“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.
A number of other boats were sunk in the attack, but later
recovered and repaired.
The USS California (BB-44)
lost 100 crew members that morning, after the ship suffered extensive flooding
damage when hit by two torpedoes on the port side.
Both torpedoes detonated below the armor belt causing virtually identical damage
each time.
A 250 kg bomb also entered the starboard upper deck level, which passed through
the main deck and exploded on the armored second deck,
setting off an anti-aircraft ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men.
After three days of flooding, the California settled
into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface.
She was later re-floated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbor for repairs. USS California served
many missions throughout the war,
and was eventually decommissioned in February, 1947.
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombs fell and
torpedoes slashed through the waters of Pearl Harbor,
causing a devastating amount of damage to the vessels lined up in Battleship Row
in in the dry docks nearby.
Each of the seven battleships moored there suffered some degree of damage, some
far worse than others.
The USS Arizona (BB-39)
and the USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
were completely destroyed. Though the Maryland (BB-46)
was believed by Japan to also have been sunk, she ultimately survived and became
one of the first ships to return to the war.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, ships like the USS Cassin (DD-372),
a Mahan-class
destroyer, suffered what was originally thought to be fatal damage.
While she was extensively damaged during the attack, she was resurrected and
went on to return to service during the remainder of World War II.
The sunken battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48) at Pearl Harbor after her fires
were out, possibly on 8 December 1941.
USS Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard. A Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane (marked
“4-O-3”) is upside down on West Virginia’s main deck.
A second OS2U is partially burned out atop the Turret No. 3 catapult.
In the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor during World War Two stories emerged of sailors who were trapped in the sunken battleships, some even survived for weeks.
Those who were trapped underwater banged continuously on the side of the ship so
that anyone would hear them and come to their rescue.
When the noises were first heard many thought it was just loose wreckage or part
of the clean-up operation for the destroyed harbor.
However the day after the attack, crewmen realized that there was an eerie banging noise coming from the forward hull of the USS West Virginia, which had sunk in the harbor.
t didn’t take long for the crew and Marines based at the harbor to realize that
there was nothing they could do. They could not get to these trapped sailors in
time.
Months later rescue and salvage men who raised the USS West Virginia found the
bodies of three men who had found an airlock in a storeroom but had eventually
run out of air.
Survivors say that no one wanted to go on guard duty anywhere near the USS West
Virginia since they would hear the banging of trapped survivors all night long,
but with nothing that could be done.
When salvage crews raised the battleship West Virginia six months after the
Pearl Harbor attacks,
they found the bodies of three sailors huddled in an airtight storeroom —
and a calendar on which 16 days had been crossed off in
red pencil.
The USS Oklahoma was on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. That was the morning that the Japanese Empire attacked the United States by surprise.
The Japanese
used dive–bombers, fighter–bombers, and torpedo planes to sink nine ships,
including five battleships, and severely damage 21 ships.
There were 2,402 US deaths from the attack. 1,177 of
those deaths were from the USS Arizona,
while 429 of the deaths were from the USS Oklahoma.
The crew of the USS Oklahoma did everything they could to fight back. In the first ten minutes of the battle, though, eight torpedoes hit the Oklahoma, and she began to capsize. A ninth torpedo would hit her as she sunk in the mud. 14 Marines, and 415 sailors would give their lives. 32 men were cut out through the hull while the others were beneath the waterline. Banging could be heard for over 3 days and then there was silence.
After the battle, the Navy decided that they could not salvage the Oklahoma due to how much damage she had received. The difficult savage job began in March 1943, and Oklahoma entered dry dock 28 December. Decommissioning September 1, 1944, Oklahoma was stripped of guns and superstructure, and sold December 5, 1946 to Moore Drydock Co., Oakland, Calif. Oklahoma parted her tow line and sank May 17, 1947. 540 miles out, bound from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco. Today, there is a memorial to the USS Oklahoma and the 429 sailors and marines lost on December 7, 1941, located on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The minelayer Oglala technically
didn't suffer a hit on December 7, but a torpedo passed under it and hit the USS
Helena.
The blast from that crippled the old Oglala which
had been built as a civilian vessel in 1906.
The crewmembers took their guns to the Navy Yard Dock and set them up to provide
more defenses.
They also set up a first aid station that saved the lives of West Virginia
crewmembers.
The ship suffered horribly, eventually capsizing and sinking
until just a few feet of the ship's starboard side remained above water.
It was declared lost, and the Navy even considered blowing it up with dynamite
to clear the dock it had sunk next to.
But the decision was made that it could destroy the dock, so the Navy had to
refloat it. At that point, it made sense to dry dock and repair it.
None of the crew of Oglala were killed in the attack, although three received injuries.
Sean Patterson, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System Department
of Defense DNA Quality Management Section DNA Analyst,
replaces U. S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Billy James Johnson's picture background,
signifying him as an identified service member who was previously missing in
action.
Johnson marks the 200th service member to be identified following the December
7, 1941 Pearl Harbor
attack where 429 U.S. Sailors and Marines were killed on the USS Oklahoma
(BB-37).
A
series of large posters hang in the conference room of the Defense POW/MIA
Accounting Agency laboratory located at Offutt Air Base, Nebraska.
The heading on each of the posters states “USS OKLAHOMA.” Underneath the
headings are neat rows of printed rectangular frames.
Each one represents a person who was unaccounted for when the USS Oklahoma was
sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Thanks
to the work of Dr. Brown’s team, the remains of 200 previously unknown crewmen
from the USS Oklahoma
have now been returned to their families for proper burial and their families
have those long-awaited answers.
The story of the USS Oklahoma’s lost crewmen is
an evolving history lesson that began on what
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called
“a date that will live in infamy.”
LIST OF USS OKLAHOMA IDENTIFICATIONS FROM MICHIGAN:
(Please note that in some USS Oklahoma identifications,
the primary next of kin has yet to be notified,
and therefore the names will not be released at this time.)
*Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessmer, Mich.
*Seaman 1st Class Robert W. Headington, 19, of Bay City, Michigan
*Machinist's Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of North Lake, Michigan
*Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G. Lehman, 18, of Hancock, Michigan
*Fireman 2nd Class Lowell E. Valley, 19, of Ontonagon, Michigan
It is through this effort that the accounting community
has been able to honor the sacrifices of the USS Oklahoma Sailors and Marines
and their families who pushed for the fullest possible accounting of their loved
ones.
Ford Island
is seen in this aerial view during the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor December
7, 1941 in Hawaii.
(The photo was taken from a Japanese plane.)
Remember
the fallen: In all, 429 people on board the
battleship were killed in the attack.
Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after.
Battleship
USS Oklahoma unturned hull at the bottom of Pearl Harbor
after the devastating Japanese bombing attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
WWII
from MICHIGAN - 2462
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Korea
from MICHIGAN - 336
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Cold War
from MICHIGAN - 4
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Viet Nam
from MICHIGAN - 48
RECENTLY
FOUND
HEROES in 2020
Army Pvt. Charlie M. Waid, 26, of Chico,
California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1942, Waid was serving in the Medical Detachment of the 31st
Infantry Regiment when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. Intense
fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942,
and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were taken
prisoner and sent to prisoner of war camps.
Waid was among those reported captured
after the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records,
Waid died Nov. 19, 1942, and was buried along with
fellow prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in grave number 717.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS)
personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the
remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In late 1947, the
AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the
circumstances of the POW deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the
limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be
individually identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in
the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In 2014, the “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave 717
were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one
set, designated X-4852 Manila Mausoleum.
To identify Waid’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Waid will be buried in Hollywood Hills,
California.
Army Pvt. Roy Brown, Jr., 22, of Des
Moines, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 2, 1942, Brown was a member of Company I, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, when his unit was forced into intense
engagement with Japanese forces in the vicinity of Soputa-Sanananda Track in the
Australian Territory of Papua (present-day Papua New Guinea). Brown was reported
missing and presumed dead when he could not be accounted for by his unit.
On Feb. 2, 1943, the remains of an unidentified American Soldier
were interred at the U.S. Temporary Cemetery Sanananda #2. On April 6, 1943, the
remains, designated Unknown X-72 were reinterred at Temporary Cemetery #1 at
Soputa,
then moved them to U.S. Armed Forces Finschhafen #2, where they were
redesignated X-1086.
In 1947, the American Graves Registration service exhumed
approximately 11,000 graves, including X-1086, and sent the remains to the
Central Identification Point at the Manila Mausoleum in the Philippines.
X-1086 could not be identified and were interred at Fort McKinley (now the
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial).
In May 2017, Unknown X-1086 was disinterred, and the remains were
sent to the DPAA laboratory in Offutt, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
Brown will be buried in his hometown.
Army Cpl. William L. Brown, 18, of
Sesser, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Brown was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea,
when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the battle, his remains
could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Brown’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.
Brown will be buried in Mound City, Illinois.
U.S. Army Pvt. Pearl F. Barrow, 36, of
Wichita, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Nov. 20, 1944, Barrow was assigned to Company F, 12th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German
forces near Hürtgen, Germany, when he was reported as killed in action.
However, his remains were never recovered.
Army Pfc. Junior C. Evans, 20, of Hall
County, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Evans was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion,
31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
on Dec. 12, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
However, accurate accountability of troops was often difficult due to the
chaotic environment and Evans likely went missing during a battle between Nov.
27 and Dec. 6, 1950. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Evans’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Evans’ 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.
Evans will be buried in Gilmer, Texas.
Army Cpl. William J. McCollum, 19, of
Anderson, South Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In late 1950, McCollum was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He
was reported missing in action Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin
Reservoir,
North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the war, his
remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify McCollum’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
McCollum will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Pilot
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lowell S.
Twedt, 27, of Le Grand, Iowa, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In the fall of 1944, Twedt was a pilot assigned to the 71st
Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group. On Oct. 20, he piloted a P-38J “Lightning”
aircraft as part of an escort for a B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombing mission
targeting oil storage tanks in Regensburg, Germany. The mission encountered
enemy anti-aircraft fire around Bolzano, Italy.
Three P-38Js, including Twedt’s, went down as a result. An eyewitness account
saw Twedt’s aircraft falling to the ground in flames, and did not see him eject.
Twedt’s remains were never recovered.
In 2017, Roland Domanig, a retired physics professor from Austria
who had helped DPAA in the past, contacted the agency with news that he had
found wreckage of a P-38 he believed to be Twedt’s. Over the course of the next
two years,
DPAA investigated and excavated the site, recovering remains in September 2019
that were sent to the DPAA laboratory in Offutt, Nebraska, for identification.
To identify Twedt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Twedt will be buried in Fernly, Nevada.
Marine Corps Pfc. Louis Wiesehan, Jr.,
20, of Richmond, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In November 1943, Wiesehan was a member of Company F, 2nd
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff
Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the
Gilbert Islands
in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at
Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000
were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Wiesehan was killed on the second day of
the battle, Nov. 21, 1943.
His remains were reportedly buried in Division Cemetery on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Wiesehan, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, located
Cemetery 27. Excavations of the site uncovered multiple sets of remains, which
were turned over to DPAA in 2015.
To identify Wiesehan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists
from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the United States Marine Corps for their
assistance in this mission. Additionally, DPAA is appreciative to History
Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
*Wiesehan will be buried April 18, 2020, in his hometown.
Air Force Maj. Neal C. Ward, 23, of
College Station, Texas, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted
for.
In June 1969, Ward was a pilot assigned to the 602nd Special
Operations Squadron. On June 13, 1969, Ward was piloting an A-1H aircraft as the
lead in a flight of two on an armed reconnaissance mission in northern Laos.
Both aircraft made four bombing runs on a target, after which Ward started a
strafing run. His wingman followed but broke off when he could not complete his
run without entering the clouds.
During his recovery, the wingman saw automatic weapons muzzle flashes coming
from the target area, followed immediately by a large fire and explosion.
The wingman could not make contact with Ward and did not observe a parachute or
hear any distress calls.
The wingman made a pass over the target area and saw debris, but
was unable to identify it as aircraft wreckage. Because of hostile enemy
activity, a ground search could not be conducted. On June 20, 1978, the
Department of the Air Force changed Ward’s status to deceased.
Between 1993 and 2008, joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic
Republic teams investigated a crash site allegedly associated with Ward’s loss,
recommending it for excavation.
The site was excavated and teams recovered possible human remains and personal
items. The remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Ward’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
*Ward will be buried in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The date has yet to be determined.
Marine Corps Reserve 1st Lt. Justin G. Mills, 25,
Galveston, Texas
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation. However, almost half of the known casualties were never
found. No recovered remains could be associated with Mills, and, in October
1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
identified a site correlated with the Central Division Cemetery. Excavations of
the site uncovered multiple sets of remains, which were turned over to DPAA in
2015, where they were subsequently accessioned to the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Mills’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
*Mills will be buried April 29, 2020, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Marine
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Arthur B.
Summers, 27, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Summers was a member of Company I, 3rd
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio
in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Summers was killed on the fourth day of the battle, Nov. 23, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 33.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Lloyd R. Timm, 19,
of Kellogg, Minnesota, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Timm 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 Timm.
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 Timm.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Timm’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR)
analysis.
*Timm will be buried May 25, 2020 in Wabasha, Minnesota.
Army 1st Lt. Robert C. Styslinger, 28,
of Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Styslinger served with Battery B, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported to have been killed
in action Nov. 29, 1950 while fighting enemy forces near Hagaru-ri, Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea.
His remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Styslinger’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Army
Pfc. John A. Shelemba, 19,
Hamtramck, Michigan
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
U.S. Army Sgt. Maximiano T. Lacsamana,
37, of Macabebe, Pampanga, Philippines, killed during the Korean War,
was accounted for.
In late 1950, Lacsamana, a veteran of the Philippine Scouts
during World War II, was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Regimental
Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.
His unit was engaged in intense fighting with the Chinese
People's Volunteer Forces near Hagaru-ri, North Korea. He was reported missing
in action Dec. 3, 1950. Following the war, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on
Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
To identify Lacsamana’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Army Cpl. Jerome V. Hummel, 23, of St.
Louis, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Hummel was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on
Nov. 30, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea,
when his unit was attacked by enemy forces.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Hummel’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Army Cpl. Jackey D. Blosser, 21, of
Randolph County, West Virginia, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In late 1950, Blosser was a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces.
His remains could not be recovered following the battle. After
the war, no returned prisoners of war reported seeing him in any camps.
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 Blosser’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
and analysis.
Soldier
U.S. Army Sgt. John V. Phillips, 25,
Kern
County, California
who
was captured and died in captivity during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
In 1942, Phillips was a member of Headquarters Company, 31st
Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands.
Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Phillips was among those reported captured after the surrender of
Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW
camps.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. George M.
Johnson, 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated following the primary
next of kin briefing.)
On Jan. 21, 1944, Johnson 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 co-piloting crashed into Tarawa lagoon
shortly after takeoff.
Johnson and the nine other servicemen aboard the aircraft were killed.
Army Pfc. William J. Winchester, 20, of
Mount Hope, Alabama, who was captured and died in captivity during
the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Winchester was a member of Company D, 1st
Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
He was captured by enemy forces near Unsan, North Korea in November 1950.
He reportedly died while in custody of the
Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces at Prisoner of War Camp #5 in February 1951.
On 1954, During Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned
over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-13442
Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war
camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains
could be identified as Winchester and he was declared non-recoverable. The
remains were subsequently buried as an unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery
of the Pacific in Honolulu.
On June 11, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
disinterred X-13442 Operation Glory and accessioned the remains to the
laboratory.
To identify Winchester’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. William E.
Rambo, 20, of LaPorte, Indiana, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Rambo was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion,
8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed
against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa
Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several
days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were
killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually
annihilated.
Rambo was killed on the first day of the battle,
Nov. 20, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 27 on Betio
Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found. No recovered remains could be associated with Rambo, and in October 1949,
a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2015, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, notified
DPAA that they discovered Cemetery #27. In 2015, following continued
excavations, a previously undiscovered burial trench was uncovered.
The remains were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory in February 2017.
To identify Rambo’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
December 5
Navy Seaman 1st Class Orval A. Tranbarger, 20, from
Missouri,
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Tranbarger 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 Tranbarger.
December 5
U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Leo T. Keninger, 20,
Franklin County, Iowa,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Keninger 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 Keninger.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Riley Burchfield,
22, Cuyahoga, Ohio
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Burchfield was a member of Company D, 1st
Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was captured by
enemy forces near Kunu-ri, North Korea on Nov. 26, 1950.
He reportedly died while in custody of the
Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces at Prisoner of War Camp 5 in February 1951.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned
over remains to the United States, including a set designated Unknown X-13439
Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war
camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains
could be identified as Burchfield and he was declared non-recoverable. The
remains were subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the
Pacific in Honolulu.
In 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred
X-13439 Operation Glory as part of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and
accessioned the remains to the laboratory.
To identify Burchfield’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA
(auSTR) analysis.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Steve Nagy, 23, Lorain County, Ohio killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Navy Quartermaster 2nd Class Daryle E. Artley, 21, Haywood, Nebraska killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Army Master Sgt. Harold F. Drews, 21,
Illinois
killed
during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(This official release will be updated following
the primary next of kin briefing.)
In December 1950, Drews was assigned to King Company, 3rd
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. For several days, his
unit was engaged in intense fighting with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces
near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
Drews went missing in action on Dec. 12, 1950. His remains could not be recovered.
Navy Chief Water Tender Francis D. Day,
37, of Milburn, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Day 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 Day.
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 Day.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Day’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Airmen
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Charles G. Ruble, 20, of Parker City, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
Navy Fire Controlman 3rd Class Adolph J.
Loebach, 22, of Peru, Illinois, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Loebach 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 Loebach.
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 Loebach.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Loebach’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
November 25
Navy Fireman 1st Class Lawrence E.
Woods, 28, of Greenwood, Texas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Woods 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 Woods.
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 Woods.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Woods’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Army Cpl. Gerald N. Wilson, 19, of
Camden, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Wilson was a member of Company F, 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was last seen July 25,
1950, while participating in the defense of Yongdong, South Korea. Following the
battle, his remains could not be recovered.
Following the war, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration
Company recovered a set of remains, designated Unknown X-1044 Tanggok from Ulgok,
South Korea. The remains were declared unidentifiable and were subsequently
buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl,
in Honolulu.
On June 11, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
disinterred X-1044 Tanggok and accessioned the remains to the laboratory.
To identify Wilson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA
(auSTR) analysis.
U.S. Army Pvt. William D. Hedtke, 28, of
Iola, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1944, Hedtke was assigned to Battery B, 319th Glider Artillery
Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. Army officials reported he died of injuries
sustained in a hard glider landing near Groesbeek, Netherlands, during Operation
Market Garden on Sept. 18, 1944. His remains were not recovered after the war.
In June 1945, Canadian graves registration personnel recovered a
set of American remains near Groesbeek that were given to the American Graves
Registration Command (AGRC). After unsuccessful efforts by the AGRC to identify
the remains, they were designated X-1230 Margraten and interred as an Unknown at
the Netherlands American Cemetery.
In 2016, DPAA disinterred X-1230 to be scientifically analyzed
for possible association to an Operation Market Garden casualty.
To identify Hedtke’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal (Y-STR)
analysis.
Navy Fireman 1st Class Bethel E.
Walters, 25, of Bellevue, Texas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Walters was assigned to the battleship USS West
Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo
hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from
capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack resulted
in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Walters.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel
recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66
individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Walters, were interred
as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting
Agency, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported
to be associated with the USS West Virginia, from the Punchbowl and transferred
the remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Walters’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Stewart Jordan,
20, of Coeburn, Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In 1944, Jordan was assigned to the USS Nelson, which was
anchored off the coast of Normandy, France. He was killed June 12, 1944, when
the ship was hit by enemy fire. Following the war, his remains could not be
identified.
On Nov. 3, 1944, a graves registration team learned of remains
that had washed ashore on “Roger White Beach,” in Normandy. The remains were
noted to have a tattoo on the arm, depicting the sinking of the USS Tucker,
where Jordan had been assigned prior to its sinking in August 1942. The remains
were declared unidentifiable and designated as Unknown X-144 Sainte-Mère-Église
#2, and were subsequently interred in what is now the Normandy American
Cemetery. Of the 13 crew members unaccounted for from the USS Nelson, two
previously served on the USS Tucker, including Jordan.
In September 2018, DPAA and the American Battle Monuments
Commission exhumed X-144 and accessioned the remains to the laboratory.
To identify Jordan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Navy Fireman 1st Class Rex E. Wise, 21,
Braman Kay County Oklahoma
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wise 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 Wise.
Marine Corps Pfc. Edward A. Nalazek, 27,
of Chicago, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Nalazek was a member of Company D, 2nd
Battalion, 18th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Nalazek was killed on the second day of the
battle, Nov. 21, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in the Central
Division Cemetery 8th Marines #2 on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
(604th GRC) centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm
Cemetery for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties
were never found. No recovered remains could be associated with Nalazek, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In June 1967, construction at the site of the Marine/Customs
office block at the Betio Wharf uncovered multiple sets of remains, as well as
American equipment. The remains were sent to the U.S. Army Mortuary at Tachikawa
Air Base, Japan, and accessioned as Unknown XJ-1323. A number of remains were
identified as Japanese. However, XJ-1323A-G were determined to be American. The
remains could not be identified, and were subsequently buried in the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2015, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
excavated a site near the wharf on Betio Island, later identified as Cemetery
27. Remains recovered were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory.
On Nov. 21, 2016, DPAA disinterred XJ-1323 from the Punchbowl,
and associated portions of XJ-1323B with portions recovered by History Flight in
2015.
To identify Nalazek’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Navy Fireman 1st Class Andrew J. Schmitz, 22,
Henrico County, Virginia,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Schmitz 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 Schmitz.
Army Cpl. Wilfred K. Hussey, Jr., 19, Hilo - Big Island, Hawaii killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
Army Cpl. Asa (Bud) E. Vance, 18, Decatur, Illinois killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
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 Vance’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA),
Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) and analysis.
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Alfred
Edwards, 33 of Stilwell, Oklahoma, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Edwards was a member of Company E, 2nd
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, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Edwards was killed on the first day
of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in the
East Division Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 33 on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
(604th GRC) centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm
Cemetery for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties
were never found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Edwards, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.” The remains that
could not be identified, were subsequently buried in the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu,
including two sets, designated Tarawa Unknown X-203 and X-209.
On March 27, 2017, DPAA disinterred X-203 from the Punchbowl, and
on April 3, 2017, DPAA disinterred X-209. The remains were sent to the DPAA
laboratory for analysis,
where anthropologists determined X-203 and X-209 were associated with each
other.
To identify Edwards’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Welborn L. Ashby,
24, of Louisville, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
(This official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Ashby was assigned to the battleship USS West
Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the ship
was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The ship sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.
The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Ashby.
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. John R. Bayens,
20, of Louisville, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Bayens was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Bayens was killed on the third day of the
battle, Nov. 22, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 33
on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found. No recovered remains could be associated with Bayens, and in October
1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
identified Cemetery 33. Excavations of the site uncovered multiple sets of
remains, which were turned over to DPAA in 2015.
To identify Bayens’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological, and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as material
evidence.
Army Pfc. Wilbur T. Tackett, 18, of
Alger, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Tackett was a member of Battery B, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. He was
reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit
near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered
following the attack.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Tackett’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Navy Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Arnold
M. Nielsen, 32, of Oakland, California, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nielsen 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 Nielsen.
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 Nielsen.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nielsen’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Soldier Killed
Army Cpl. Autrey J. Betar, 18, of Port
Arthur, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Betar was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following
the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA
laboratory for identification.
To identify Betar’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and analysis.
Airmen
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Max. W.
Lower, 23, of Lewiston, Utah, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In the summer of 1943, Lower was assigned to the 345th
Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1,
1943, the B-24 aircraft on which Lower was the radio operator crashed as a
result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation Tidal Wave, the largest
bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of
Bucharest, Romania.
Following the operation, the Romanian government reported they
had recovered 216 Americans killed in the raid, 27 of whom were identifiable.
His remains were not among the 27. Those not identified were buried as Unknowns
in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti,
Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command, the
organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel,
disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification.
Each unidentified set of remains was designated Unknown and reinterred into the
American Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated
with unaccounted for airmen from Operation Tidal Wave losses.
That year, 15 sets of remains were disinterred and sent to the laboratory for
analysis.
To identify Lower’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR)
analysis.
Soldier Killed
Army Cpl. Joe T. Avant, 20, of
Greenwood, Mississippi, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In late 1950, Avant was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was
reported missing in action Nov. 30, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea,
when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the battle, his remains
could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on
Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
To identify Avant’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) and analysis.
Army Cpl. Kenneth E. Ford, 18, of Albia,
Iowa, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Ford was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd
Infantry Regiment. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, in the
vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by
enemy forces.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
To identify Ford’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Army Pfc. Karl L. Dye,
17, of Marion, Ohio,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1950, Dye was a member of Battery B, 52nd Field Artillery
Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against
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.
In October 1950, one set of remains, designated “Unknown X-159
Taejon,” was recovered in the vicinity of Taejon. Despite several attempts, the
remains could not be identified and were subsequently sent to the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu,
where they were buried as an Unknown.
On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-159 was disinterred from the
Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Dye’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as and
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
Army Cpl. Leon E. Clevenger, 21, of
Durham, North Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In the summer of 1950, Clevenger was an infantryman with Company
K, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was
reported missing in action on July 11, 1950, while involved in combat operations
against the North Korean People’s Army in the vicinity of Chonui and Choch’iwon,
South Korea.
The Army amended his status to deceased in December 1953 when
there was no updated information regarding his status.
In November 1951, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Team recovered
the remains of an unidentified American near the village of Kalgo-ri,
approximately three miles from Clevenger’s last known location.
The remains were taken to the United States Military Cemetery Tanggok for
possible identification, and were later sent to the Central Identification Unit
at Kokura, Japan, as Unknown X-2258 Tanggok for further processing.
The remains, which could not be identified, were subsequently
buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl,
in Honolulu.
In December 2018, the Department of Defense disinterred X-2258
and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Clevenger’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Jack B. Van Zandt, 21, Rossville, Illinois killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Van Zandt was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Van Zandt was killed on the third day of
the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in East
Division Cemetery on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Van Zandt, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, located
a site correlated with Cemetery 33. Excavations of the site uncovered multiple
sets of remains, which were turned over to DPAA in 2015,
where they were subsequently accessioned to the laboratory.
To identify Van Zandt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence.
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Michael Kocopy,
20, of Gardendale, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Kocopy was a member of Company E, 2nd
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, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Kocopy was killed on the first day of the
battle, Nov. 20, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in the Central
Division Cemetery on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation. However, almost half of the known casualties were never
found. No recovered remains could be associated with Kocopy, and in October
1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
identified a site correlated with Cemetery 26. Excavations of the site uncovered
multiple sets of remains, which were turned over to DPAA in 2015,
where they were subsequently accessioned to the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Kocopy’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
November 6
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Herbert B.
Jacobson, 21, of Chicago, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jacobson 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 Jacobson.
Army Pfc. Harold K. Knight, 20, of Erie,
Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late November 1950, Knight was assigned to Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team. For
several days, his unit was engaged in intense fighting with the Chinese People’s
Volunteer Forces at Sinhung-ri, near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
The RCT endured repeated attacks before withdrawing Dec. 1, 1950.
When the unit leaders conducted a muster of returning personnel, Knight was not
among the group. Witness accounts stated that Knight was killed in action Nov.
25, 1950.
His remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Knight’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Marine
November 4
Marine Corps Cpl. Thomas H. Cooper, 22,
of Omaha, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Cooper was a member of Company A, 2nd
Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio
in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the
island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Cooper died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.
Army 1st Lt. George S. Crisp, 24, of
Alba, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Crisp was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion,
31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in intense
fighting with the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces at Sinhung-ri, near the
Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. He was reported to have last been seen near
Hagaru-ri, but his remains could not be located. The U.S. Army declared Crisp
deceased as of Dec. 12, 1950.
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 Crisp’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System
used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
November 4
Army Pvt. Horace H. Middleton, 20, of
Northumberland, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
In the spring and summer of 1944, Middleton was a member of
Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as
Merrill’s Marauders, as an infantryman in the China-Burma-India Theater.
After taking the airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, from the Japanese on May 17, Middleton’s battalion was tasked with holding the airfield and taking part in the siege of Myitkyina. Middleton was killed during fighting on Jul 12.
Army Cpl. Earl W. Duncan, 23, of
McAdenville, North Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In late 1950, Duncan was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He
was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin
Reservoir,
North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the battle,
his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Duncan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Marine
November 1
Marine Corps Pfc. Harry C. Morrissey,
27, of Everett, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On October 9, 1942, Morrissey was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, participating in a main offensive
action in the Battle of Guadalcanal. After nearly two months of battle, the
regiment completed their action. However, due to rapid unit movement, Marines
who had been killed in action were buried hastily.
Morrissey and two other Marines from his battalion were
reportedly interred in graves atop Hill 73.
From 1947 through 1949, the American Graves Registration Service
searched for isolated burials on Guadalcanal, but did not associate any remains
with Morrissey. Based on the lack of information, Morrissey was declared
non-recoverable.
In 2011, Yorick Tokuru, a resident of Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands, located possible remains near his home on the western edge of Skyline
Ridge (Hill 73). A team of Royal Solomon Islands Police Force investigators
excavated the site and turned recovered remains over to the state archaeologist.
The archaeologist turned the remains over to John Innes, an Australian expert on
the Battle of Guadalcanal, who in turn contacted the Joint POW/MIA Recovery
Command (JPAC, the predecessor unit to DPAA).
On July 12, 2013, Ewan Stevenson, a Guadalcanal native living in
New Zealand, contacted JPAC stating more remains had been recovered near the
site of the 2011 recovery location.
On August 6, 2013, the remains were unilaterally turned over to
JPAC for identification.
To identify Morrissey’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Sgt. Walter H. Tobin, Jr., 22, of
Glen Lake, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Tobin was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat
Team.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered following the attack.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Tobin’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
November 1
Army Pfc. Eugene E. Lochowicz, 19, of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In early 1945, Lochowicz was a member of Company A, 28th Infantry
Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. On Feb. 23, 1945, he went missing while his
unit crossed the Roer River under fire, near Lendersdorf, Germany.
Members of his unit later concluded that he had been lost when one of the boats
capsized. All efforts to find him were unsuccessful.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC),
U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, was the unit tasked with investigation and
recovery of missing American personnel. In February 1949, AGRC investigators
were in the area where Lochowicz was lost, but were unsuccessful in finding his
remains.
In 2017, in response to inquiries from Lochowicz’s family
regarding unknown remains recovered around Lendersdorf, a DPAA historian
reviewed documents of X-285 Margraten, which had been pulled from the river near
where Lochowicz went missing. The remains, which could not be identified when
they were found in 1945, had subsequently been buried at the United States
Military Cemetery at Margraten, Netherlands. Based upon the location and
circumstances of recovery, the DPAA historian concluded that Lochowicz was a
likely candidate for association.
In September 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle
Monuments Commission disinterred X-285 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA
laboratory for identification.
To identify Lochowicz’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
November 1
U.S. Naval Reserve Machinist’s Mate 1st
Class Paul H. Gebser, 39, of San Diego, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
(The official DoD release will be updated following the primary
next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Gebser was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft.
He was killed in the attack, and while his remains were recovered
from the ship following the incident, they could not be individually identified
at the time.
MM1 Gebser was initially buried as an unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery
of the Pacific.
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 Gebser.
November 1
U.S. Naval Reserve Ensign Frances C. Flaherty,
22, of
(The official DoD release will be updated following the primary
next of kin briefing.)
He was a parishioner at St. Mary's Catholic Church while living
in Charlotte. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in July 1940 and was commissioned
as an Ensign in
December of that year.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Flaherty was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was
moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese
aircraft.
The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Flaherty.
Army Sgt. William C. Holmes, 21, of
Smyth County, Virginia, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In 1951, Holmes was a member of Heavy Tank Company, 32nd Infantry
Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On Sept. 21, 1951, his unit participated in a
patrol located near the Iron Triangle, North Korea. After a prolonged firefight,
Holmes was killed in action. Following the battle, his remains could not be
recovered.
On Nov. 1, 1951, an unidentified set of remains, designated
X-2162, were turned over to the 19th Infantry Regiment’s collection point. The
remains could not be identified and were subsequently buried in the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2018, DPAA disinterred X-2162 and accessioned the remains to
the laboratory.
To identify Holmes’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class Everett G.
Windle, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Windle 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 Windle.
Army Pfc. Jasper V. Marquez, 21, of
Santa Fe, New Mexico, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In late 1950, Marquez was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion,
38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
Nov. 28, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit near Kujang-dong, North
Korea.
After the war, a returned prisoner of war
reported that Marquez died Jan. 20, 1951, while being held as a prisoner of war.
His remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Marquez’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Navy Coxswain Layton T. Banks, 20, of
Dallas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Banks 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 Banks.
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Robert J.
Hatch, 21, of Woods Cross, Utah, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Hatch was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion,
6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed
against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa
Atoll of the Gilbert Islands in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Hatch was killed on the third day of the
battle, Nov. 22, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in either an
isolated burial or in Cemetery 33 on Betio Island.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Hatch, and in October 1949, a
Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2014, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
identified a site correlated with Cemetery 33. Excavations of the site uncovered
multiple sets of remains, which were turned over to DPAA in 2015.
To identify Hatch’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological, and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as material
evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the United States Marine Corps for their
assistance in this mission. Additionally, DPAA is appreciative to History
Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jerome B. Morris,
22, of Paragould, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
(The official DoD release will be updated
following the primary next of kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Morris was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff
Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio
in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Morris was killed on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943.
Marine
Marine Corps Pfc. Billy E. Johnson, 21,
of White Oak, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Johnson was a member of the 1st Marine Division,
attached to the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry
Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, after the enemy
attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle,
his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were
subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Johnson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Soldier
U.S. Army Pvt. Porfirio C. Franco, Jr.,
22, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was captured and died in
captivity during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1942, Franco was a member of the 200th Coast Artillery
Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. Intense fighting
continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of
Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and
interned at POW camps. Franco was among those reported captured after the
surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical
records, Franco died July 18, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased
prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in common grave number 312.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS)
personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the
remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In late 1947, the
AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the
circumstances of the POW deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the
limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be
individually identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in
the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In January 2018, 23 “unknown” remains associated with Common
Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis,
including one set, designated X-2841 Manila Cemetery #2.
To identify Franco’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Army Cpl. Norvin D. Brockett, 18, of
Crook, Oregon, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In December 1950, Brockett was a member of Battery A, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was
reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy
forces in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
His remains could not be recovered following the attack and he
was not reported as a prisoner of war. The U.S. Army declared him deceased as of
Dec. 31, 1953.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were
subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Brockett’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
Marine
Benson was killed on the first day of the
battle, Nov. 20, 1943. He was reported to have been buried in the East
Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed to Cemetery #33.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military
success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because
the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Pacific Fleet a platform from which to
launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central
Pacific Campaign against Japan.
Between 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves
Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but
Benson’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were
sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for
identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were
interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as
the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown
X-155.
On Jan. 30, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-155 from the
Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Benson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Brady O. Prewitt,
20, of Liberal, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Prewitt 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 Prewitt.
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 Prewitt.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Prewitt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
October 28
Marine Corps Pfc. Ray P. Fairchild, 21,
of Salyersville, Kentucky, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
In late 1950, Fairchild was a member of Company D, 2nd Battalion,
7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He was killed in action Nov. 27, 1950,
near the town of Yudam-ni, west of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following
the war his remains could not be recovered.
In 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea and the United
States Command exchanged the remains of casualties. One set of remains,
designated Unknown X-13474 Yudam-ni could not be identified and were
subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as
the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On May 11, 2012, the Joint Personnel Accounting Command (a
predecessor to DPAA) disinterred X-13474 Yunam-ni and accessioned the remains to
the laboratory.
To identify Fairchild’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
United States Marine Corps for their partnership in this mission.
Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Channing R.
Whitaker, 18, of Granger, Iowa, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Whitaker was a member of Company A, 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Whitaker died on the third day of the
battle, Nov. 22, 1943. He was reported to have been buried in the East
Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed Cemetery #33.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Whitaker, and
in October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2009, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, notified
DPAA that they discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the
remains of what they believed to be missing American service members who had
been buried in Cemetery #33. In March 2019, following continued excavations, a
previously undiscovered burial trench was uncovered. The remains were
accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Whitaker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Army
Cpl. Henry L. Phillips, 18, of Giles, Tennessee, who was captured and
died in captivity during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Phillips was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion,
24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in
action Nov. 28, 1950, in the vicinity of Anju, North Korea, when his unit was
attacked by enemy forces. Following the war, returning American prisoners of war
reported that Phillips had been captured and died at
Prisoner of War Camp #5, on March 17, 1951.
In September 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea returned
remains reportedly recovered from Pyoktong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp
5, to the United Nations Command.
One set of remains, Unknown X-13491, could not be identified and
was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On June 11, 2018, the Department of Defense disinterred Unknown
X-13491 and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Phillips’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Army Cpl. William L. Brown, 18, of
Benton, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
the primary next of kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Brown was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea,
when his unit was attacked by enemy forces.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
Marine
Marine Corps Pfc. Joseph R. Livermore,
21, of Bakersfield, California, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Livermore was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Livermore was killed around the third day
of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. He was reported to have been buried in the
East Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed to Cemetery #33.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
(604th GRC) centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm
Cemetery for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties
were never found. No recovered remains could be identified as Livermore, and in
October 1949, a Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In 2009, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization, notified
DPAA that they discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the
remains of what they believed to be missing American service members who had
been buried in Cemetery #33. In March 2019, following continued excavations, a
previously undiscovered burial trench was uncovered. The remains were
accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Livermore’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Pfc. Lawrence E. Worthen, 20, of
Santa Ana, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In 1944, Worthen was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th
Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on
Sept. 17, 1944, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Wettlingen,
Germany.
His remains could not be recovered after the attack.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC,)
U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps was the unit tasked with investigation and
recovery of missing American personnel. The AGRC collected thousands of unknown
remains from across northern Europe. A mass grave of several 112th Infantry
Soldiers had been found near Wettlingen, and most were identified through
identification tags or personal effects. However two sets, processed through the
American cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg, designated X-70 Hamm and X-71 Hamm, were
declared unidentifiable, and subsequently buried in the Luxembourg American
Cemetery as Unknowns.
In 2017, while studying American losses and unidentified remains
recovered from combat around Wettlingen, Germany, a DPAA historian reviewed
documents of X-71 Hamm, and determined that there were five unresolved American
casualties who were last known to have been lost in combat near Wettlingen,
including Worthen.
In April 2019, the Department of Defense and American Battle
Monuments Commission disinterred X-71 Hamm and accessioned the remains to the
DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Worthen’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological analysis and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Willard R. Best, 24,
Macon County, Illinois
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1944, Best was a member of the 407th Bombardment
Squadron (Heavy), 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy), 40th Combat Bombardment Wing,
1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. On Aug. 24, 1944, Best was the top turret
gunner aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft, carrying nine crewmembers, which
was struck by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed during a bombing raid over
Merseburg, Germany.
Four crewmembers survived and were captured by
German forces, while five, including Best, were killed. His remains were
reported to have been buried in the Leipzig-Lindenthal Cemetery.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command recovered
three sets of remains from the Lindenthal Cemetery. One set was identified, but
the other two could not be, and were subsequently designated Unknown X-1047 and
X-183. In 1947, it was determined that X-1047 contained the remains of two
separate individuals. They were segregated and redesignated as X-1047A and
X-1047B.
The three sets were then declared unidentifiable and buried as
unknown American service members in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
cemeteries in Europe.
In 2017, while studying American losses and unidentified remains
recovered from outside Leipzig, Germany, a DPAA historian determined that
X-1047A, X-1047B and X-183 could likely be associated with crewmembers from
Best’s B-17G Flying Fortress.
In April 2019, the Department of Defense and ABMC disinterred
X-1047A, X-1047B and X-183 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify Best’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Army Cpl. Lloyd B. Odom, 19, of Odessa,
Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Odom was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was
reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following
the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the
remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains
arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018,
and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Odom’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Army Cpl. Charles H. Grubb, 21, of War
Eagle, West Virginia, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In late 1950, Grubb was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion,
31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
on Dec. 1, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir,
North Korea.
Immediately after the battle Grubb was declared missing in action and a
few months later, he was officially determined to have been killed in action.
His remains were not recovered.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North
Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service
members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into
the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Grubb’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. John F. McTigue,
22, of Astoria, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In the summer of 1944, McTigue was a member of the 407th
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy,) 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy,) 40th Combat
Bombardment Wing, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. On Aug. 24, 1944, McTigue
co-piloted a B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft, carrying nine crewmembers, which
was struck by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed during a bombing raid over
Merseburg, Germany. Four crewmembers survived and were captured by German
forces, while five, including McTigue, were killed. His remains were reported to
have been buried in the Leipzig-Lindenthal Cemetery.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC)
recovered three sets of remains from the Lindenthal Cemetery. One set was
identified, but the other two could not be, and were subsequently designated
Unknown X-1047 and X-183. In 1947, it was determined that X-1047 contained the
remains of two separate individuals. They were segregated and redesignated as
X-1047A and X-1047B. The three sets were then declared unidentifiable and buried
as unknown American service members in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
cemeteries in Europe.
In 2017, while studying American losses and unidentified remains
recovered from outside Leipzig, Germany, a DPAA historian determined that
X-1047A, X-1047B and X-183 could likely be associated with crewmembers from
McTigue’s B-17G Flying Fortress.
In April 2019, the Department of Defense and ABMC disinterred
X-1047A, X-1047B and X-183 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify McTigue’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Marine Corps Reserve 2nd Lt. Ernest A.
Matthews, Jr., 34, of Dallas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
In November 1943, Matthews was assigned to Headquarters Company,
Headquarters Battalion, Division Special Troops, 2nd Marine Division, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were
virtually annihilated.
Matthews died on the first day of battle, Nov. 20, 1943. His
remains were reportedly buried in Cemetery 33.
In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa to Lone Palm Cemetery
for later repatriation; however, almost half of the known casualties were never
found.
No recovered remains could be associated with Matthews, and in October 1949, a
Board of Review declared him “non-recoverable.”
In June 2015, History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit organization,
unearthed multiple sets of remains who had been buried on Betio. The remains
were turned over to DPAA.
To identify Matthews’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological, and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Army Pvt. Connie Cagle, 23, of
Sweetwater, Tennessee, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1942, Cagle was a member of Company K, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, when his unit was engaged with enemy forces
along the Soputa-Sanananda Track, near Buna, in the Australian Territory of
Papua (present-day Papua New Guinea). Cagle was killed in action on Nov. 22,
1942.
On Jan. 16, 1943, the remains of an unidentified American
Soldier, designated X-81, were interred at the U.S. Temporary Cemetery Soputa
#2. On April 3, 1943, the remains were moved to U.S. Temporary Cemetery Soputa
#1.
In 1947, the American Graves Registration service exhumed
approximately 11,000 sets of remains, including X-81, which was redesignated as
X-1568, and sent to the Central Identification Point at the Manila Mausoleum in
the Philippines. X-1568 could not be identified and was interred at Fort
McKinley (now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.)
On Feb. 24, 2017, Unknown X-1568 was disinterred, and the remains
were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Cagle’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Navy Fire Controlman 3rd Class Victor P.
Tumlinson, 18, Willacy, Texas killed during the attack on the USS
Oklahoma in World War II, was accounted for.