“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 - 339
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Cold War
from MICHIGAN - 4
Service Personnel Not Recovered Following
Viet Nam
from MICHIGAN - 48
RECENTLY
FOUND
HEROES in 2019
Airman
From
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Paul
Cybowski, 25, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, killed during World
War II, was accounted for on July 8, 2019.
In September 1943, Cybowski was a member of the 373rd Bombardment
Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group, based in Yangkai, China. On Sept. 15, 1943,
Cybowski was a gunner aboard a B-24D aircraft, on a bombing mission over
Haiphong, French Indochina (present-day Vietnam.) Approximately 50 Japanese
fighters attacked the formation as it turned to make a run over the target,
shooting down three of the five American aircraft. Five crewmembers were able to
bail prior to the crash, but Cybowski, and four other crewmembers, were killed
during the attack.
On Oct. 12, 1945, the American Graves Registration Service
recovered five sets of remains from a European cemetery in Hai Duong, French
Indochina. The five sets included two known U.S. casualties and three Unknowns,
designated X-16, X-17 and X-18. The Unknowns were redesignated X-42, X-43 and
X-44 Kunming, and were subsequently buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery in
Kunming, China.
By April 1947, all U.S. Unknowns buried in China were disinterred
and sent to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Honolulu. In
1949, remains that could not be identified were interred at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu,
including Unknown X-43.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-43, a DPAA
historian determined that there was good potential to identify this Unknown. On
April 15, 2019, Unknown X-43 was disinterred and the remains were sent to the
laboratory for analysis.
To identify Cybowski’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
B-24J #42-40786 took off, with a crew of 10 and 4 other B-24's,
from Yangkai Airfield, China on a bombing mission over Hai Phong, French
Indochina (Vietnam).
The B-24's were intercepted and attacked by approximately 50 Japanese Zeros.
B-24J #42-40786 was severely damaged and many of the crew were killed in this
attack.
Some of the crew were able to bail out. The B-24 ended up crashing.
Paul was declared "Missing
In Action" on
this mission during the war.
Army Sgt. Gerald B. Raeymacker, 21,
Dunkirk, New York
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Raeymacker was a member of Battery B, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team.
SGT Raeymacker was driving a truck in a convoy traveling toward
Hamhung, North Korea, when the convoy was attacked by Chinese People’s Volunteer
Forces (CPVF) in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir.
He escaped his vehicle but was hit by enemy fire while taking cover in a nearby
field. Severely wounded but still alive, a fellow soldier reportedly covered him
with hay to provide camouflage from the enemy, then departed to take
cover himself. SGT Raeymacker was reported missing following the incident, and
his remains were not recovered at the time or identified among those returned to
U.S. custody after the war.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 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.
Army Pfc. Junior C. Evans,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
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.
Marine
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Raymond
Warren, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Warren was a member of Company K, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Warren died between the first and second day of battle, Nov. 20-21, 1943.
He was reported to have been buried in the Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed to Cemetery #27.
Marine
Marine Corps Pfc. Billy E. Johnson, 21,
Cosbyton Texas,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Marquez was a member of 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,
when enemy forces attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Mendoza,
El Paso County, Texas
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Mendoza was a member of Battery D, 15th
Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat
Team.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit near Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
Army Pvt. Penn Franks, Jr., 20, of San
Antonio, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In February 1945, Franks was a member of Company G, 371st
Infantry Regiment 92nd Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle on the
Gothic line in the northern Apennine Mountains near Strettoia, Italy, when he
was killed in action on Feb. 10, 1945. Following the battle, his unit was unable
to recover his remains.
In July and August 1945, during search and recovery operations,
American personnel recovered a set of remains, later designated Unknown X-187
Castelfiorentino, from an area east of the town of Strettoia. The remains were
examined at the Central Identification Point at Leghorn Port Morgue in November
1948, and declared non-identifiable due to lack of sufficient identifying data.
On March 11, 1949, the American Graves Registration Service transferred Unknown
X-187 to the United States Military Cemetery Florence, present-day Florence
American Cemetery, for burial.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-187, a DPAA
historian determined that there was a good possibility the remains could be
identified. In June 2016, the Department of Defense and American Battle
Monuments Commission disinterred X-187 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA
laboratory for identification.
To identify Franks’ 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.
Navy Fire Controlman 1st Class Robert L.
Corn, from Oregon was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Corn 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 Corn.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Hubert P. Hall,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Hall 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 Hall.
Army Cpl. Jerry M. Garrison,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Garrison was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when enemy forces attacked his unit near Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
Army Pfc. Jasper V. Marquez,
Brown, Texas
was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Marquez was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion,
38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action
on Nov. 28, 1950,
when enemy forces attacked his unit near the Kunu-ri, North Korea.
Repatriated American prisoners of war reported that Marquez had died at Hofong Camp while a prisoner of war, in January 1951.
Army Cpl. Ralph L. Cale, Accomack
County, Va. was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Cale was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. 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.
Army Pfc. Wilbur T. Tackett,
18, Clermont County, Ohio
was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
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.
Awarded Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Army Cpl. Ysabel A. Ortiz,
18, El Monte, California
was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Ortiz was a member of Battery D, 15th Anti-aircraft
Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. 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.
Although he was listed as Missing In Action on
Dec. 2, 1950, his family never gave up hope that he would return home. In
January of 1954 his mother, Concha, received notice that Corporal Ysabel A.
Ortiz
had been awarded the Purple Heart Award posthumously for making the supreme
sacrifice for his county.
Airman
August 13
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Joseph E. Finneran,
Jamaica Plain, Miss.
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In the summer of 1943, Finneran was a bombardier assigned to the
345th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), known as the
Pyramidiers. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24D aircraft on which Finneran served
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. Of the Americans killed, only 27 could be identified, not
including Finneran.
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Marine
August 13
Marine Corps Pvt. Edwin F. Benson, Massachusetts
was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Benson was a member of Company L, 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
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.
Airman
August 12
Army Air Forces Sgt. Howard F. Gotts,
23, of Flint, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
In August 1943, Gotts was a radio operator assigned to the 66th
Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy,) known as the Flying
8-Balls. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24D aircraft on which Gotts served, crashed
during Operation Tidal Wave, the largest bombing mission, against the oil fields
and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. The Romanian government
announced they had recovered and buried 216 Americans killed in the bombing
raid, but could only identify 27 of the men at the time of the recovery. The
remaining casualties were said to have been buried as Unknowns in the Hero
Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova,
Romania.
After the war, American Graves Registration Command teams
disinterred all of the American deceased in Bolovan Cemetery and transferred
them to the American Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. Two of
Gotts’ crewmates were identified, but five other crewmembers, including Gotts,
could not be identified, and his name was not found on any prisoner of war list.
His remains were declared non-recoverable.
DPAA personnel analyzed historical documentation regarding X-5059
Neuville, which had originally been designated Bolovan X-51. Based upon the
original recovery location of X-5059, a DPAA historian determined that there was
a likely association between the remains and Gotts. On Sept. 6, 2017, the
Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred
X-5059 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Gotts’ 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 Pvt. Edward M. Morrison, 19, of
Ashland, Wisconsin, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In July 1950, Morrison was a member of 1st Platoon, Company B,
1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was
holding a defensive position north of P'yongt'aek, South Korea, when he was
killed by small arms fire on July 6, 1950. Morrison was the first casualty of
his company during its second engagement in the war. His remains could not be
recovered following the battle.
On April 4, 1951, a set of remains, designated Unknown X-900
Tanggok was recovered near Kwang Jong-ni, South Korea, by a team from the 565th
Graves Registration Service, and interred at the United Nations Military
Cemetery Tanggok, South Korea. Later in 1951, the remains were disinterred and
processed for identification at the Central Identification Unit at Kokura,
Japan. When identification attempts failed, they were transferred to the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in
Honolulu and were interred as Unknown.
In April 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-900 Tanggok from the
Punchbowl and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Morrison’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) analysis.
Army Sgt. David A. Feriend, 23,
Williamsburg, Michigan was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Feriend was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd
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, He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953.
Army Sgt. Walter H. Tobin, Jr., 22,
Cedar, Michigan
was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Tobin was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat
Team. He was declared 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.
He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953.
Sergeant Tobin was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal,
the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Army Sgt. Billy J. Maxwell,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Maxwell was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 3rd
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported
missing in action on Nov. 30,1950,
when his unit engaged against enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North
Korea. His remains could not be recovered following the battle.
August 9
Army Pfc. Lawrence E. Worthen,
Lassen County, California was
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
He had enlisted in the Army,
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.
Navy Seaman 1st Class Lyal J. Savage, 18,
Dexter, New
York
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Savage 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 Savage.
Soldier
August 7
Army Pfc. Donald E. Mangan,
Elkton,
South Dakota was
killed
during the World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In 1944, Mangan was a member of Company , 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.
Army Cpl. Norvin D. Brockett, 18, Crook,
OR. was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Brockett was a member of Company A, 57th Field
Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was
declared 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.
Army Sgt. Willie V. Galvan,
Bexar, TX was
killed
during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Galvan was assigned to Medical Company, 7th
Infantry Division, as part of the 31st Regimental Combat Team. On Dec. 1, 159,
his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
Following the attack, he could not be accounted for by his unit.
August 1
Army Air Forces Cpl. Walter J. Kellett, 22, from
Ironwood,
Michigan
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In1942, Kellett was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th
Pursuit Group, when he was taken as a prisoner of war by enemy forces and
interned at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp.
Records indicate being held as a prisoner by Japan at a location
known as POW Camp 1 Cabanatuan 1 2 3 Nueva Province Luzon Philippines.
He was reported died July 19, 1942,
and was subsequently buried in Grave 312, along with other prisoners who died on
that date.
July 31
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Herschel H. Mattes,
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In early 1944, Mattes was a pilot, assigned to the 525th
Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 86th Fighter-Bomber Group. On March 6, 1944, his
aircraft crashed approximately 2.5 miles from Lake Bracciano, Italy.
Prior to the crash, his aircraft was struck by small arms or machine gun fire. His remains could not be recovered following the crash.
July 31
Army Pfc. Daniel W. Gerrity, 24,
Brooklyn, NY was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Gerrity was a member of Headquarters Battery, 2nd
Infantry Division, fighting against the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces near
Kunu-ri, North Korea.
Gerrity was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, when he could not be accounted for by his unit.
He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting in North Korea on November 30, 1950 and died in a prison camp on June 30, 1951.
July 31
Army Cpl. Harold Pearce,
25, Dillon, South Carolina
was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In the summer of 1950, Pearce was a military policeman assigned
to 1st Platoon, 24th Military Police Company, 24th Infantry Division.
He was killed in action on July 20, 1950, during his unit's withdrawal from the city of Taejon, South Korea. Due to the hasty withdrawal, his unit was not able to recover his remains.
July 31
Army Maj. Harvey H. Storms,
34, La Feria,
Texas
was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Storms was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, which was part of the
31st Regimental Combat Team.
Major Storms was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
Shot multiple times during the assault, the 34-year-old officer
and father of four collapsed in the snow and began sliding down the ice-covered
hill.
“He must have had about ten or twelve bullet holes through his field jacket,”
He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on December 1, 1950. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. His remains were not recovered.
July 31
Marine Corps Pfc. Joseph R. Livermore,
from California was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
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.
July 31
Army Cpl. Herman R. Phy, from
Pennsylvania was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
Corporal Phy entered the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He went missing on July 6, 1953, when Chinese Communist Forces overran his unit's outposts at Hill 255, also known as Pork Chop Hill.
The final circumstances surrounding his loss were not witnessed,
and due to the active battlefield conditions, no immediate search was made for
him. U.S. forces did not regain control of Pork Chop Hill, preventing future
recovery efforts.
July 29
Army Pfc. Eugene E. Lochowicz, 20,
Milwaukee Co, Wisconsin was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In early 1945,
He had enlisted in the Army. Served during World War II. He had
the rank of Private First Class.
Lochowiz was a member of Company A, 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th
Infantry Division.
On Feb. 23, 1945, he went missing while his unit was attempting to cross the
Roer River, near Lendersdorf, Germany.
The general crossing began at 2:50 in the morning, and by 03:45
AM, some members of Company A had reached the far shore.
Pfc Lochowicz was among the first to attempt the Crossing.
The boat Lochowicz was in capsized and his remains could not be recovered.
July 29
Army Pvt. Charlie M. Waid,
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
Private Charlie M. Waid, who entered the U.S. Army from California, served in the Medical Detachment of the 31st Infantry Regiment, which was stationed in the Philippines in World War II.
He was subsequently buried in Common Grave 717, along with
other prisoners who died that day.
Air Force Maj. Neal C. Ward,
24,
Brazos County,
Tx. killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of
Kin briefing.)
On June 13, 1969, Ward was a member of the 602nd Special
Operations Squadron, as the pilot of an A-1H aircraft, leading a flight of two
on an armed reconnaissance mission in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Following four bombing runs, Ward started a strafing run. His
wingman initially followed but broke off.
The wingman saw automatic weapons muzzle flashes from the target area, followed
by a large fire and explosion. He was unable to establish contact with Ward, and
did not observe a parachute.
He passed over the target area and saw debris, but was unable to identify it as Ward's wreckage.
Due to hostile enemy activity in the area, a ground search was not possible. Based on a lack of information regarding Ward's status, he was declared deceased on June 20, 1978.
Air Force Col. Roy A. Knight, Jr., 36,
of Millsap, Texas, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for.
In May 1967, Knight was a pilot with the 602nd Tactical Fighter
Squadron, assigned to Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. On May 19, 1967,
Knight was leading a flight of two A-1E aircraft on a strike mission in northern
Laos, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. No parachute was observed
prior to the aircraft crashing and bursting into flames. Additionally, no beeper
signals were heard. While search and rescue efforts were initiated, an organized
search could not be conducted due to intensity of hostile ground fire in the
area. The Air Force declared Knight deceased in September 1974.
In 1991 and 1992, Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.)
teams investigated a crash site allegedly associated with Knight’s loss,
recommending it for excavation. In March 1994, the site was excavated and life
support items were recovered. The crash site was investigated four additional
times in subsequent years.
In January and February 2019, a joint team recovered possible
human remains and additional life support items. The remains were accessioned to
the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Knight’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
July 18
Army Pfc. Raymond H. Middlekauff, 31, of
Baltimore, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In late 1944, Middlekauff was a member of Company F, 2nd
Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, which was engaged in
battle against German forces near the town of Grosshau, in the Hürtgen Forest in
Germany.
He was reported missing in action as of Dec. 4, 1944, when his company
reorganized after a severe counterattack and he could not be accounted for.
Following the close of hostilities in Europe in 1945, Middlekauff
was among the hundreds of soldiers still missing from combat in the Hürtgen
Forest. On Dec. 5, 1945, after no information on his whereabouts, the War
Department declared him deceased and non-recoverable.
Between 1947 and 1950, American Graves Registration Command (AGRC)
investigative teams traveled to Grosshau to search for Middlekauff’s remains.
Various graves registration units recovered dozens of unidentified remains from
the Hürtgen Forest. Those that could not be identified were designated as
Unknowns and buried in American cemeteries in Europe.
Following thorough analysis of military records and AGRC
documentation by DPAA historians and scientists, one set of remains, Unknown
X-2773 Neuville, which was buried at present day Ardennes American Cemetery in
Belgium, was determined to have a likely association with Middlekauff. Unknown
X-2773 Neuville was disinterred in April 2018 and sent to DPAA for analysis.
To identify Middlekauff’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
and Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
July 17
Army Pvt. Connie Cagle, 23, Grand Rapids,
Kent
County, Michigan
was killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of
Kin briefing.)
He had enlisted in the Army. Served during World War II. He had
the rank of Private.
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.
July 16
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Jasper L. Pue,
Jr., 21, of San Antonio, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Pue 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 Pue.
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 Pue.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Pue’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.
July 16
Navy Fire Controlman 3rd Class Adolph J. Loebach,
22,
LaSalle County, Illinois
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, 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.
July 16
Navy Fireman 1st Class Billy J. Johnson,
22, of Caney, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Johnson 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 Johnson.
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 Johnson.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
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) analysis.
July 16
Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Johnnie C. Laurie,
from Alabama was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Laurie 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 Laurie.
July 16
Navy Signalman 3rd Class William J.
Shanahan, Jr., 23, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, killed during World War II,
was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Shanahan 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 Shanahan.
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 Shanahan.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Shanahan’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.
July 15
Army Cpl. William S. Smith, 19, of
Vidalia, Georgia, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Smith was a member of Company E, 2nd
Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, fighting against
members of the Korean People’s Army. On Sept. 1, 1950, he was reported missing
in action after an enemy assault on his unit’s position along the Naktong River,
near Yongsan, South Korea. Absent evidence of continued survival, the Department
of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec, 31, 1953.
On Sept. 23, 1950, personnel from the United Nations Military
Cemetery (UNMC) at Miryang, South Korea, examined a set of unknown remains that
had been recovered in the vicinity of Changyang, South Korea, approximately 5.5
miles northeast of Yongsan. The remains could not be identified and were
designated as X-193, and buried at UNMC Miryang. After identification attempts
failed, the remains were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the
Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as
Unknown.
On Oct. 30, 2017, following thorough historical and scientific
analysis, X-193 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory
for analysis.
To identify Smith’ 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.
July 15
Army Sgt. Robert W. McCarville, 22,
Rock, Wisconsin
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In December 1942, McCarville was a member of Company L, 128th
Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division.
He was killed in action on Dec. 5, 1942, during an assault against enemy positions near Cape Endaiadere, Duropa Plantation, Territory of Papua. Due to intense enemy fire, his unit was unable to recover his remains.
Marine
July 11
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Grady J. Crawford, 22, Dallas,
(His full name is Quincy Grady Crawford. He went by "Jack."
Woodrow Wilson High School, Dallas, Texas.)
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late November 1950, Crawford was a member of Battery M, 4th
Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, serving in North Korea.
He was last seen engaged in combat operations at Yudam-ni, West Chosin
Reservoir, North Korea, on Dec. 1, 1950.
No lists provided by the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces or
Korean People’s Army showed Crawford as a prisoner of war and no returning
American prisoners reported to have any information on his status.
Absent evidence of continued survival, the Department of the Navy declared him
deceased as of Oct. 30, 1953.
July 11
Army Pvt. James I. Trick,
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1944, Trick was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion,
109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, which was engaged against enemy
forces in the Hürtgen Forest, near Germeter, Germany.
He reportedly killed by enemy shrapnel on Nov. 4, 1944, while bring supplies for his unit.
July 9
Army Pvt. Laurel W. Ebert,
Iowa
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Nov. 26, 1942, Ebert was a member of Company I, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, serving as part of a nine-person patrol to
find and silence an enemy machine gun position somewhere
west of the Sanananda Track in the Cape Killerton area of the Australian
Territory of Papua (present-day Papua New Guinea.) Six members of the patrol,
including Ebert, failed to return following the mission.
He was subsequently listed as missing in action.
Marine
Marine Corps Platoon Sgt. George E. Trotter,
Missouri
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Trotter was a member of Company E, 2nd
Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese
resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert
Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense
fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more
than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Trotter died on the first day of the battle, Nov.
20, 1943.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military
success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because
the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Pacific Fleet a platform from which to
launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central
Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but
Trotter’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were
sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for
identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were
interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP),
known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa
Unknown X-055.
On March 13, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-055 from the
NMCP for identification.
To identify Trotter’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
July 8
Army Pfc. Hulett A. Thompson, 23, of
Carrollton, Georgia, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In June 1944, Thompson served as an infantryman assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 5307th Combat Unit (Provisional,) also referred to as Task Force
Galahad, or Merrill's Marauders, in the China-Burma-India region. On June 30,
1944, Thompson's unit fought in the siege of Myitkyina, Burma. He was reportedly
killed in action and his remains could not be recovered following the battle. On
Jan. 9, 1948, his remains were declared non-recoverable.
The remains of servicemen killed during the battle were buried in
at least eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial
locations. Eventually, all known burials were concentrated into the U.S.
Military Cemetery at Myitkyina, including the remains of those who were not
identified. In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S.
Military Cemetery were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Military Cemetery
at Kalaikunda, India. The exhumation of the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda
was conducted in September and October 1947.
One set of remains, designated Unknown X-386, Kalaikunda, was
reportedly disinterred on Nov. 13, 1947, and transferred to Schofield Barracks
in Hawaii, where they were unable to be identified. They were subsequently
buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl,
in Honolulu, in June 1949.
On July 16, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-386 Kalaikunda from
the Punchbowl and accessioned the remains into the laboratory.
To identify Thompson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
analysis.
July 8
Navy Radioman 3rd Class Starring B. Winfield,
22,
Alameda County,
California,
killed during World War II, was accounted for June 24, 2019.
(Official DoD release will be updated following Primary Next of
Kin briefing.)
He had enlisted in the Navy. Served during World War II. He had
the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. Occupation or specialty was Radioman
Third Class.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Winfield 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 Winfield.
July 8
Navy Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells, 18,
On
Dec. 7, 1941, Wells was assigned to the battleship USS Arizona, which was moored
at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS Arizona sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused a cataclysmic
explosion, and ignited a fire that burned for two days. The attack on the ship
resulted in the deaths of 1,177 crewmen, including Wells.
"He was a career man in the Navy, he loved the Navy," said Alfred’s nephew Wayne
Konseck. However, on December 7th, 1941 his ship was attacked at the naval base
and when it capsized,
Wells and more than 400 others onboard died.
His remains remained missing until they were recently identified through DNA
testing and the U.S. Navy wanted to make sure they were returned.
"To be part of this event is very, very prestigious and, very honorable for
myself and for the Navy,"
July 8
Army Corporal Donald E. Angle, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for.
Corporal Donald Eugene Angle entered the U.S. Army from Maryland and served in Company C of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was reported as missing in action on July 25, 1950, after the Battle of Yongdong, though specific details regarding his loss are unknown.
Physical evidence and survivor interviews indicate CPL Angle was never captured, and it is believed he was lost during the battle and could not be recovered.
Attempts to locate and identify his remains among those disinterred from the area following the war were unsuccessful.
Absent of evidence of continued survival, the Department of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.
He was given a posthumous promotion from Private First Class to Corporal. Today, Corporal Angle is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
July 1
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Kenneth W. Likens, 20,
Mount Clemens, Mi. was
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Likens was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island.
Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Likens died on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. He was reported to have been buried in the East Division Cemetery, which was eventually renamed to Cemetery #33.
July 1
Army Pfc. David C. Wilkes,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Wilkes was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion
32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division.
Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers
assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of
the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea,
when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese
attacks continued, American forces withdrew south.
The U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the
remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy
territory. Wilkes was initially reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950,
when he could not be accounted for after the withdrawal, but his status was
later amended to killed in action.
June 27
Army Cpl. Earl H. Markle, 19, of Spring
Grove, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Markle was a member of Company M, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing
in action on Nov. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Unsan,
North Korea. His remains could not be recovered following the attack, and he was
not reported as a prisoner of war. The U.S. Army declared him deceased as of
Dec. 31, 1953.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Trump
and North Korean Chairman Kim in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes,
purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the
Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on
Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
To identify Markle’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 27
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Wesley L.
Kroenung, Jr., 25, of South Pasadena, California, killed during World
War II, was accounted for.
In November 1943, Kroenung was a photographer with Headquarters
Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Fifth Amphibious Corps, temporarily
assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese
resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert
Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense
fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more
than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Kroenung died on the first day of the
battle, Nov. 20, 1943. He was reportedly buried in the 2nd Marine
Division Cemetery #4.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military
success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because
the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Pacific Fleet a platform from which to
launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central
Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company
conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but
Kroenung’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were
sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for
identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were
interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP),
known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa
Unknown X-103.
On November 7, 2016, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-103
from the NMCP for identification. Shortly after, DPAA disinterred one set of
remains, designated Tarawa Unknown X-104B from Cemetery #33. The remains were
consolidated and sent to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Kroenung’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 27
U.S. Navy Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Leo Blitz, and U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Rudolph Blitz, 20, Lincoln, NE twins were killed during World War II, were accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Blitz twins were assigned to the battleship
USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including the Blitz twins.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including the brothers.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify the Blitzes’ 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.
On Christmas Day 1941, family members learned
that Rudolph had died and Leo was missing. The Navy never gave them anymore
information about the fate of the twins or returned their remains.
The twin brothers enlisted in the Navy together on 4 May,1938.
A family friend Hanson served on a boiler crew with Rudolph and was with him
when several torpedoes struck the USS Oklahoma in the first few minutes of the
attack.
Rudolph was worried about his brother Leo, who was on duty in the forward dynamo
room, where large electrical generators that kept the battleship running were
controlled.
Hanson and Rudolph headed for topside, then Hanson lost Rudolph.
Rudolph went to the forward room where Leo was. Hanson never saw him again.
Hanson did survive the attack and the war.
The twin brothers died together with 427 of their shipmates onboard the USS
Oklahoma (BB-37) on 7 December, 1941.
June 27
Army Sgt. Vernon R. Judd,
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Judd was a member of Company D, 89th Medium Tank
Battalion, 25th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 28, 1950, when he was captured by enemy forces in the vicinity of Ipsok, North Korea.
According to reports, Judd died at Hofong Prisoner of War camp, also known as Pukchin-Tarigol, on Feb. 15, 1951, and his remains were unable to be recovered.
June 26
Marine Corps Pvt. Waldean Black, 20, of
Perryton, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Black was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Black.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crewmen, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa
and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Black.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
NMCP for analysis.
To identify Black remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
June 21
Army Pfc. Sterling Geary, Jr., 24, of
Cooper, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In November 1950, Geary was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion,
35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, which was engaged in battle with
the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces in North Korea. He was declared missing in
action on Nov. 27, 19510 when he could not be accounted for by his unit
following fighting at Hill 234, and Tong-dong Village, North Korea.
Following the war, one returning American
prisoner of war reported that Geary had been captured by the CPVF and died in
March 1951 while being held at prisoner of war Camp 5. Based on this
information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of March 31, 1951.
On Dec. 21, 1993, North Korea unilaterally turned over 34 boxes
of remains, believed to be unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War.
The remains in Box 17 were reportedly recovered from Tonju-ri, Pyokdong County,
North P’yongan Province, North Korea.
In October 2000, two joint Korean and U.S. Central Identification
Laboratory Hawaii (a predecessor to DPAA) Recovery Operations excavated sites in
Kujang County, North Korea, which is near Unsan County, and an area associated
with individuals captured and sent to prisoner of war Camp
5, where Geary was reported to have died. The remains recovered were
accessioned to the laboratory and consolidated with remains returned in 1993.
To identify Geary’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA,) Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
June 21
Army Cpl. Billy J. Butler, 19, of
Kerrville, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Butler was a member of Company C, 2nd Engineer
Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against
the enemy near Kujang, North Korea. On Nov. 28, 1950, his unit’s defensive
positions were attacked and he was captured by the Chinese People’s Volunteer
Force (CPVF.)
Following the war, returning American prisoners
reported that Butler died in January 1951, at the prisoner of war camp in
Pukchin-Tarigol, North Korea, known by some as Hofong Camp.
On March 15, 1954, the U.S. Army declared Butler deceased as of
Jan. 27, 1951.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Trump
and North Korean Chairman Kim in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes,
purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the
Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on
Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for
identification.
To identify Butler’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 21
Army Pfc. Roger L. Woods, 18, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
In the summer of 1950, Woods was a member of Company I, 3rd
Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, fighting against
members of the Korean People’s Army. On July 29, 1950, he was reported missing
in action in the vicinity of Kochang, South Korea. Absent of evidence of
continued survival, the Department of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec.
31, 1953.
According to historical reports, the 565th Quartermaster Graves
Registration Company recovered a set of remains initially designated as Unknown
X-274 Miryang and later as Unknown X-274 Tanggok from an isolated grave in the
vicinity of Kochang Town, South Korea. A tag that accompanied the remains
claimed that the remains had been removed from a single grave on Oct. 29, 1950.
On April 20, 1955, the remains were declared unidentifiable and were
subsequently transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,)
known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as an Unknown.
In August 2018, following thorough historical and scientific
analysis, X-274 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory
for analysis.
To identify Woods’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
Airmen
June 20
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Toney W.
Gochnauer, 24, of Amarillo, Texas, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Jan. 25, 1944, Gochnauer was a member of 425th Bombardment
Squadron, 308th Heavy Bombardment Group, 14th Air Force, as the co-pilot aboard
a B-24J Liberator aircraft, departing Kunming, China on a supply mission to
Chabua, India. Despite initially favorable weather, conditions deteriorated
rapidly and the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination. Four other
aircraft were also lost during their approach to Chabua.
Due to inability to pinpoint a loss location, no search efforts were initiated,
and none of the eight crewmembers or four passengers on board were recovered.
In June 2017, DPAA contractor Abor Country was tasked to perform
a reconnaissance of a site near Kese Bagang Village, East Kameng District, State
of Arunachal Pradesh, based on information provided by Mr. Clayton Kuhles. Abor
Country reported they had located an aircraft crash site with a significant
amount of debris, including wreckage that resembled an aircraft wing. The
contractor turned possible human remains over to the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata.
In December 2017, during a Joint Field Activity, a DPAA
investigation team visited the crash site and recovered human remains. The
remains were consolidated into the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Gochnauer’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA),
Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
June 20
Army Pvt. Jacob W. Givens, 30,
Butler County, Ohio
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In October 1944, Givens was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion,
60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division which was engaged in battle
against enemy forces in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near
Germeter, Germany.
He was reported missing in action as of Oct. 20, 1944, when his company
reorganized after a severe counterattack and he could not be accounted for.
As he arrived in the European Theater of Operations, he found himself and his
unit in the middle of the Hurtgen Forest where a brutal battle was being fought
since September 1944.
K Company was part of the October push towards the town of Germeter. After days
of heavy fighting, they set up a defensive position east of the main B399
Monschau – Duren road.
From here the mission was to advance down south towards the town of Monschau.
However, K Company kept their defensive positions along the road for a couple of
days between October 15th and 23rd, 1944.
During these days, several heavy artillery barrages were dropped on the
men, and occasional counter attacks were received.
It was on October 20th, 1944 that Private Jacob W. Givens went Missing In Action. One year later on October 21st, 1945, Private Givens was officially reported Missing in Action.
June 17
Army Cpl. Charles S. Lawler, 19, of
Traverse City, Michigan, killed during the Korean War, was accounted
for.
In November 1950, Lawler was a member of Company M, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by
enemy forces near Unsan, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered
following the attack and he was not reported as a prisoner of war.
The U.S. Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald
Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea
turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service
members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into
the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Lawler’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
June 17
Navy Fireman 3rd Class Harold K.
Costill, 18, of Clayton, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was
accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Costill was assigned to the battleship USS West
Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo
hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from
capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack on the
ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Costill.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel
recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66
individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Costill, were interred
as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the
Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting
Agency, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported
to be associated with the USS West Virginia, from the NMCP and transferred the
remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Costill’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 17
Navy Reserve Seaman 2nd Class Moyses A. Martinez,
18, New Mexico was
killed
during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On July 24, 1944, Martinez was aboard the battleship USS
Colorado, which was moored approximately 3,200 yards from the shore of Tinian
Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Early in the morning, the USS Colorado, along with the light cruiser Cleveland
and destroyers Remey and Norman Scott, commenced firing toward the island.
Within two hours, a concealed Japanese shore battery opened fire on the USS Colorado and the USS Norman Scott.
The first hit on the USS Colorado resulted in a heavy explosion,
and the ship sustained extensive fragmentation damage.
From the attack, four crewmen were declared missing in action, and 39 personnel
were killed, including Martinez. Martinez and the other casualties were
subsequently interred in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan.
June 14
Army Sgt. 1st Class Elden C. Justus,
23, of Eureka, California, killed during the Korean War, was
accounted for on April 16, 2019.
In late November 1950, Justus was a member of Headquarters
Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately
2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental
Combat Team (RCT),
which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was
engaged by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces.
By December 6, the U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 wounded service
members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured or killed in enemy
territory.
When Justus could not be accounted for by his unit at the end of the battle; he
was reported missing in action as of Dec. 6, 1950.
From April 28 to May 10, 2004, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command, a predecessor to DPAA, conducted joint recovery operations with the
North Korean People’s Army (KPA,) in the vicinity of the Chosin River.
The recovery team excavated two sites, recovering the remains of at least five
individuals. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea,)
unilaterally turned over the remains to the UNC Military Armistice Commissioned,
where they were subsequently accessioned to the laboratory.
To identify Justus’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
June 13
Navy Seaman 1st Class Frank A.
Hryniewicz, 20, of Three Rivers, Massachusetts, killed during World
War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Hryniewicz was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Hryniewicz.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Hryniewicz.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Hryniewicz’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
June 12
Navy Seaman 1st Class Millard Burk, Jr.,
19, of Pikeville, Kentucky, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Burk was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Burk.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Burk.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Burk’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scicentists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
June 12
Army Pvt. Ballard McCurley, 34,
Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In November 1944, McCurley was a member of Company M, 3rd
Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, during the Battle of
the Hürtgen Forest of Germany.
On Nov. 29, 1944, his battalion went to a reserve position in the woods west of the town of Hürtgen.
He and other Soldiers in his unit were ordered to clear a field of tree stumps so vehicles could drop off rations and supplies. According to witnesses, while clearing out a tree stump, McCurley inadvertently set off an enemy anti-personnel mine and he was killed instantly.
His remains were not recovered or identified immediately after his loss.
June 10
Army Pfc. Dewey W. Harris, 23, of
Cherryville, Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1944, Harris was a member of Company C, 1st
Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported
missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Hürtgen Forest,
near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and
extensive land mines throughout the forest, American forces were unable to
search for him. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Harris’ remains. Unable to make a
correlation with any remains found in the area, his remains were declared
non-recoverable.
In 1946, following demining operations, a set of remains was
recovered from near where Harris was last seen alive. The remains, unable to be
identified, were designated Unknown X-2702, and buried at United States Military
Cemetery Neuville, present day Ardennes American Cemetery, in Belgium.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-2702, DPAA
analysts determined that there was a likely association between the remains and
Harris. In August 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments
Commission disinterred X-2702 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify Harris’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) analysis.
June 10
Army Cpl. Robert L. Bray, 19, from
Ross County,
Ohio was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In July 1950, Bray was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th
Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment.
He was reported missing in action on July 20, 1950, when he could not be accounted for following his unit fighting in a defensive action against enemy forces near Taejon, South Korea.
With no information concerning his whereabouts, the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.
June 7
Army Cpl. Ralph L. Bennett, 22, of Ames,
Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In June 1944, Bennett was a member of Headquarters Company, 209th
Engineer Combat Battalion, as an engineer in the China-Burma-India Theater. On
June 13, 1944, Bennett’s battalion fought in the siege of Myitkyina, Burma,
after successfully taking the airfield west of Myitkyina from Japanese control.
Bennett was reported to have been killed during the battle.
The remains of servicemen killed during the battle were buried in
at least eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial
locations. Eventually, all known burials were concentrated into the U.S.
Military Cemetery at Myitkyina, including the remains of those who were not
identified. In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S.
Military Cemetery were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Military Cemetery
at Kalaikunda, India. The exhumation of the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda
was conducted in September and October 1947.
One set of remains, designated Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda, was
reportedly disinterred on Oct. 21, 1947 and transferred to Schofield Barracks in
Hawaii, where they were unable to be identified. They were subsequently buried
in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in
Honolulu, in March 1949.
On July 16, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda from
the Punchbowl and accessioned the remains into the laboratory.
To identify Bennett’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally,
the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
analysis.
June 7
Army 1st Lt. Seymour P. Drovis, 24, of
Cook County, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In July 1944, Drovis was a member of Company A, 105th Infantry
Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, engaged against enemy forces in Achugao
Village, Saipan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The
division sustained heavy casualties during one of the largest Japanese “banzai”
attacks of WWII. A soldier reported seeing Drovis fatally shot on July 7, 1944.
In September 2013, two Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
anthropologists (JPAC, a predecessor to DPAA) recovered possible osseous remains
and material evidence from a burial feature on Saipan. The location correlates
to where Drovis’ unit fought during the banzai attack. The remains were
recovered by JPAC Central Identification Laboratory anthropologists and by a
Japanese non-governmental organization, Kuenti, working in conjunction with the
Japanese government, and in cooperation with a local archeological firm, Swift
and Harper Archaeological Research and Consulting, and the Japanese Historic
Preservation Office. The remains were subsequently sent to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify Drovis’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
June 7
Army Pvt. Harry W. Wilder, 21, of
Denver, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In November 1944, Wilder was a member of Company B, 1st
Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported
missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand
sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to
ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest
American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Wilder was
among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On
Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command
extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Wilder’s remains. Unable to make a
correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable.
In April 1947, following demining operations, a set of
unidentified remains was recovered from the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen
Forest. The remains were sent to the central processing point at Neuville,
Belgium. They were unable to be identified, were designated X-5392, and buried
as an unknown Soldier at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5392, a DPAA
historian determined that there was a likely association between the remains and
Wilder. In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments
Commission disinterred X-5392 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory
for identification.
To identify Wilder’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental
and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 6
Baker 2nd Class David L. Kesler, 23, of
Berthoud, Colorado, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Kesler was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including Kesler.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at
Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the
identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS
subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In
October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as
non-recoverable, including Kesler.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Kesler’s remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
June 5
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. William E.
Brandenburg, 19, of New Miami, Ohio. Brandenburg was accounted for.
In November 1943, Brandenburg was a member of Company A, 1st
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which
landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the
Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over
several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and
Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were
virtually annihilated. Brandenburg died on the third day
of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military
success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because
the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which
to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central
Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S.
service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield
cemeteries on the island. Reports indicate that Brandenburg was buried in the
Central Division Cemetery, later renamed to Cemetery #26. The 604th
Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations
on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Brandenburg’s remains were not identified.
All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central
Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that
had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the
Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set,
designated Tarawa Unknown X-074.
In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-074 from the
NMCP for identification.
To identify Brandenburg’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
June 4
Navy Seaman 1st Class Ralph H. Keil, 20, Prairie
Home,
Missouri
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Keil was assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Keil.
Airmen
June 4
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Charles G. Ruble,
Randolph County, Indiana
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In September 1944, Ruble was a member of the 99th Troup Carrier
Squadron, 441st Troup Carrier Group, serving as an aerial engineer aboard a
C-47A aircraft, nicknamed the "Celia L."
On Sept. 17, 1944, the Celia L, which operated out of U.S. Army
Air Forces Station 490 Langar, Nottinghamshire, England, was carrying a crew of
five and transporting 10 paratroopers from the 508th Parachute Infantry
Regiment,
approaching a drop-zone near Groesbeek, Netherlands.
The plane was seen taking direct anti-aircraft fire to the wing. While the paratroopers successfully exited the plane, the five crewmembers were still onboard.
Three crewmembers survived, but two, including Ruble, could not be accounted for, and were believed to have been killed in the crash.
Charles G Ruble is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
June 4
Army Master Sgt. James G. Cates,
Neshoba, Mississippi
was
killed during the Korean War, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In late 1950, Cates was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion,
31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
He was reported missing in action on Dec. 3, 1950, following combat actions against enemy forces in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
June
3
Navy Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Harold L. Dick,
22, Moniteau,
Missouri
was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On July 24, 1944, Dick was aboard the battleship USS Colorado,
which was moored approximately 3,200 yards from the shore of Tinian Island,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Early in the morning, the USS
Colorado, along with the light cruiser Cleveland and destroyers Remey and Norman
Scott, commenced firing toward the island.
Within two hours, a concealed Japanese shore battery opened fire on the USS Colorado and the USS Norman Scott.
The first hit on the USS Colorado resulted in a heavy explosion, and the ship sustained extensive fragmentation damage.
From the attack, four crewmen were declared missing in action, and 39 personnel were killed, including Dick. Dick and the other casualties were subsequently interred in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan.
May 29
Navy Seaman 1st Class Oris V. Brandt,
20, of Kentland, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted
for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Brandt 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 Brandt.
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 Brandt.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy
memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS
Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the
Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Brandt’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), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR)
analysis.
May 29
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Ray H. Myers, 19,
of Central City, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Myers 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 Myers.
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 Myers.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS
Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Myers’ 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
May 28
Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. John T. Burke,
N.C. was killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
In November 1943, Burke was a member of Company B, 1st 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.
Burke died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.
May 24
Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward Wasielewski,
Plymouth,
MI was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
He had enlisted in the Navy. Served during World War II. He had
the rank of Enlisted. Occupation or specialty was Seaman First Class. Service
number was 3114243. Served with USS Oklahoma.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wasielewskiwas assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Wasielewski.
May 23
Army Pfc. John W. Hayes, 24, of
Estelline, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In early 1945, Hayes was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion,
335th Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division, serving in the European Theater
during World War II. On Jan. 4, 1945, Hayes was killed in action near Mâgôster,
Belgium, when, according to witnesses, an 88-millimeter shell from a German tank
struck his foxhole. Following the war, American graves registration teams had no
record of Hayes’ remains being recovered. On Sept. 6, 1951, the War Department
declared his remains non-recoverable.
Following the close of hostilities in Europe in 1945, an
unidentified set of remains, designated Unknown X-134 Fosse, were recovered near
Soy, Belgium, approximately three miles from Mâgôster. The remains could not be
identified and were interred Nov. 4, 1948, at the Henri-Chapelle American
Cemetery and Memorial, in Hombourg, Belgium.
Following thorough analysis of military records and American
Graves Registration Command documentation by DPAA historians and scientists,
Unknown X-134 Fosse, was determined to have a likely association with Hayes.
Unknown X-134 Fosse was disinterred in July 2018 and sent to DPAA for analysis.
To identify Hayes’ remains, scientists from DPAA anthropological
analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
May 22
U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William J. McGowan,
24,
Benson, Minnesota was
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
Lt. William “Bill” J. McGowan was a pilot during World War II. The P-47 he was flying on D-Day, June 6, 1944 was shot down while on a low-level strafing and bombing mission south of the landing beaches in Normandy, France.
In 1944, McGowan was a pilot, serving with the 391st Fighter
Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, 9th U.S. Air Force. On June 6, 1944, he was
killed when his P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft crashed while on a mission near the
city of Saint-Lô, France.
May 15
Army Pvt. Roy Brown, Jr.
killed during World War II, was accounted for.
(Official DoD release will be updated following
Primary Next of Kin briefing.)
On Dec. 2, 1942, Brown was a member of Company I, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, when he was reported missing in action
following engagement with enemy forces along the Soputa-Sananda Track,
while defending a position known as the Huggins Roadblock, near Buna,
Papua New. Guinea.
May 13
Army Pfc. Dale W. Ross, 22, of Ashland,
Oregon, killed during World War II, was accounted for.
In January 1943, Ross was a member of Company E, 35th Infantry
Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, serving in the Pacific Theater. He was
reported missing in action on Jan. 14, 1943, following a patrol in the vicinity
of Hill 27, Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. A search was conducted,
but fellow Soldiers were unable to locate his remains. On July 14, 1949, based
on a lack of information, the U.S. Army determined Ross to be non-recoverable.
In 2012, predecessor organizations to DPAA conducted
investigations and interviews in Mbarana Village, a village situated near the
Gifu battlefield, where Ross was believed to have died. Between 2012 and 2015,
several investigation and recovery operations were conducted in Mbarana, and
possible human remains were located along the steep hillside surface of Hill 27.
In 2017, Pacific Wrecks, Inc., a partnership organization,
contacted DPAA regarding possible remains found along Hill 27. DPAA excavated
the site with support from local civilians, recovering additional remains. The
remains were consolidated with the remains found in 2015, and sent to the
laboratory for analysis.
To identify Ross’ remains, scientists from DPAA used
anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, the
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Army Sgt. George R. Schipani, 19, of
Somerville, Massachusetts, was accounted for.
In late 1950, Schipani was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion,
8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit took part in the
Battle of Unsan, North Korea. Early in the morning of Nov. 2, 1950, Schipani’s
battalion was struck by enemy units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces.
After several days of intense fighting, survivors escaped to friendly lines.
Schipani was reported missing in action as of Nov. 2, 1950.
At the end of the war, returning American prisoners stated that
Schipani had been captured and marched to Pyoktong, Prisoner of War Camp 5, and
died in February or March 1951. Based on this information, the Army declared
Schipani deceased as of March 31, 1951.
Although the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service planned to
recover American remains that remained north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone
after the war, administrative details between the United Nations Command and
North Korea complicated recovery efforts. An agreement was made and in September
and October 1954, in what was known as Operation Glory, remains were returned.
Remains that were unable to be identified were buried as Unknowns in the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu,
including a set of remains designated Unknown X-13448 Op Glory.
In July 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-13448 Op Glory from the
Punchbowl, and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Schipani’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,
anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as
circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Department of Veterans Affairs for their
partnership in this mission.
May 13
Navy brothers, Seaman 2nd Class Calvin H. Palmer, 23 and Seaman
2nd Class Wilferd D. Palmer,
Andes, 22 from Richland County, Montana,
killed during the attack on the USS Oklahoma in World War II,
were accounted for.
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Palmers were assigned to the battleship USS
Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits,
which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the
deaths of 429 crewmen, including the Palmer brothers.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the
remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and
Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen
U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves
Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the
two cemeteries and transferred them to the Cent