“HONOR THE DEAD BY HELPING THE LIVING”
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.
March 03, 2017
KHAMMOUANE, Laos --
With
1,614 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,
January 29, 2017. 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, January 26, 2017. 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, January 23, 2017. 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, January 29, 2017.
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, January 23, 2017. 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.
In March of
2017, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
WWII
from MICHIGAN - 2466
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Korea
from MICHIGAN - 341
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Cold War
from MICHIGAN - 4
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Viet Nam
from MICHIGAN - 48
RECENTLY
FOUND
HEROES in 2019
February
14
Navy Electrician's Mate 3rd Class William A. Klasing,
Trenton, Illinois
was killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Klasing 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 Klasing.
In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Klasing'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.
February
14
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Alfred R. Sandini,
Marlborough,
Massachusetts
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In February 1944, Sandini was a member of 22nd Bombardment
Squadron, 341st Bombardment Group, serving as a radio gunner aboard a B-25C
aircraft. On Feb. 15, 194`, the aircraft he was aboard crashed, allegedly due to
enemy anti-aircraft fire, near the Do Len Bridge in Thanh Hoa Province, French
Indochina- now known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Sandini was reported missing and ultimately declared dead on February
15, 1944.
Recorded circumstances attributed to: "Missing in action or lost at sea".
Incident location: Indo China.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Sandini's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the
Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the
Philippines, along with others missing from WWII.
Army Cpl. James C. Rix, 18, Wheeler, Ga.
was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Rix was a member of Company E, 7th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was killed in action on Nov. 30, 1950, during
heavy fighting between the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) and the 7th
Cavalry Regiment in the vicinity of South Pyongan Province, North Korea. His
remains were processed through a 7th Cavalry Regiment Collection Station on Dec.
1, 1950, and interred at the United Nations Military Cemetery (UNMC) Pyongyang,
on Dec. 2, 1950.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Rix'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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Sgt. George R. Schipani,
Massachusetts was killed during the Korean War, 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.
SGT Schipani was taken to Prisoner of War Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea, where he died of dysentery in early 1951. He was reportedly buried on a hill across the river from Camp 5.
Following the conflict's ceasefire, the U.S. and North Korean
governments participated in an exchange of war dead, known as Operation Glory.
SGT Schipani's remains were returned as part of Operation Glory; however, they
could not be identified at the time and were buried as unknowns at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Schipani'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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
February
12
Navy Seaman 1st Class Kirby R.
Stapleton, 24, of Chillicothe, Missouri, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Stapleton 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 Stapleton.
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 Stapleton.
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 Stapleton’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis,
dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
February
12
Navy Seaman 1st Class Kenneth H.
Sampson, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Sampson was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Sampson.
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 Sampson.
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 Sampson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and autosomal (auSTR)
DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and
material evidence.
February
12
Seaman 1st Class John A. Karli, 19, of
San Marino, California, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Karli 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 Karli.
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 Karli.
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 Karli’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
February
11
Navy Fire Controlman 1st Class Edward J.
Shelden, 29, of Indianapolis, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Shelden 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 Shelden.
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 Shelden.
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 Shelden’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Army Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds, 20, of
High Point, North Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In April 1951, Reynolds was a member of Medical Company, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and attached to 2nd Platoon, Company
C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, near Hwach’on Reservoir, South Korea.
He was killed on April 26, 1951, while caring for wounded Soldiers. Because of
ongoing fighting in the area, Reynolds’ remains were unable to be recovered.
In 2017, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in
Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI), a South Korean organization with the
same mission as DPAA searched in the vicinity of where Reynolds was killed and
recovered possible osseous material. The remains were accessioned into the MAKRI
laboratory, where it was determined the remains were likely of European decent.
They were subsequently sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Reynolds’ 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.
Army Master Sgt. Charlie J. Mares, 31,
Fayette, Texas
killed
during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1951, Mares was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion,
34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat against the
Korean People’s Army. Mares was reported missing in action following the battle,
fought near Kwonbin-ni, South Korea, on July 31, 1951.
For his leadership and valor, Master Sergeant Mares was awarded
the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge the National
Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Mares' 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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Cpl. Carlos E. Ferguson,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In May 1951, Ferguson was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion,
23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, engaged in combat against the
North Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces. The
battle, fought near Kangye, South Korea, from May 16-20, was named the “Battle
of the Soyang River.” Ferguson was reported missing in action on May 18, 1951.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Ferguson’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
February
7
Marine Corps Pvt. Waldean Black, 20,
Spearman, Hansford County, Texas,
killed
during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Black 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 Black.
In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Black'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.
Soldier
Army Pfc. Clifford M. Mills, 30,
Evansville, Indiana
was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In September 1944, Mills was a member of the 319th Glider Field
Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, which participated in Operation
Market Garden, the invasion of the German-occupied Netherlands. On Sept. 18,
1944, Mills was reported missing in action in the vicinity of Wyler and Zyfflich,
Germany.
Recorded circumstances attributed to: "Missing in action or lost
at sea".
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for
their partnership in this mission.
Mills’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, an American Battle
Monuments Commission site, along with others who are missing from WWII. Although
interred as an "unknown" his grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70
years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next
to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lynn W.
Hadfield, 26, of Salt Lake City, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On March 21, 1945, Hadfield was a member of the 642nd Bombardment
Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force,
piloting an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went
missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany.
Hadfield, and his two crewmen, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton and Sgt. John Kalausich, had
been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop
movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23,
1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed,
however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hadfield’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had
previously collaborated with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a
predecessor to DPAA,) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had
found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hadfield’s
aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse
paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hadfield’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History
Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site,
recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and
possible osseous material.
To identify Hadfield’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.
February
1
Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Ted Hall, 23, Kansas City, Kansas killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.
Ted Hall awoke hungry, as usual, on December 7. No matter how bad
the food was, he never missed a meal, said Lowery, whose own opinion was that
sometimes I didn't feel the food was worth it. Hall gave Lowery a couple of
shakes, asking about breakfast, but Lowery was only vaguely aware of his
friend's presence. I didn't even open my eyes, he said, and drifted back to
sleep as Hall went down to the galley. Suddenly, everything was shaking. There
was a loud noise. Somebody said we were having practice bombing. The first
reactions were some expletives of profanity. The call to battle stations and the
shuddering impact of the first of nine torpedoes convinced the Marines that this
was no drill. Lowery and the rest of the men in the Marine compartment scattered
to their battle stations; few made it, and many were never seen again.
Much later, Lowery learned that his decision to sleep
in had probably saved his life. Ted went down to breakfast that morning,
he said. I was told he was down there when one of the torpedoes hit and one of
the gear lockers turned over on him. He was crushed.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Hall 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 Hall.
In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
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.
Hall'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.
January 31
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Howard T. Lurcott,
Missouri
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Jan. 21, 1944, Lurcott was a member of the 38th Bombardment
Squadron, 30th Bombardment Group, stationed at Hawkins Field, Betio Island,
Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, when the B-24J bomber aircraft he was piloting
crashed into Tarawa lagoon shortly after takeoff. Lurcott and the nine other
servicemen aboard the aircraft were killed.
DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., and the Republic of
Kiribati of for their partnership in this mission.
Lurcott’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
Punchbowl, site along with others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed
next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
January 31
Navy Seaman 1st Class Frank A. Hryniewicz, 25,
Pioche, Nevada
was 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 .
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
Hryniewicz' 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.
January 25
Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Eugene
K. Eberhardt., 29, of Newark, New Jersey, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Eberhardt 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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome
(Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis and circumstantial
evidence.
Army Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds, High
Point, N.C. was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In April 1951, Reynolds was a member of Medical Company, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and attached to 2nd Platoon, Company
C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, near Hwach’on Reservoir, South Korea.
He was killed on April 26, 1951, while
caring for wounded Soldiers. Because of ongoing fighting in the area,
Reynolds’ remains could not be recovered.
DPAA is grateful to the South Korean Government and the Ministry
of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification for
their partnership in this mission.
Reynolds' 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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
January 24
Baker 2nd Class David L. Kesler, 22,
North Platte ,
Nebraska was
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.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
Kesler'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.
Civilian
Killed
Mr. Roy F. Townley, 52,
killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Townley, an employee
of Air America Incorporated, was co-piloting an Air America C-123K
from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xienhom District,
Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for
U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were
northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through
Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found.
Townley was subsequently reported missing.
The Provider's flight path was from Udorn Airbase, Thailand to Lima Site (LS) 69A, which was also located at Ban Xieng Lom. The flight was to make course changes over Lima Site (LS) 23 located at Sayaboury, Laos; then a second change over LS 62A located at Ban Hong Sa, Laos before continuing on to LS 69A. The aircrew made standard radio checks at the same time they made course changes. The last communication with flight #293 was when the aircrew made a radio transmission when they were over Ban Hong Sa. They were to land at Ban Xieng Lom 11 minutes later.
When the C123K failed to arrive at its destination, an extensive
search and rescue (SAR) operation was initiated and continued over the next
several days. When no trace of the aircraft or its crew was found, the search
was terminated and Roy Townley, George Ritter, Edward Weissenback and Khamphanh
Saysongkham were listed Missing in Action.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for
their partnership in this mission.
Mr. Edward J. Weissenback, 29, New York City killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Weissenback, an
employee of Air America Incorporated, was a crewman aboard an Air
America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xienhom
District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply
mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from
when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were
continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four
crewmembers were found. Weissenback was subsequently reported missing.
Edward accepting a job with Air America. He left for Laos two weeks after his wedding. He worked as an Air Freight Specialist (Kicker) until April 1969, when he returned to Redmond and smoke jumping for the summer. We then returned to SOC/SOU for each of us to finish up our last year of college. Edward jumped again at Redmond in 1970 and had a terrible accident when his parachute malfunctioned and he drifted into a large tree.
He spent the rest of that summer working at the base with a badly injured back, and he missed out on a great jump season. Edward was recalled by Air America, got a doctor to sign off on his physical (taking the back brace off on his way into the doctor’s office), and we left for Laos in September 1970. Edward, unfortunately, became a civilian MIA when the plane on which he was working was shot down on December 27, 1971 over a section of northern Laos controlled by the Chinese, who were building a road across northern Laos near the Chinese border.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for
their partnership in this mission.
Soldier
January 22
Army Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer, 20, of
Newberry, South Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In November 1944, Fulmer was a member of Company A, 1st
Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported
missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand
sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to
ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest
American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Fulmer was
among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On
Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Fulmer’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 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-5460, and buried at Neuville American
Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5460, a DPAA
historian determined that there was a likely association between the remains and
Fulmer. In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments
Commission disinterred X-5460 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify Fulmer’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.
Army Sgt. Frank J. Suliman,
Middlesex,
N.J.
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Suliman was a member of Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, fighting
against members of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in North Korea.
On Dec. 1, 1950, the convoy of trucks Suliman was riding in was halted by a
roadblock south of Kunuri, North Korea, and the Soldiers were commanded to
abandon the vehicles and attempt to get through the road block on foot.
Fellow Soldiers reported that Suliman was
captured and taken to the CPVF prisoner of war camp at Pukchin-Tarigol, North
Korea, where he reportedly died in March 1951.
On July 27, 2018, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of U.S. servicemen 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 analysis.
DPAA remains fully prepared to resume recovery operations in the
DPRK, and looks forward to the continued fulfillment of the commitment made by
President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un on the return and recovery of
U.S. servicemen in North Korea.
Suliman’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
January 17
Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton,
19, of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On March 21, 1945, Hamilton was a member of the 642nd Bombardment
Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force,
aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went
missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany.
Hamilton, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. John
Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct
German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River
on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed,
however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hamilton’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had
previously collaborated with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a
predecessor to DPAA) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had
found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hamilton’s
aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse
paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hamilton’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History
Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site,
recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and
possible osseous material.
To identify Hamilton’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.
January 16
Army Air Forces Sgt. John Kalausich,
Greensboro,
North Carolina
was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On March 21, 1945, Kalausich was a member of the 642nd
Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air
Force, aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went
missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany.
Kalausich, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt.
Vernon Hamilton, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct
German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River
on March 23, 1945.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Hagedorn, the government of Germany and
History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Kalausich’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in
Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will
be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Naval Reserve Lt. Richard C. Lannom, 27,
of Union City, Tennessee, killed during the Vietnam War, was
accounted for.
On March 1, 1968, Lannom, a bombardier-navigator assigned to
Attack Squadron Three Five (ATKRON 35), USS Enterprise (CVA-65), was on board an
A-6A aircraft on a night strike mission over Quang Ninh Province of North
Vietnam. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost due to the low altitude of the
aircraft, and the pilot had been instructed to turn his identification beeper
off. The flight path to the target was over islands known to have light
anti-aircraft artillery. When the aircraft failed to return to the carrier, a
search and rescue effort was mounted. No evidence of the plane could be found.
Lannom and his pilot were subsequently declared missing in action.
In August and September 2006, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking
Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team interviewed three wartime residents concerning a
crash site. One witness, reported traveling to the crash site on the top of a
mountain in Na San Hamlet several times, finding a pilot’s helmet.
During a JFA in 2007, a witness stated that in 1968, he heard an
explosion while he was sleeping. He went outside and observed an aircraft crash
and explode on impact. He later observed scattered aircraft wreckage and
personal effects.
Between October and December 2017, a VNOSMP Unilateral Team
excavated a crash site below the peak of a steep mountain on the southwestern
peninsula of Tra Ban Island. The team recovered possible osseous material, as
well as material evidence and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Lannom’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
January 11
Navy Fireman 1st Class Grant C. Cook, Jr.,
20, of Cozad, Nebraska, killed during World War II, was accounted for on
Aug. 27, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cook 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 Cook.
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 Cook.
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 Cook’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
January 9
Navy Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T.
Cheshire, 40, of San Diego, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cheshire 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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
January 8
Navy Chief Warrant Officer John A.
Austin, 36, of Warrior, Alabama, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Austin 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 Austin.
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 Austin.
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 Austin’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
January 8
Navy Bugle master 2nd Class Lionel W.
Lescault, 28, of Worcester, Massachusetts, killed during World War
II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Lescault was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Lescault.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Lescault.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Lescault’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis,
dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial
evidence.
Army Pfc. James C. Williams,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
On July 20, 1950, Williams was a member of Medical Company, 34th
Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, when he was killed in action near
Taejon, South Korea. Multiple eye witnesses stated that shortly after Williams
had been sent to collect wounded Soldiers with a litter jeep, he was killed
while trying to transport patients from the Taejon Air Strip. Fellow Soldiers
returned Williams’ remains to the collection point, however after his death, the
34th Infantry Regiment’s Medical Company was ordered to withdraw, and his
remains were left behind.
DPAA is grateful to Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Williams' 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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
January 3
Navy Steward 2nd Class Felicismo Florese,
from Nabua, Camarines, Philippine
Islands was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Florese 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 Florese.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
Florese'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.
December 21
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Burleigh E. Curtis,
22, Medfield, Maine
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On June 13, 1944, Curtis was a member of the 377th Fighter
Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group, piloting a P-47D aircraft on a dive-bomb attack
near Briouze, France, when his plane crashed. Witnesses reported that he was not
seen bailing out of the aircraft prior to the crash.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Raphael Merriele, Mr. Paul Hardy, Mr.
Engelbert Serpin, Mr. Jacques Paris, Mr. Jean Claude Clouet, Mr. Raymond
Prod’homme, the French government and History Flight, Inc., for their
partnerships in this mission.
Curtis’ name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Brittany American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in
Montjoie Saint Martin, France, along with the others missing from WWII. A
rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Cpl. John G. Krebs,
19, Sterling IL.
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
On July 11, 1950, Krebs was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion,
21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations
against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea, when he was
declared missing in action.
DPAA is grateful to Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Krebs’ 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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
December 20
Soldier
December 20
Army Pfc. William F. Delaney,
24, Roane County, Tennessee
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
On Nov. 22, 1944, Delaney served with Company A, 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, when his battalion launched a
massive firing demonstration against a large pocket of German defenders near the
town of Grosshau, in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany. During the battle, an enemy
artillery shell struck Delaney’s foxhole, and he died before he could be
medically evacuated. Due to ongoing combat operations, his remains were not
recovered at that time.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for
their partnership in this mission.
Delaney’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, an American Battle
Monuments Commission site along with others who are missing from WWII. Although
interred as an "unknown" his grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70
years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next
to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
December 18
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. James R. Lord, 20, of Conneaut, Ohio,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Aug. 10, 1944, Lord, a member of the 66th Fighter Squadron,
57th Fighter Group, 12th Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force, was piloting a
P-47D aircraft, targeting gun positions in the Savona area of northwest Italy,
near the French border. During the mission, Lord misjudged his altitude and
crashed into the water, a mile off the coast of Anghione, Corsica. No witnesses
reported seeing any parachute sightings.
In the 1980s, local Corsican divers found and documented a large
number of Royal Air Force, French, German and U.S. aircraft off the island. Mr.
Franck Allegrini-Semollini, a local diver and amateur archeologist began diving
the sites in 1985. In August 2012, Allegrini-Semollini dived on two P-47 wrecks,
and informed the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC-a predecessor to DPAA)
of his historical research and findings.
After a 2014 follow-up investigation by JPAC, in June and July
2018, a DPAA Underwater Recovery Team onboard French Navy Vessel BBPD PLUTON,
returned to the site and conducted recovery operations in the area where Lord’s
aircraft was believed to have been. The team consisted of personnel from DPAA,
U.S. Naval Forces Europe, and the French Navy’s dive and EOD unit Groupement de
Plongeurs Démineurs. The team excavated 150 square feet of seafloor sediment,
recovering possible osseous remains, material evidence, unexploded ordnance,
aircraft wreckage and personal effects.
To identify Lord’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Fred E. Freet,
18, of Marion, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In November 1943, Freet was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion,
8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff
Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the
Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of
intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed
and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Freet died on the first day of the battle, Nov.
20, 1943, during the first waves of the assault.
The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S.
military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a
platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to
advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island, including Cemetery #27. The 604th Quartermaster Graves
Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946
and 1947, but Freet’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on
Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for
identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were
interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.
In 2015, DPAA received a unilateral turnover from History Flight,
Inc., a nongovernmental organization, of remains recovered from Cemetery #27 on
Betio Island.
To identify Freet’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Marine
December 17
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Nicholas J.
Gojmerac, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In July 1943, Gojmerac was a member of Company Q, 4th Raider
Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment, when his unit assaulted a Japanese
stronghold at Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands. He was
reported missing in action on July 20, 1943, after he was last seen crawling
through heavy fire to provide medical care to an injured Marine while he was
mortally wounded himself.
A set of remains, later designated X-6, was recovered from an
isolated burial site in Enogai Inlet, New Georgia, Solomon Islands. When the
remains could not be identified, they were ultimately interred in the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu as X-6
Finschhafen.
Based on thorough historical research and analysis, Gojmerac
became a likely candidate to match X-6 Finschhafen in the Punchbowl. On Aug. 20,
2018, DPAA disinterred the remains and accessioned them to the laboratory for
analysis.
To identify Gojmerac’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial, historical and material
evidence.
Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30, of
Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Spangenberg was a member of Company E, 8th
Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on
Nov. 2, 1950 following a battle in Unsan, North Korea. Spangenberg’s name was
never included on lists of American Soldiers being held as prisoners of war by
the Korean People’s Army (KPA) or the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF,)
and no returned American prisoners of war had any information on his status.
On Dec. 31, 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his
status, Spangenberg was declared deceased. In January 1956, he was declared
non-recoverable.
On Oct. 17, 1997, a joint KPA and U.S. recovery team recovered
material evidence and possible remains of a U.S. serviceman, west of the town of
Unsan, North Korea. The site is an area where Spangenberg’s regiment sustained
heavy losses in early November, 1950. The recovered remains were sent to DPAA
for identification.
To identify Spangenberg’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome
(Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Reserve Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class
William H. Blancheri, 19, of Los Angeles, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
In November 1943, Blancheri was a member of Headquarters Company,
2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against
stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of
the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of
intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed
and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Blancheri died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943, during the first
waves of the assault.
The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S.
military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a
platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to
advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island. Blancheri was reportedly buried in Cemetery #26. The
604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery
operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Blancheri’s remains were not
identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield
Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949,
the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.
On Dec. 5, 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-016 from the
NMCP, and sent the remains to the laboratory.
To identify Blancheri’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis,
dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Pfc. George L. Spangenberg, 30, of
Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Spangenberg was a member of Company E, 8th
Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on
Nov. 2, 1950 following a battle in Unsan, North Korea. Spangenberg’s name was
never included on lists of American Soldiers being held as prisoners of war by
the Korean People’s Army (KPA) or the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF,)
and no returned American prisoners of war had any information on his status.
On Dec. 31, 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his
status, Spangenberg was declared deceased. In January 1956, he was declared
non-recoverable.
On Oct. 17, 1997, a joint KPA and U.S. recovery team recovered
material evidence and possible remains of a U.S. serviceman, west of the town of
Unsan, North Korea. The site is an area where Spangenberg’s regiment sustained
heavy losses in early November, 1950. The recovered remains were sent to DPAA
for identification.
To identify Spangenberg’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome
(Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Marine Corps Pfc. Michael L. Salerno,
19, of Philadelphia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Salerno was a member of Company K, 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were
virtually annihilated. Salerno died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20,
1943.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military
success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because
the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which
to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central
Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but
Salerno’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were
sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for
identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were
interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated Tarawa Unknown X-267.
On Jan. 30, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-267 from the
NMCP for identification.
To identify Salerno’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Army Pvt. William A. Boegli, 25, of
Sedan, Montana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In September 1944, Boegli was a member of Company L, 332nd
Infantry Regiment, 81st Infantry Division, invading Angaur Island in the Palau
Island chain. After Boegli’s regiment successfully captured Red Beach on the
northeastern shore, they pushed westward across the island. On Sept. 30, 1944,
Boegli was killed while attempting to lead a group of litter bearers to evacuate
wounded servicemen. His remains were not recovered following the war.
On Oct. 18, 1944, graves registration personnel buried an
unidentified set of remains designated X-8 in Pleasant Grove on Angaur Island.
The American Graves Registration Service subsequently disinterred X-8 and
shipped the remains to the Central Identification Point in Manila, where they
were redesignated X-3788 Manila No. 2. The remains were sent to Fort McKinley,
now the Manila American Cemetery, for permanent burial.
On Jan. 20, 2016, DPAA, along with representatives from the
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, disinterred X-3788.
To identify Boegli’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Pfc. William H. Jones, 19, of
Whitakers, North Carolina, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Jones was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion,
24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, engaged in attacks against the
Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces near Pakchon, North Korea. On Nov. 26, 1950,
after his unit made a fighting withdrawal, he could not be accounted for and was
reported missing in action.
Throughout the remainder of the war, the United Nations Command
regularly requested that the CPVF and Korean People’s Army (KPA) provide lists
of American and allied servicemen held in their custody. No lists provided
included his name as a prisoner of war. Additionally, no returning American
prisoners provided any information on Jones. Based on the lack of information,
the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953, and his remains were
reported as non-recoverable.
On June 12, 2018, in the first meeting between the leaders of the
United States and North Korea. The leaders signed a joint statement, including a
commitment to return the remains American service members lost in North Korea.
On July 27, 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to
contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Jones’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR)
and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, dental, anthropological and chest radiograph
comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
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 17
Navy Musician 2nd Class Francis E. Dick,
20, of Woodland, Washington, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Dick was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Dick.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Dick.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Dick’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and autosomal (auSTR)
DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material
evidence.
December 17
Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Merle
A. Smith, 20, of Woodland, Washington, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Smith was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Smith.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Smith.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Smith’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), and autosomal (auSTR)
DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Fireman 1st Class Claude O. Gowey,
20, of Onawa, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Gowey was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Gowey.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Gowey.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Gowey’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Reserve Fireman 1st Class Lewis F.
Tindall, 18, of Oakland, California, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Tindall was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Tindall.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Tindall.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Tindall’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) DNA analysis,
anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material
evidence.
December 17
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Joe M. Kelley, 20,
of Springfield, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Kelley was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Kelley.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Kelley.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Kelley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, which matched his records, as well as
circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Seaman 1st Class Daniel L.
Guisinger, Jr., 21, of Everett, Washington, killed during World War
II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Guisinger was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Guisinger.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Guisinger.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Guisinger’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material
evidence.
December 17
Navy Seaman 1st Class Wesley V. Jordan,
23, of What Cheer, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jordan was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Jordan.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Jordan.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Jordan’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard V.
Keffer, 26, of Los Angeles, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Keffer was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which
was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese
aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to
quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen,
including Keffer.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Keffer.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Keffer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which
matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence and dental and
anthropological analysis, which matched his records.
December 17
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Wilbur C. Barrett,
26, of El Dorado, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Barrett was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Barrett.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Barrett.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for identification. To date, DPAA has identified more than 135
servicemen killed on board.
To identify Barrett’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Fireman 1st Class Elmer D. Nail,
23, of Kansas City, Missouri, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nail was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Nail.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Nail.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Nail’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Navy Fireman 1st Class Frank E. Nicoles,
24, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nicoles was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in 429
casualties, including Nicoles.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Nicoles.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Nicoles’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Fireman 1st Class Millard C. Pace, 20,
of Vanndale, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Pace 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 Pace.
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 Pace.
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 Pace’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.
December 17
Navy Storekeeper 3rd Class Eli Olsen,
23, of Exira, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Olsen 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 Olsen.
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 Olsen.
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 Olsen’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR)
and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well
as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Navy Storekeeper 1st Class John W.
Craig, 26, of Monroe, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Craig 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 Craig.
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 Craig.
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 Craig’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Warren H. Crim,
20, of McMinnville, Tennessee, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Crim 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 Crim.
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 Crim.
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 Crim’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, which
matched his family, anthropological analysis, which matched his records, along
with circumstantial evidence.
Army Pfc. James P. Shaw, 24, of Holmes,
Florida, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In December 1950, Shaw was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion,
7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, when enemy forces invaded the
regiment’s positions and forced them to withdraw in North Korea. During the
withdrawal, U.S. forces were under constant heavy enemy pressure and were
hampered by icy roads and heavy equipment. Shaw was reported missing following
an engagement which last through the night, on Dec. 3, 1950.
Several returning American prisoners of war
reported that Shaw had been captured and died while in captivity. Based
on this information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased on June 23, 1951.
In September 1954, a set of remains reportedly recovered from the
prisoner of war cemetery at Camps 1 and 3, Changsong, North Korea, were sent to
the Central Identification Unit for attempted identification. The remains were
designated X-14239 and were declared unidentifiable. They were then transferred
to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl,
in Honolulu and were interred as Unknown.
After a thorough historical and scientific analysis, it was
determined that X-14239 could likely be identified. After receiving approval,
X-14239 was disinterred on June 13, 2016 and sent to the DPAA laboratory for
analysis.
To identify Shaw’s remains, scientists from DPAA used laboratory
analysis, including dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison
analysis, all which matched Shaw’s records; as well as circumstantial evidence.
December 17
Navy Seaman 2nd Class George T. George,
26, of St. Louis, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, George 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 George.
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 George.
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 George’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 17
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James,
18, of New Boston, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, James was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including James.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including James.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify James’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, 26,
Salt Lake City
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On March 21, 1945, Hadfield was a member of the 642nd Bombardment
Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force,
piloting an A-26B, when the aircraft was reported to have been hit by
anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France
to Dülmen, Germany. Hadfield, and his two crewmen, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton and Sgt.
John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct
German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River
on March 23, 1945.
DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Germany, Mr.
Adolph Hagedorn and History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Hadfield’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in
Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will
be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On March 21, 1945, Hamilton was a member of the 642nd Bombardment
Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force,
aboard an A-26B, when the aircraft was reported to have been hit by
anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France
to Dülmen, Germany. Hamilton, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other
crewman, Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction
campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied
crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Germany, Mr.
Adolph Hagedorn and History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Hamilton’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in
Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will
be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Hulen A.
Leinweber, 21, of Houston, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On June 10, 1945, Leinweber, a member of 40th Fighter Squadron,
35th Fighter Group, was piloting a P-51 aircraft, on a strafing mission
targeting a large convoy north of Payawan in Infugao Province, Republic of the
Philippines. The aircraft reportedly was struck by anti-aircraft fire, causing
the right wing to break off. Leinweber’s aircraft crashed just south of Ilap
village. The American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) searched the area south
of Ilap village between August 26-28, 1947, locating wreckage but recovering no
remains. In October 1947, Leinweber’s remains were declared non-recoverable.
Between March and July 2017, a Joint University of Illinois at
Chicago (UIC) and National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Recovery Team (RT1)
excavated a site believed to be associated with Leinweber’s crash. The recovery
team found material evidence and possible osseous remains. The remains were sent
to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Leinweber’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis,
as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
December 14
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez,
Jr., 19, of Slidell, Louisiana, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Gomez was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Gomez.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crewmen, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa
and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Gomez.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Gomez’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
December 14
Navy Storekeeper 2nd Class Gerald L.
Clayton, 21, Central City, Nebraska, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Clayton was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Clayton.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crewmen, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa
and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Clayton.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Clayton’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Army Cpl. Frederick E. Coons, 22, of
Fairview Township, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In July 1950, Coons was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion,
34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1950, Coons was
declared missing action in the vicinity of Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province,
South Korea, when he couldn’t be accounted for after a unit withdrawal action to
set up a roadblock against North Korean Forces.
On Feb. 23, 1952, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration
Company recovered three sets of remains from a shallow, temporary grave near the
village of Apkong-ni, South Korea. The remains, designated X-5272, X-5273 and
X-5274, were transferred to the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok for
temporary burial. The remains were then sent to the Central Identification Unit
in Kokura, Japan, for identification.
One set of remains, X-8272 was declared unidentifiable and were
transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu for burial.
On March 12, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-8272 from the
Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Coons’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce, 21,
of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In July 1950, Boyce was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion,
21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations
against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea. Boyce could
not be accounted-for and was declared missing in action on July 11, 1950.
In December 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his
status, Boyce was declared deceased.
On October 7, 1950, a set of remains was recovered from an
isolated grave in the vicinity of Choch’iwon, South Korea. The remains, unable
to be identified, were designated as Unknown X-170 and were buried in the Taejon
United Nations Military Cemetery. In 1951, the graves at Taejon were exhumed and
the unknowns were transferred to the Army’s Central Identification Unit in
Kokura, Japan. Again, X-170 could not be identified and the remains were
subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the
Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-170 was disinterred from the
Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Boyce’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as and
circumstantial and material evidence.
Airmen
Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey, 32, of
Delmar, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
On Feb. 6, 1967, Kibbey was a member of Detachment 5, 38th
Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, when he, along with three other service
members, were crew members of an HH-3E helicopter on a rescue and recovery
mission over North Vietnam. After rescuing the pilot of a downed aircraft,
Kibbey’s helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire, resulting in an internal
explosion and crash. Kibbey was subsequently reported missing in action. His
status was later amended to deceased.
In March 2017, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP)
team excavated a crash site associated with Kibbey’s loss, near Bai Dinh Hamlet,
Dan Hoa Village, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, and recovered possible osseous
remains and material evidence. On March 31, 2017, a Joint Forensic Review team
examined the possible remains in Da Nang and recommended them for repatriation
to the United States. The remains were sent to DPAA in April 2017. A VNOSMP team
continued excavation of the site between February and April 2018, recovering
additional remains. These remains were sent to DPAA on April 16, 2018 and
consolidated with the remains received in 2017.
To identify Kibbey’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as
well as material and circumstantial evidence.
December 13
Army Pfc. Marvin E. Dickson, 19, of
Indianapolis, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November, 1944, Dickson was a member of Headquarters Company,
1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was tasked
with facilitating communication among various battle elements by laying
telephone wire between headquarters and outposts in the Hürtgen Forest in
Germany. Dickson was reportedly killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13,
1944, when he and other Soldiers moved to the front lines to reestablish broken
telephone communications. According to witnesses, one man was killed and three
were wounded. However, surviving members could not confirm Dickson’s death, nor
provide the exact location to where he was killed. He was subsequently listed as
missing in action. In Nov. 14, 1945, his status was amended to killed in
action.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest, to locate Dickson’s remains. Unable to
make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared
non-recoverable.
In April 1947, a set of remains was recovered from District #21
of 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-5406, and buried at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5406, a DPAA
historian determined that there was a possible association between the remains
and Dickson. In April 2017, the Department of Defense and American Battle
Monuments Commission disinterred X-5406 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA
laboratory for identification.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 12
Navy Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Roman W. Sadlowski, 18,
Pittsfield, Mass.
killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Sadlowski 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 Sadlowski.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
Sadlowski'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. Karl L. Dye, killed
during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1950, Dye was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery
Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against North
Korean (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) forces, near Taejon, South Korea.
According to a witness, he was seriously wounded by an enemy mortar shell and
placed in an ambulance. The ambulance allegedly encountered an enemy roadblock.
Dye was reported missing in action on July 16, 1950.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
Dye'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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to
indicate he has been accounted for.
Navy Capt. James R. Bauder, 35, of San
Fernando, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Sept. 21, 1966, Bauder was a member of Fighter Squadron Twenty
One, USS Coral Sea, in South East Asia, as the pilot of an F-4B aircraft in a
flight of two aircraft on a night reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam.
During the mission, the other aircraft lost contact with Bauder’s aircraft, and
the plane did not return to the ship. No missiles were observed in the target
area and no explosions were seen. An extensive search was conducted with
negative results. Based on this information, Bauder was declared missing in
action.
Between 2010 and 2017, Underwater Recovery Teams (URT) from DPAA
conducted excavations of a submerged aircraft crash site in the waters
immediately off Quynh Phuong Village, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province,
Vietnam. During the excavations, numerous pieces of aircraft wreckage,
consistent with Bauder’s aircraft, were found, as well as possible osseous
material.
To identify Bauder’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, 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.
Pilot
December 11
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Allen R. Turner,
25, of Brookline, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On July 17, 1945, Turner, a member of the 1330 Army Air Force
Base Unit, Air Transport Command, was the pilot of a C-109 aircraft, en route
from Jorhat, India, to Hsinching, China, over “The Hump,” when the aircraft
crashed in a remote area. All four passengers were declared deceased after an
extensive search effort failed to identify the crash site.
In late 2007, an independent investigator, Clayton Kuhles,
discovered aircraft wreckage in a deep ravine at a high altitude that correlated
with Turner’s aircraft. Possible osseous remains were recovered and turned over
to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (a predecessor to DPAA).
In February 2009, a contracted group traveled to the reported
crash site and confirmed the location of the aircraft wreckage. Also in 2009, a
local resident in India turned over additional bone fragments he had taken from
the crash site.
To identify Turner’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, as well
as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 11
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne,
26, of Patchogue, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jayne 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 Jayne.
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 Jayne.
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 Jayne’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
December 11
Navy Water Tender 1st Class Edwin B. McCabe, 26,
Carteret, North Carolina,
killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, McCabe was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including McCabe.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
McCabe's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be
placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
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 1st Class Harold W. Roesch,
25, of Rockford, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Roesch was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Roesch.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Roesch.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Roesch’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
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.
December 5
Navy Seaman 2nd Class George A.
Thompson, Great Lakes, Ill. killed during the attack on the USS
Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Thompson was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Thompson.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this recovery.
Thompson's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the
Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be
placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
December 3
Navy Fireman 1st Class Leonard R.
Geller, 21, of Garber, Oklahoma. Geller was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Geller was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Geller.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Geller.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Geller remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA, Y-chromosome (Y-STR)
DNA and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as
circumstantial evidence and anthropological analysis, which matched his records.
Army Pfc. John A. Taylor, 22, of
Winnsboro, Louisiana. Taylor was accounted for.
In August 1950, Taylor was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion,
24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in South Korea. On Aug. 11, his
regiment encountered a Korean People’s Army unit near the village of Haman.
Taylor’s company was ordered to move southwest, where they were ambushed and
forced to disperse. In the days following, the battalions of 24th Infantry
Regiment consolidated their positions, reorganized and began accounting for
their Soldiers. After several days of checking adjoining units, aid stations and
field hospitals, Taylor was reported as killed in action on Aug. 12, 1950, but
his remains were not recovered.