, Italy, when he was killed in action on Feb. 10, 1945. Following the battle, his unit was unable to recover his remains. 

 Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
July 1, 2019

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Kenneth W. Likens, 20

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Kenneth W. Likens, 20,  Mount Clemens, Mi. was killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

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.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
July 1, 2019

Army Pfc. David C. Wilkes,

Army Pfc. David C. Wilkes, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In late 1950, Wilkes was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.

 Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea,
when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south.

The U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Wilkes was initially reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950,
when he could not be accounted for after the withdrawal, but his status was later amended to killed in action.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 27, 2019

Army Cpl. Earl H. Markle, 19

Army Cpl. Earl H. Markle, 19, of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In November 1950, Markle 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.

On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim 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 Markle’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.

 Marine killed From World War II Accounted For
June 27, 2019

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Wesley L. Kroenung, Jr., 25

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Wesley L. Kroenung, Jr., 25, of South Pasadena, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1943, Kroenung was a photographer with Headquarters Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Fifth Amphibious Corps, temporarily assigned to the 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, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

Kroenung died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. He was reportedly buried in the 2nd Marine Division Cemetery #4.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. 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 Kroenung’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 as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown X-103.

On November 7, 2016, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-103 from the NMCP for identification. Shortly after, DPAA disinterred one set of remains, designated Tarawa Unknown X-104B from Cemetery #33. The remains were consolidated and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

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

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 27, 2019

Army Sgt. Vernon R. Judd,

Army Sgt. Vernon R. Judd, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In late 1950, Judd was a member of Company D, 89th Medium Tank Battalion, 25th Infantry Division.

He was reported missing in action on Nov. 28, 1950, when he was captured by enemy forces in the vicinity of Ipsok, North Korea.

According to reports, Judd died at Hofong Prisoner of War camp, also known as Pukchin-Tarigol, on Feb. 15, 1951, and his remains were unable to be recovered.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 26, 2019

Marine Corps Pvt. Waldean Black, 20,

Marine Corps Pvt. Waldean Black, 20, of Perryton, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Black 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 Black.

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

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

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 Black 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 DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

Airmen killed From World War II Accounted For
June 26, 2019

Army Air Forces Sgt. Howard F. Gotts,

Army Air Forces Sgt. Howard F. Gotts, Stanley, New York was  killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In August 1943, Gotts was a radio operator assigned to the 66th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy,) known as the Flying 8-Balls. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24D aircraft on which Gotts served,
crashed during the largest bombing mission, Operation Tidal Wave, against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.

Sergeant Gotts was a recipient of the Distinguished flying cross for his participation in the Ploesti raid "Operation Tidal Wave" August 1st 1943.
One of the most daring raids of WW2. Coming in at tree top level the 44th BG destroy Romanian oil refineries.

The Romanian government announced they had recovered and buried 216 Americans killed in the bombing raid, but could only identify 27 of the men at the time of the recovery.

The remaining casualties were said to have been buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania. 

Army Pfc. Sterling Geary, Jr., 24, of Cooper, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In November 1950, Geary was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, which was engaged in battle with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces in North Korea. He was declared missing in action on Nov. 27, 19510 when he could not be accounted for by his unit following fighting at Hill 234, and Tong-dong Village, North Korea. 

Following the war, one returning American prisoner of war reported that Geary had been captured by the CPVF and died in March 1951 while being held at prisoner of war Camp 5. Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of March 31, 1951.

On Dec. 21, 1993, North Korea unilaterally turned over 34 boxes of remains, believed to be unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War. The remains in Box 17 were reportedly recovered from Tonju-ri, Pyokdong County, North P’yongan Province, North Korea. 

In October 2000, two joint Korean and U.S. Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii (a predecessor to DPAA) Recovery Operations excavated sites in Kujang County, North Korea, which is near Unsan County, and an area associated with individuals captured and sent to prisoner of war Camp 5, where Geary was reported to have died. The remains recovered were accessioned to the laboratory and consolidated with remains returned in 1993. 

To identify Geary’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,) Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 21, 2019

Army Cpl. Billy J. Butler, 19

Army Cpl. Billy J. Butler, 19, of Kerrville, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In late 1950, Butler was a member of Company C, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the enemy near Kujang, North Korea. On Nov. 28, 1950, his unit’s defensive positions were attacked and he was captured by the Chinese People’s Volunteer Force (CPVF.) 

Following the war, returning American prisoners reported that Butler died in January 1951, at the prisoner of war camp in Pukchin-Tarigol, North Korea, known by some as Hofong Camp.

On March 15, 1954, the U.S. Army declared Butler deceased as of Jan. 27, 1951.

On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim 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 Butler’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.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 21, 2019

Army Pfc. Roger L. Woods, 18

Army Pfc. Roger L. Woods, 18, of Cincinnati, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In the summer of 1950, Woods was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, fighting against members of the Korean People’s Army. On July 29, 1950, he was reported missing in action in the vicinity of Kochang, South Korea. Absent of evidence of continued survival, the Department of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.

According to historical reports, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains initially designated as Unknown X-274 Miryang and later as Unknown X-274 Tanggok from an isolated grave in the vicinity of Kochang Town, South Korea. A tag that accompanied the remains claimed that the remains had been removed from a single grave on Oct. 29, 1950. On April 20, 1955, the remains were declared unidentifiable and were subsequently transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as an Unknown.

In August 2018, following thorough historical and scientific analysis, X-274 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

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

Airmen killed From World War II Accounted For
June 20, 2019

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Toney W. Gochnauer, 24

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Toney W. Gochnauer, 24, of Amarillo, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Jan. 25, 1944, Gochnauer was a member of 425th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Heavy Bombardment Group, 14th Air Force, as the co-pilot aboard a B-24J Liberator aircraft, departing Kunming, China on a supply mission to Chabua, India. Despite initially favorable weather, conditions deteriorated rapidly and the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination. Four other aircraft were also lost during their approach to Chabua.
Due to inability to pinpoint a loss location, no search efforts were initiated, and none of the eight crewmembers or four passengers on board were recovered.

In June 2017, DPAA contractor Abor Country was tasked to perform a reconnaissance of a site near Kese Bagang Village, East Kameng District, State of Arunachal Pradesh, based on information provided by Mr. Clayton Kuhles. Abor Country reported they had located an aircraft crash site with a significant amount of debris, including wreckage that resembled an aircraft wing. The contractor turned possible human remains over to the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata.

In December 2017, during a Joint Field Activity, a DPAA investigation team visited the crash site and recovered human remains. The remains were consolidated into the laboratory for analysis.

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

As he arrived in the European Theater of Operations, he found himself and his unit in the middle of the Hurtgen Forest where a brutal battle was being fought since September 1944.
K Company was part of the October push towards the town of Germeter. After days of heavy fighting, they set up a defensive position east of the main B399 Monschau – Duren road.
From here the mission was to advance down south towards the town of Monschau. However, K Company kept their defensive positions along the road for a couple of days between October 15th and 23rd, 1944.
 During these days, several heavy artillery barrages were dropped on the men, and occasional counter attacks were received.

It was on October 20th, 1944 that Private Jacob W. Givens went Missing In Action. One year later on October 21st, 1945, Private Givens was officially reported Missing in Action.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 17, 2019

Army Cpl. Charles S. Lawler, 19

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.

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 Lawler’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) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

USS West Virginia Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 17, 2019

Navy Fireman 3rd Class Harold K. Costill, 18

Navy Fireman 3rd Class Harold K. Costill, 18, of Clayton, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


On Dec. 7, 1941, Costill 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 Costill.

During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Costill, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia, from the NMCP and transferred the remains to the laboratory for identification.

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

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 14, 2019

Army Sgt. 1st Class Elden C. Justus, 23

 Army Sgt. 1st Class Elden C. Justus, 23, of Eureka, California, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on April 16, 2019.

In late November 1950, Justus was a member of Headquarters Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT),
which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was engaged by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces.
By December 6, the U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 wounded service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured or killed in enemy territory.
When Justus could not be accounted for by his unit at the end of the battle; he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 6, 1950.

From April 28 to May 10, 2004, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a predecessor to DPAA, conducted joint recovery operations with the North Korean People’s Army (KPA,) in the vicinity of the Chosin River.
The recovery team excavated two sites, recovering the remains of at least five individuals. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea,) unilaterally turned over the remains to the UNC Military Armistice Commissioned,
where they were subsequently accessioned to the laboratory.

To identify Justus’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 13, 2019

Navy Seaman 1st Class Frank A. Hryniewicz, 20

Navy Seaman 1st Class Frank A. Hryniewicz, 20, of Three Rivers, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Hryniewicz 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 Hryniewicz. 

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 Hryniewicz.

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 Hryniewicz’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 12, 2019

Navy Seaman 1st Class Millard Burk, Jr., 19

Navy Seaman 1st Class Millard Burk, Jr., 19, of Pikeville, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


On Dec. 7, 1941, Burk 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 Burk. 

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 Burk.

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

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
June 12, 2019

Army Pvt. Ballard McCurley, 34

Army Pvt. Ballard McCurley, 34, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma was killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In November 1944, McCurley was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest of Germany.

On Nov. 29, 1944, his battalion went to a reserve position in the woods west of the town of Hürtgen.

He and other Soldiers in his unit were ordered to clear a field of tree stumps so vehicles could drop off rations and supplies. According to witnesses, while clearing out a tree stump, McCurley inadvertently set off an enemy anti-personnel mine and he was killed instantly.

His remains were not recovered or identified immediately after his loss.

Army Pfc. Dewey W. Harris, 23, of Cherryville, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

In November 1944, Harris was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest, American forces were unable to search for him. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.

After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Harris’ remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, his remains were declared non-recoverable.

In 1946, following demining operations, a set of remains was recovered from near where Harris was last seen alive. The remains, unable to be identified, were designated Unknown X-2702, and buried at United States Military Cemetery Neuville, present day Ardennes American Cemetery, in Belgium.

Based upon the original recovery location of X-2702, DPAA analysts determined that there was a likely association between the remains and Harris. In August 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-2702 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Harris’ 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.

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 10, 2019

Army Cpl. Robert L. Bray, 19

Army Cpl. Robert L. Bray, 19, from Ross County, Ohio was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In July 1950, Bray was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment.

He was reported missing in action on July 20, 1950, when he could not be accounted for following his unit fighting in a defensive action against enemy forces near Taejon, South Korea.

With no information concerning his whereabouts, the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
June 7, 2019

Army Cpl. Ralph L. Bennett, 22

Army Cpl. Ralph L. Bennett, 22, of Ames, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


In June 1944, Bennett was a member of Headquarters Company, 209th Engineer Combat Battalion, as an engineer in the China-Burma-India Theater. On June 13, 1944, Bennett’s battalion fought in the siege of Myitkyina, Burma, after successfully taking the airfield west of Myitkyina from Japanese control. Bennett was reported to have been killed during the battle.

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 the remains of those who were not identified. In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S. Military Cemetery 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.

One set of remains, designated Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda, was reportedly disinterred on Oct. 21, 1947 and transferred to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where they were unable to be identified. They were subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, in March 1949.

On July 16, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda from the Punchbowl and accessioned the remains into the laboratory.

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

Army 1st Lt. Seymour P. Drovis, 24, of Cook County, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


In July 1944, Drovis was a member of Company A, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, engaged against enemy forces in Achugao Village, Saipan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The division sustained heavy casualties during one of the largest Japanese “banzai” attacks of WWII. A soldier reported seeing Drovis fatally shot on July 7, 1944. 

In September 2013, two Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command anthropologists (JPAC, a predecessor to DPAA) recovered possible osseous remains and material evidence from a burial feature on Saipan. The location correlates to where Drovis’ unit fought during the banzai attack. The remains were recovered by JPAC Central Identification Laboratory anthropologists and by a Japanese non-governmental organization, Kuenti, working in conjunction with the Japanese government, and in cooperation with a local archeological firm, Swift and Harper Archaeological Research and Consulting, and the Japanese Historic Preservation Office. The remains were subsequently sent to the DPAA laboratory for identification.

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

Soldier killed From World War II Accounted For
June 7, 2019

Army Pvt. Harry W. Wilder, 21

Army Pvt. Harry W. Wilder, 21, of Denver, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


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

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

In April 1947, following demining operations, a set of unidentified remains was recovered from the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest. The remains were sent to the central processing point at Neuville, Belgium. They were unable to be identified, were designated X-5392, and buried as an unknown Soldier at Neuville American Cemetery.

Based upon the original recovery location of X-5392, a DPAA historian determined that there was a likely association between the remains and Wilder. In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-5392 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.

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

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 6, 2019

Baker 2nd Class David L. Kesler, 23,

Baker 2nd Class David L. Kesler, 23, of Berthoud, Colorado, killed during World War II, was accounted for.


On Dec. 7, 1941, Kesler 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 Kesler. 

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 Kesler.

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 Kesler’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.

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. William E. Brandenburg, 19, of New Miami, Ohio. Brandenburg was accounted for.


In November 1943, Brandenburg was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Brandenburg died on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943.

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

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. Reports indicate that Brandenburg was buried in the Central Division Cemetery, later renamed to Cemetery #26. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Brandenburg’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated Tarawa Unknown X-074.

In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-074 from the NMCP for identification.

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

USS Oklahoma Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 4, 2019

Navy Seaman 1st Class Ralph H. Keil, 20

Navy Seaman 1st Class Ralph H. Keil, 20, Prairie Home, Missouri was killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

On Dec. 7, 1941, Keil 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 Keil.

Airmen killed From World War II Accounted For
June 4, 2019

Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Charles G. Ruble,

Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Charles G. Ruble, Randolph County, Indiana was killed during World War II, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In September 1944, Ruble was a member of the 99th Troup Carrier Squadron, 441st Troup Carrier Group, serving as an aerial engineer aboard a C-47A aircraft, nicknamed the "Celia L."

On Sept. 17, 1944, the Celia L, which operated out of U.S. Army Air Forces Station 490 Langar, Nottinghamshire, England, was carrying a crew of five and transporting 10 paratroopers from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
 approaching a drop-zone near Groesbeek, Netherlands.

The plane was seen taking direct anti-aircraft fire to the wing. While the paratroopers successfully exited the plane, the five crewmembers were still onboard.

Three crewmembers survived, but two, including Ruble, could not be accounted for, and were believed to have been killed in the crash.

Charles G Ruble is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. 

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
June 4, 2019

Army Pvt. Edward M. Morrison,

Army Pvt. Edward M. Morrison, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of Kin briefing.)

In July 1950, Morrison was a member of 1st Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.

His unit was holding a defensive position north of P'yongt'aek, South Korea, when he was killed by small arms fire on July 6, 1950. Morrison was the first casualty of his company during its second engagement in the war.

His remains could not be recovered following the battle.

USS Colorado Sailor killed From World War II Accounted For
June 3, 2019

Navy Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Harold L. Dick, 22

Soldier Killed During the Korean War Accounted For
May 13, 2019

Army Sgt. George R. Schipani,

Army Sgt. George R. Schipani, 19, of Somerville, Massachusetts, was accounted for.

In late 1950, Schipani was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit took part in the Battle of Unsan, North Korea. Early in the morning of Nov. 2, 1950, Schipani’s battalion was struck by enemy units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces. After several days of intense fighting, survivors escaped to friendly lines. Schipani was reported missing in action as of Nov. 2, 1950.

At the end of the war, returning American prisoners stated that Schipani had been captured and marched to Pyoktong, Prisoner of War Camp 5, and died in February or March 1951. Based on this information, the Army declared Schipani deceased as of March 31, 1951.

Although the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service planned to recover American remains that remained north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone after the war, administrative details between the United Nations Command and North Korea complicated recovery efforts. An agreement was made and in September and October 1954, in what was known as Operation Glory, remains were returned. Remains that were unable to be identified were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including a set of remains designated Unknown X-13448 Op Glory.

In July 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-13448 Op Glory from the Punchbowl, and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.

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

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

USS Oklahoma Brothers killed From World War II Accounted For
May 13, 2019

Seaman 2nd Class Calvin H. Palmer,23        Seaman 2nd Class Wilferd D. Palmer, 22

Navy brothers, Seaman 2nd Class Calvin H. Palmer, 23 and Seaman 2nd Class Wilferd D. Palmer, Andes, 22 from Richland County, Montana, killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, were accounted for.

Calvin and Wilfred Palmer were among a surprisingly large number of brothers assigned to the USS Oklahoma.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Palmers were 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 the Palmer brothers. 

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 the brothers.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify the Palmers’ 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) and analysis. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.

Army Sgt. Cread E. Shuey, 23, of Norton, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.

On Dec. 8, 1941, Shuey was a member of Battery G, 60th Coast Artillery Regiment, serving in the Philippines, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of the Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942. 

Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were taken prisoner and sent to prisoner of war camps. Shuey 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 remaining years of the war. According to prison and historical records, Shuey died on Sept. 27, 1942, and was buried along with fellow prisoners in the local Cabanatuan camp cemetery. 

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

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

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 cemetery near Manila. In late 1947, the AGRS again exhumed the remains at the Manila cemetery 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 reburied as unknowns in the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.


In May 2016, the Secretary of the Army granted permission to exhume six graves associated with the Cabanatuan Common Grave 439. On May 11, 2016, the remains were sent to DPAA for identification. 

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

Soldier  From World War II Accounted For
May 1, 2019

Army Cpl. Ralph L. Bennett, 24

Airmen  From World War II Accounted For
April 29, 2019

Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Vincent J. Rogers, Jr. 21

Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Vincent J. Rogers, Jr., 21, Snyder, N.Y. killed during World War II, was accounted for.


On Jan. 21, 1944, Rogers was an assistant radio operator for the 38th Bombardment Squadron, (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group, stationed at Hawkins Field, Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, when his B-24J bomber crashed in shallow water shortly after take-off. 

The squadron's physician witnessed the crash and immediately waded into the water. He was able to rescue three members of the 10-man crew. The other seven crew members perished in the crash. Their remains were subsequently recovered from the wreckage and buried on the island in a temporary cemetery.

Following the war, the U.S. Army’s 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company (AGRC) conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947. Those efforts led to the recovery and identification of three of the seven deceased crew members from the B-24J. The AGRC also consolidated all the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains of the other four crewmembers from the B-24J bomber were believed to be among those moved, however Rogers’ remains were not identified and he was declared non-recoverable. Those Tarawa remains that could not be identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

On April 3, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-012 from the Punchbowl. Also in 2017, History Flight, Inc., through a partnership with DPAA uncovered a series of coffin burials in Cemetery #33. Based on scientific analysis, the X-012 remains were consolidated with remains recovered from Cemetery #33.

To identify Rogers’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

Army Pfc. Herschel M. Riggs,  18, of Rio Grande City, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.

In July 1950, Riggs was an infantryman with Headquarters Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, involved in combat actions against North Korean forces near Taejon, South Korea. Riggs was declared missing in action on July 16, 1950, when he could not be accounted for by his unit. Following numerous battlefield searches, the American Graves Registration Service was unable to locate Riggs’ remains and he was declared deceased on July 31, 1953. 

In October 1950, a set of remains found at Choch’iwon, and designated X-155 Taejon, were sent to the Central Identification Unit in Kokura Japan for possible identification. The remains, unable to be identified, were subsequently buried in the National Memorial of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. 

After thorough historical and scientific analysis, it was determined that X-155 Taejon could likely be identified. On Oct. 16, 2017, X-155 was disinterred and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Riggs’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis.
In July 1950, Riggs was an infantryman with Headquarters Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, involved in combat actions against North Korean forces near Taejon, South Korea.

As the regiment began withdrawing south to Taejon, the North Koreans pushed deep into their defensive lines and set up a roadblock en route to Taejon. When retreating American convoys could not break through the roadblock, soldiers were forced to leave the road and attempt to make their way in small groups across the countryside.

 Of the 900 soldiers in the 19th Infantry when the Battle of Kum River started, only 434 made it to friendly lines.