2017
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stories and Press Releases below chart

www.kpows.com

http://www.kpows.com/thezimmerleereports.html

2017

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12/30/17
moe note;

2^nd Lt. Underwood’s remains were recovered from Tarawa by HISTORY FLIGHT,  http://historyflight.com/nw/.

A Salute and a tip of the hat to all involved in bringing Lt. Underwood home, at last, to his family, to his home.

Until they all come home………

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 December, 2017 09:44
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II Accounted For (Solomon, J.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Navy Seaman 1st Class James C. Solomon, killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II, has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1395456/
uss-oklahoma-sailor-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-solomon-j/

On Dec. 7, 1941, Solomon was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Solomon.

In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their

partnership in this mission

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Solomon's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from World War II. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 December, 2017 09:45
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Airman Missing From World War II Accounted For (Keown, R.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert R. Keown, killed during World War II, has now

been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1395462/
airman-missing-from-world-war-ii-accounted-for-keown-r/

On April 16, 1944, Keown was the pilot of one of four P-38s of the 36th

Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, participating in a mission to escort a

B-25 medium bomber on an aerial search near the mouth of the Sepik River in

Papua New Guinea. Keown's aircraft, alongside the other three aircraft on

the escort mission, encountered heavy overcast conditions after charting

their course home. After rerouting, they experienced heavy rain and turned

toward the open ocean. Keown and his wingman became separated from the other

aircraft. His last known location was listed as more than a mile north of

Yalu Point. None of the four aircraft returned from the mission.

In 1999, the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery turned over

remains to the Central Identification Laboratory after receiving information

from Mr. Soka Dodon and Mr. John Bonding.

DPAA is grateful to Mr. Soka Dodon, Mr. John Bonding, the Papua New Guinea

Government and Pacific Wrecks, Inc., for their partnerships in this

recovery.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Keown's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing on the Walls of the

Missing at the Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments

Commission site, along with the others who are missing from the World War

II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been

accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 December, 2017 09:46
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Soldier Captured During Korean War Accounted For (Beed, M.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Army Sgt. 1st Class Milton M. Beed, captured during the Korean War, has now

been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1395465/
soldier-captured-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-beed-m/

In February 1951, Beed was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th

Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, supporting Republic of Korea Army

attacks against units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the

village of Hoengsong, an area known as the Central Corridor in South Korea.

After enduring sustained enemy attacks, the American units withdrew to

Wonju, South Korea. It was during this withdrawal that Beed was reported

missing, as of Feb. 12, 1951.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Beed's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along

with the others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 December, 2017 09:48
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II Accounted For (Craig, J.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Navy Storekeeper 1st Class John W. Craig, killed during the attack on the

USS Oklahoma in World War II, has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1395474/
uss-oklahoma-sailor-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-craig-j/

On Dec. 7, 1941, Craig was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at

Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly

capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen,

including Craig.

In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their

partnership in this mission

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Craig's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from World War II. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 December, 2017 09:47
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II Accounted For (Callahan, A.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Navy Mess Attendant 2nd Class Archie Callahan, Jr., killed during the attack

on the USS Oklahoma in World War II, has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1395470/
uss-oklahoma-sailor-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-callahan-a/

On Dec. 7, 1941, Callahan was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Callahan.

In 2015, DPAA disinterred remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their

partnership in this mission

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Callahan's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from World War II. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Funeral Announcement - RESCHEDULED!

-----Original Message-----
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 12 December, 2017 14:06
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Adjustment: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Pennsylvania Marine Killed During World War II

ALL:

Please note that due to the family's wishes, the burial services for Pfc.

McNichol have been rescheduled to Spring 2018.

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Cpl. John V. McNichol, accounted for on Oct. 6, 2017, will be

buried December 18 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

McNichol, 20, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was killed during the Battle of

Tarawa in World War II.

His nephew, Thomas R. McNichol, of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, is available for

interviews at (814) 466-7512.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of McNichol on file.

/////

In November 1943, McNichol was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th

Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed

against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa

Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over

several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and

Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were

virtually annihilated. McNichol died on the second day of the battle, Nov.

21, 1943.

The battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration

Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio Island, but

McNichol's remains were not recovered. On Oct. 7, 1949, a military review

board declared McNichol's remains non-recoverable.

In July 2017, through a partnership with History Flight, Inc., DPAA used

advanced investigative techniques to locate further areas believed to

contain the remains of men buried on Tarawa.  The recovered remains were

sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify McNichol's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and

anthropological analysis, which matched his records, as well as

circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this

mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,969 service members

(approximately 34,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still accounted

for from World War II. McNichol's name is recorded on the Tablets of the

Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with the

others killed or lost in WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 8 December, 2017 17:05
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Navy Seaman 2nd Class George J. Wilcox, accounted for on Sept. 15, 2017,

will be buried Dec. 16 in Evansville, Indiana.

Wilcox, 19, of Byram, Mississippi, was killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II. 

His family member John L. Wilcox, Jr., is available for interviews at (812)

649-4039.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Wilcox on file.

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Wilcox was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Wilcox. 

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 Wilcox.

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 Wilcox's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR)

DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence

and dental comparisons and anthropological analysis.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their

partnership in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,969 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Wilcox's name is recorded at the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

site along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 8 December, 2017 16:12
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Correction: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for New Jersey Soldier Missing From The Korean War

Correction: Please note the headline is adjusted to Missing rather than Captured.

Dear Editor,

Army Pfc. Albert E. Atkins, accounted for on June 13, 2017, will be buried

December 15 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 8 December, 2017 08:05
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for New Jersey Soldier Captured During The Korean War

Dear Editor,

Army Pfc. Albert E. Atkins, accounted for on June 13, 2017, will be buried

December 15 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Atkins, 20, of Belvidere, New Jersey, was captured during the Korean War.

His cousin, Lincoln Gayagas is available for interviews at (808) 393-5292.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Atkins on file.

/////

On May 23, 1951, Atkins was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 187th

Airborne Infantry Regiment, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, when his

unit was attacking enemy forces near Mae-Bong, South Korea.  The regiment's

mission was to secure Hill 911, and as the company prepared to assault the

hill, Atkins and two other soldiers from his company were reported missing

in action.

On Sept. 17, 1966, two South Koreans provided information regarding three

side-by-side graves in the vicinity of Kwandra-ri, South Korea.  A U.S. Army

Graves Registration team recovered the remains and sent them to the Central

Identification Unit in Yokohama, Japan for analysis.  Two of the remains

were individually identified as members of Atkins' company, but the third,

X-6385, could not be identified and was interred at the National Memorial

Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

After a thorough historical and scientific analysis of information

associated with X-6385 it was determined that the remains could likely be

identified.  After receipt of approval, the remains were disinterred from

the NMCP on Nov. 1, 2005 and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Atkins' remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, involving

Next-Generation Sequencing, which matched his family, as well as dental and

anthropological analysis, which matched his records, and circumstantial

evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the South Korean citizens who assisted in this recovery.

Today, 7,715 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North

Korea by American recovery teams.  Atkins' name is recorded on the Courts of

the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from the

Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has

been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Thursday Morning!

Please join us in extending our CONGRATULATIONS to MIA Recovery Network  (https://miarecoverynetwork.com/ ) and its founder Mr. Ken Breaux on their recent partnership with The Sons of Liberty Museum and The Army Air Corps Library and Museum!!

Ken and his team have created an excellent searchable data base on our World War II Missing in Action and are able to bring it to a public platform where Families of those still Missing in Action will, at last, have access to it.  

FYI – the Missing in Action/Unaccounted For from World War II represent approximately eighty seven percent (87%) of the DoD’s List of MIAs.

Keep up the GREAT Work, Mr. Breaux!

We are Blessed to have you and your team on this Mission!

Until they all come home……….

moe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are very excited about this partnership.  When we loaded the data we found a number of cross references to material in our honor roll sections and will assist in filling out a biography on those listed. 

Since the history and story of the individual citizen soldier is at the heart of the museum's mission it is hoped that providing this material we can assist in some small way to help write the final chapter in their story.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 6 December, 2017 11:23
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Albert Strange, accounted for on Oct. 6, 2017,

will be buried December 13 in Cave City, Kentucky.

Strange, 18, of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, was killed during the Battle of

Tarawa in World War II.

His niece, Carolyn Sturgeon, of Cave City, is available for interviews at

(270) 773-4093.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Strange on file.

/////

In November 1943, Strange was assigned to 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, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Strange

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

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Strange's

remains were not identified.

In May 2017, DPAA, through a partnership with History Flight, Inc., returned

to Betio to conduct excavations of osseous remains through various advanced

investigative techniques.  The remains were sent to DPAA for analysis.

To identify Strange's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is appreciative to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this

mission

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,969 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Strange's name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

moe note:

it appears, at times, there might be two (2) Rule Books utilized in the mission of accounting for our MIAs. The Rule Book for Them, and the Rule Book for Everyone Else.

In this story that Mary has provided, a family who brings a request for disinterment of an UNKNOWN grave because of the results of their, Not the DPAA, extensive research indicates that there is a chance of identifying the remains is denied in Court due to a “technicality’ the USG/DoD/DPAA said existed in the legal suit.

We wonder what the difference in expense would be if they just disinterred the remains – took a sample – did a DNA (nuclear) test and revealed the results compared to the fees – attorney and court cost – that has now been expensed. FYI- The judge in the case is giving the family the right to re-write and re-submit the case, so the expenses continues and NO Identification has been made.

The current Agency, DPAA, is still NOT able to satisfy a Congressional mandate of 200 identifications (minimum) per year that was effective starting in 2015. Logic dictates that every effort should be in play to identify as many as possible, not paying attorneys to find a technical reason not to do the job the people are paying for.

We wonder if there is a ‘technicality’ involved that is keeping Congress from holding the DoD/DPAA accountable to their job performance?

   
Honor, Release, Return Inc.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US)
[mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 4 December, 2017 11:25
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Marine Killed During World War II Accounted For (Ragucci, E.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Emil F. Ragucci, killed during World War II, has
now been accounted for.
               http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1387114/
               marine-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-ragucci-e/

In November 1943, Ragucci was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 2nd
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese
resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert
Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense
fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and
more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
Ragucci died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

In September 2013, through a partnership with History Flight, Inc., JPAC (a
predecessor to DPAA) received remains from a burial site on Tarawa.


DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission. 

Interment services are pending; more information will be released 7-10 days
prior to scheduled funeral services.

Ragucci's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl
along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his
name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil <http://www.dpaa.mil> ,
                find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa <http://www.facebook.com/dodpaa> ,
               or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 4 December, 2017 10:31
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Michigan Sailor Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Navy Reserve Aviation Radioman 2nd Class Albert P. Rybarczyk, accounted for

on August 14, 2017, will be buried December 11 in his hometown.

Rybarczyk, 21, of St. Joseph, Michigan, was killed during World War II.

His niece, Cindy Gray, of Stevensville, Michigan, is available for

interviews at (269) 449-1652.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Rybarczyk on file.

/////

On Sept. 8, 1944, Rybarczyk was a member of the Navy Torpedo Squadron

Eighteen (VT-18), USS Intrepid, on a bombing mission against Japanese

positions on Babelthuap Island, Palau.  As the aircraft reached the target

area, the pilot began a dive near Bokerugeru Point and the crew released its

2,000-pound bomb.  While attempting to pull out of the dive, the bomb hit an

ammunition dump and exploded.  The explosion tore the tail from the

aircraft, causing it to crash off-shore.  Rybarczyk was reported missing in

action.

After combat operations in the area ceased, the American Graves Registration

Service- Philippine Command travelled to Palau to investigate and attempt to

recover missing service members.  No record of the crash site was found.

In 2005, BentProp Project, a nonprofit NGO of volunteers who work with DPAA

in the Republic of Palau, located a piece of the starboard wing of an

aircraft near Bokerugeru Point.  Subsequent investigations located the main

body of the aircraft offshore.

In 2014, possible human remains were located within the main body of the

aircraft, and sent to the Central Identification Laboratory for analysis.

In April 2015, a DPAA Underwater Recovery Team excavated the site and

recovered additional remains and material evidence. 

To identify Rybarczyk's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family; anthropological analysis, which matched his records; and

historical evidence.

DPAA is grateful to BentProp Project for their partnership in this recovery.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Rybarczyk's name is recorded on the Walls

of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments

Commission site, along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be

placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 1 December, 2017 16:05
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Navy Fireman 1st Class Samuel W. Crowder, accounted for on August 30, 2017,

will be buried December 9 in his hometown.

Crowder, 35, of Louisville, Kentucky, was killed during the attack on the

USS Oklahoma in World War II.

His nephew, Fred Crowder, is available for interviews at (508) 939-2736.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Crowder on file.

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Crowder was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Crowder. 

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 Crowder.

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 Crowder's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome STR

(Y-STR) DNA analysis, which matched family members, as well as

circumstantial evidence and laboratory analysis, to include dental

comparisons and anthropological analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their Partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Crowder's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 1 December, 2017 15:44
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Sam J. Kourkos, accounted for on May 9, 2017, will

be buried December 9 in his hometown.

Kourkos, 20, of Independence, Kansas, was killed during World War II.

His brother, Teddy Kourkos, of San Jose, California, is available for

interviews at (408) 269-8063.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Kourkos on file.

/////

In November 1943, Kourkos was assigned to Company M, 3rd 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, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.  Kourkos

died sometime on the second day of battle, Nov. 21, 1943.

The battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. In May 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company

of the American Graves Registration Services (AGRS) had recovered 532 sets

of remains from burial sites across the Tarawa Atoll and interred them in

Lone Palm Cemetery.  The remains that could not be identified were

designated as "Unknowns." 

In November 1946, the U.S. Army began disinterment to bring the remains to

Oahu for identification at the Central Identification Laboratory.  In 1949

and 1950, the remains that could not be identified were interred in the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP - also known as the

"Punchbowl") in Honolulu.

In October 2016, due to recent advances in forensic technology, DPAA began

the exhumation of unknown remains associated with Tarawa from NMCP and sent

the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.

To identify Kourkos' remains, scientists from DPAA examined circumstantial

evidence and conducted laboratory analyses, including dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparisons, which matched his records.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Kourkos' name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 1 December, 2017 15:28
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Marine Killed During World War II Accounted For (Charpilloz, L.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Marine Corps Pfc. Lyle E. Charpilloz, killed during World War II, has now

been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1385869/
marine-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-charpilloz-l/

In November 1943, Charpilloz was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th

Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese

resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert

Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense

fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and

more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

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

In May 2014, through a partnership with History Flight, Inc., DPAA received

remains from a burial site on Tarawa. In October 2016, DPAA disinterred

remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

DPAA is grateful to History Fight, Inc. and the Department of Veterans

Affairs for their partnerships in this mission.

Interment services are pending; more information will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Charpilloz' name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl

along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his

name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 1 December, 2017 11:09
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: DPAA reaches milestone in USS Oklahoma identifications

Dear Editor,

DPAA reaches milestone in USS Oklahoma identifications

December 1, 2017

By Sgt. 1st Class Kristen Duus, DPAA

ARLINGTON, Virginia --  Only a handful of USS Oklahoma survivors remain who

can remember the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.  The USS Oklahoma,

moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, was sunk by Japanese aircraft during the

attack.  A total of 429 crewmen aboard the USS Oklahoma were killed in the

early morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941, after the ship quickly capsized from the

numerous torpedo hits.

               From December 1941 through June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of

those who perished, interring them in the Halawa and Nu'uanu Cemeteries in

Hawaii.

               The remains were disinterred by the American Graves Registration Service from

the two cemeteries in September 1947, and transferred to the Central

Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.  Only 35 men were

identified out of the 429 killed.  Nearly 400 unidentified remains were buried

as Unknowns in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,

known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

               In 2003, as a result of the research efforts of Pearl Harbor survivor Ray

Emory, a single casket associated with the USS Oklahoma loss was disinterred

from the Punchbowl.  Anthropological and DNA evidence have shown that remains

are extremely commingled, with at least 95 individuals represented in the

first disinterred casket based on mitochondrial DNA results, said Dr. Carrie

Brown, DPAA Forensic Anthropologist and USS Oklahoma Team Lead.  Of those,

five were initially identified following the disinterment: Fireman 2nd Class

Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wisconsin; Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G.

Lehman, of Hancock, Michigan; Machinist's Mate 1st Class Charles H. Swanson,

of Maywood, California; and Ens. Irvin A. R. Thompson, of Hudson County, New

Jersey; and Ens. Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Oregon.

               In 2015, as part of the USS Oklahoma Project, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting

Agency, through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, exhumed

all of the unknown remains from the USS Oklahoma, and began the lengthy

identification process.

               "It's an honor to participate in the disinterment process with DPAA to bring

closure to the loved ones who lost their sons during the bombing at Pearl

Harbor," said Jim Horton, Director of the Punchbowl.  "As veterans, we

understand the sacrifices that are made by the families and it's our privilege

to take part in the dignified transfer for their beloved servicemen so that

the families can determine the final disposition of the remains."

               Now, more than two years later, DPAA has reached a milestone in their

identifications.  In those 46 plots laid almost 400 sets of commingled

remains.  Last week, DPAA made their 100th identification from the ship's

casualties.

               "This milestone is illustrative of our talented laboratory professionals and

strong partnerships with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, the

Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of the Navy," said Kelly

McKeague, DPAA Director.  "Most importantly, it helps resolve the

uncertainties 100 families had harbored for 76 years."

               The Navy POW/MIA Branch has been heavily involved in the process from the

beginning.  The team maintains contact with families and relays information of

recently identified personnel.  Although they deliver the identification news,

the branch remains humble in their part in a much bigger picture.

               "An identification of an unaccounted for service member is the culmination of

years of work by many hard working professionals who are dedicated to the

personnel accounting mission," said Rudy Gonzales, Navy POW/MIA Branch Head.

"We have the honor and privilege of notifying families of the great news that

their loved one has been recovered and identified.  Through tears or kind

words, the gratefulness and appreciation we witness when meeting with the

families to deliver this news cannot be overstated."

               Following each disinterment, recovered remains were sent to the DPAA

laboratory in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.

               "The first step is to take an anthropological inventory of each casket," said

Brown.  "We could not do any identifications if we do not take inventory of

everything.  This also includes taking measurements, collecting biological

data and nominating bones for DNA sampling."

               From that initial phase, which took nearly a year to complete, almost 13,000

skeletal elements were inventoried, said Brown.

               The lab has collected and submitted just under 5,000 samples to the Armed

Forces Medical Examiner's Armed Forces DNA Operations (AFMES-DO), specifically

the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory for DNA processing. AFMES-DO is

the sole Department of Defense DNA testing laboratory tasked with assisting

current and past conflicts human identification efforts.

               "Specimens associated with the USS Oklahoma, although presenting challenges

during the initial preparation for DNA recovery, provided good quality DNA,"

said Dr. Timothy McMahon, Director of DoD DNA Operations."  AFMES-DO will

compare the DNA analysis results to a database of family reference samples

associated with missing service members from the USS Oklahoma to determine who

that unknown sequence may be consistent with."

               In partnership with the DNA lab, Brown said they have DNA family reference

samples for 85% of the unaccounted for individuals.  DNA, dental analysis, and

anthropological analysis are all factors in completing an identification.

               The first group of identifications came while disinterments at the Punchbowl

were still progressing.  Among the first to be identified was Navy Ensign

Lewis B. Pride, Jr., 23, of Madisonville, Kentucky.  Pride was identified

through dental comparisons and circumstantial evidence.  Also identified in

September 2015 were Warrant Officer Machinist Daryl H. Goggin, 34, of Everett,

Washington; Chief Petty Officer Duff Gordon, 52, of Hudson, Wisconsin; Chief

Petty Officer Albert E. Hayden, 44, of Mechanicsville, Maryland; Petty Officer

1st Class Vernon T. Luke, 43, of Green Bay, Wisconsin; Seaman 2nd Class Dale

F. Pearce, 21, of Dennis, Kansas; and Ensign Lewis S. Stockdale, 27, of

Anaconda, Montana.

               Though the attacks on the USS Oklahoma happened 76 years ago, the effects on

family members are still felt nationwide.  Service members came from all walks

of life, much like service members today.  Their hometowns spanned from

California to New Hampshire, and Washington to Florida.  Fireman 3rd Class

John H. Lindsley, 22, was born in the Philippines and raised in Waukegan,

Illinois.  He was buried Oct. 25, 2016, in Arlington National Cemetery.

Some service members had already had long-standing careers in the military

prior to their death, while others were just teenagers.  Marine Corps Pvt.

Vernon P. Keaton, of Lubbock, Texas, was only 18 when he was killed aboard the

ship.  He was identified in August 2017, through mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA

analysis, dental comparisons and anthropological analysis.  Keaton was

recently buried in Lula, Oklahoma.

Other casualties return to rest peacefully in the same cemetery where for

decades they had only been labeled as "Unknown."  Seaman 1st Class Murry R.

Cargile, 21, of Roberson, North Carolina, and Seaman 2nd Class Vernon N. Grow,

25, of Redding, California, were both reinterred at the Punchbowl, April 7,

2017, per their family's desires.

               One of the first USS Oklahoma identifications of Fiscal Year 2018 was Fireman

2nd Class Martin A. Gara, of Chicago, Illinois.  Gara's funeral services

remain pending.

               While family members still arrange for Gara's funeral services, DPAA

continues the demanding process of fulfilling our nation's promise and

identifying the additional service members of USS Oklahoma whose remains

reside in their laboratory.

               "The work in applying DNA forensic testing methods to assist with identifying

missing U.S. service members to include those from the USS Oklahoma is a

sacred and honorable mission," said McMahon.  "There are no words that can

describe the feeling we get when an unknown individual is identified and

returned to their loved ones."

               Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, of Everett, Massachusetts was 27 when

he was killed that fateful morning decades ago.  This year, on Dec. 6, one day

prior to the 76th anniversary of his death, he will be laid to rest with full

military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will forever be

memorialized as a hero who selflessly gave his life for his country.

               Brown notes with a bit of karmic perspective that the laboratory at Offutt is

in the former Martin Bomber Plant, where bombers that ended World War II were

built.  Now, in a historical coincidence that has come full circle, a portion

of the plant has turned into the lab where identifications are being made for

casualties that were killed in the attack that brought the United States into

the war.

               DPAA is grateful to the steadfast partnerships of the Department of Veterans

Affairs, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and Navy POW/MIA Branch, who

have collectively been the backbone of the USS Oklahoma identifications.  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.

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF USS OKLAHOMA IDENTIFICATIONS: (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.)

Radioman 2nd Class Walter H. Backman, 22, of Wilton, North Dakota

Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Cecil E. Barncord, 24, of Wilson Township, Kansas

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, 27, of Everett, Washington

Navy Fireman 2nd Class James B. Boring, 21, of Vales Mill, Ohio

Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Ralph M. Boudreaux, 20, of New Orleans, Louisiana

Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wisconsion  (Disinterred in 2003)

Seaman 1st Class Murry R. Cargile, 21, of Robersonville, North Carolina

Machinist's Mate 1st Class Harold F. Carney, 23, of New Diggins, Wisconsin

Fireman 1st Class Charles Ray Casto, 20, of East Liverpool, Ohio

Seaman 2nd Class Floyd Clifford, 20, of Douglas, Kansas

Seaman 1st Class George A. Coke, 18, of Arlington, Texas

Fireman 1st Class Samuel W. Crowder, 35, of Louisville, Kentucky

Storekeeper 2nd Class Glenn C. Cyriack, 20, of Pipestone County, Minnesota

Steward's Mate 1st Class Cyril I. Dusset, 21, of New Orleans, Louisiana

Storekeeper 3rd Class Wallace E. Eakes, 22, of Caney, Kansas

Ensign John C. England, 20, of Alhambra, California

Fireman 1st Class Lawrence H. Fecho, 20, of Willow City, North Dakota

Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessmer, Michigan

Fireman 1st Class Michael Galajdik, 25, of Joliet, Illinois

Fireman 2nd Class Martin A. Gara, 20, of Chicago, Illinois

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Harry H. Gaver, 24, of Annapolis, Maryland

Seaman 2nd Class George T. George, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri

Radioman 2nd Class Quentin J. Gifford, 22, of Mankato, Minnesota

Warrant Officer Daryl H. Goggin, 34, of Everett, Washington

Seaman 1st Class Clifford G. Goodwin, 24, of Marion Township, Missouri

Chief Petty Officer Duff Gordon, 52, of Hudson, Wisconsin

Seaman 2nd Class Vernon N. Grow, 25, of Redding, California

Shopfitter 3rd Class Francis L. Hannon, 20, of Madison County, Indiana

Chief Petty Officer Albert E. Hayden, 44, of Mechanicsville, Maryland

Seaman 2nd Class Harold L. Head, 20, of Browning, Missouri

Gunner's Mate 1st Class George Herbert, 37, of Fall River, Massachusetts

Ensign Joseph P. Hittorff, 25, of Collingswood, New Jersey

Chief Storekeeper Herbert J. Hoard, 36, of DeSoto, Missouri

Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Holm, 29, of Clarkfield, Minnesota

Fireman 3rd Class Edwin C. Hopkins, 19, of Keene, New Hampshire

Fireman 3rd Class Glaydon I.C. Iverson, 24, of Emmons, Minnesota

Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James, 18, of New Boston, Ohio

Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne, 26, of Patchogue, New York

Seaman 1st Class Joseph M. Johnson, 22, of Columbus, North Dakota

Fireman 1st Class Jim H. Johnston, 23, of Wesson, Mississippi

Machinist's Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of North Lake, Michigan

Lt. Julian B. Jordan, 37, of Dawson, Georgia

Marine Corps Pvt. Vernon P. Keaton, 18, of Lubbock, Texas

Fireman 1st Class William H. Kennedy, 24, of Titonka, Iowa

Fireman 1st Class Elmer T. Kerestes, 22, of Holding Township, Minnesota

Coxswain Verne F. Knipp, 22, of Salida, Colorado

Musician 1st Class Elliot D. Larsen, 25, of Monroe, Utah

Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Michigan (Disinterred in 2003)

Fireman 3rd Class John H. Lindsley, 22, Wuakegan, Illinois

Fireman 3rd Class Alfred E. Livingston, of Worthington, Indiana (Disinterred in 2007)Petty

Officer 1st Class Vernon T. Luke, 43, of Green Bay, Wisconsin

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Donald R. McCloud, 21, of Wayne, West Virginia

Machinist's Mate 1st Class Earl R. Melton, 24, of Lakewood, New Jersey

Fireman 1st Class Elmer D. Nail, 23, of Kansas City, Missouri

Fire Controlman 1st Class Paul A. Nash, 26, of Carlisle, Indiana

Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Don O. Neher, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri

Gunner's Mate 1st Class Arthur C. Neuenschwander, 33, of Fessenden, North Dakota

Fireman 1st Class Frank E. Nicoles, 24, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix, 26, of Danville, Illinois

Fireman 1st Class Charles R. Ogle, 20, of Goedsbery Township, Missouri

Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O'Grady, 19, of Saline County, Kansas

Storekeeper 3rd Class Eli Olsen, 23, of Audubon, Iowa

Seaman 2nd Class Dale F. Pearce, 21, of Dennis, Kansas

Seaman 2nd Class James N. Phipps, 24, of Rainier, Oregon

Fireman 1st Class Gerald H. Pirtle, 19, of El Dorado, Kansas

Seaman 2nd Class Rudolph V. Piskuran, 19, of Elyria, Ohio

Fire Controlman 3rd Class Robert L. Pribble, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida

Ensign Lewis B. Pride, Jr., 23, of Madisonville, Kentucky

Seaman 1st Class Paul S. Raimond, 20, of Converse, Louisiana

Water Tender 2nd Class Porter L. Rich, 27, of Lake Preston, South Dakota

Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch, 25, of Rockford, Illinois

Fireman 1st Class Walter B. Rogers, 22, of Bison, South Dakota

Yeoman 3rd Class Edmund T. Ryan, 21, of Wilbraham, Massachusetts

Seaman 1st Class John E. Savidge, 20, of Elisabeth, New Jersey

Lt. j.g. Aloysius H. Schmitt, 32, of St. Lucas, Iowa

Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class John H. Schoonover, 39, of Port Edwards, Wisconsin

Ensign Verdi D. Sederstrom, 25, of Montevideo, Minnesota

Seaman 1st Class Edward F. Slapikas, 26, of Wanamie, Pennsylvania

Water Tender 1st Class Walter H. Sollie, 37, of Myrtlewood, Alabama

Ensign Lewis S. Stockdale, 27, of Anaconda, Montana

Seaman 1st Class Milton R. Surratt, 21, of Greenville, South Carolina

Machinist's Mate 1st Class Charles H. Swanson, of Maywood, California (Disinterred in 2003)

Seaman 1st Class Robert M. Temple, 19, of Des Moines, Iowa

Fireman 1st Class Charles W. Thompson, 19, of Weaubleau, Missouri

Ensign Irvin A.R. Thompson, of Hudson County, New Jersey (Disinterred in 2003)

Ensign William M. Thompson, 21, of Summit, New Jersey

Seaman 2nd Class Lewis L. Wagoner, 20, of Douglass County, Missouri

Fireman 3rd Class Robert N. Walkowiak, 20, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Seaman 1st Class William E. Welch, 18, of Springfield, Ohio

Machinist's Mate 1st Class Alfred F. Wells, 32, of Syracuse, New York

Fireman 2nd Class John D. Wheeler, 26, of Fort Douglas, Arkansas

Seaman 2nd Class George J. Wilcox, 19, of Byram, Mississippi

Seaman 2nd Class Frank Wood, 25, of Jackson, Ohio

Chief Water Tender Paul R. Wright, 41, of Meadville, Missouri

Ensign Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Oregon (Disinterred in 2003)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-----Original Message-----
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 1 December, 2017 10:02
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For South Dakota Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Pvt. Archie W. Newell, accounted for on June 12, 2017, will be

buried December 8 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

Newell, 22, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was killed during World War II.

His  nieces, Nancy Franc and Sherry Moeser, are available for interviews at

(480) 720-4159 and (480) 540-5164, respectively.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Newell on file.

/////

In November 1943, Newell was assigned to Company C, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd

Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small

island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to

secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa,

approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were

wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Newell was killed on

the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Newell's

remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to

the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification

in 1947.  By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in

the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu.

In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-044 from the Punchbowl

and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Newell's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this recovery.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Newell's name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 29 November, 2017 14:21
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Correction: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for Massachusetts Sailor Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, accounted for on Dec. 16, 2016, will

be buried Dec. 6, 2017 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

Bean, 27, of Everett, Massachusetts, was killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II.

His nephew, Pete Sova, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is available for

interviews at (978) 283-5454.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Bean on file. 

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Bean was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at

Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly

capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen,

including Bean. 

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 Bean.

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 Bean's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, dental comparisons, which matched Bean's records, as

well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Bean's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 29 November, 2017 14:13
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for Massachusetts Sailor Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, accounted for on Dec. 16, 2016, will

be buried Dec. 7, 2017 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

Bean, 27, of Everett, Massachusetts, was killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II.

His nephew, Pete Sova, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is available for

interviews at (978) 283-5454.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Bean on file. 

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Bean was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at

Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly

capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen,

including Bean. 

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 Bean.

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 Bean's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, dental comparisons, which matched Bean's records, as

well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Bean's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 29 November, 2017 13:10
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for California Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Pfc. Donald R. Tolson, accounted for on Sept. 27, 2017, will be

buried December 2 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Tolson, 20, of Bakersfield, California, was killed during World War II. 

His 2nd Cousin, Connie Crass is available for interviews at 660-359-1292.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Tolson on file.

/////

In November 1943, Tolson was assigned to Company F, 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, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

Tolson was killed on the first day of battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Tolson's

remains were not identified.

From February to July 2017, DPAA, through a partnership with History Flight,

Inc., returned to Betio to conduct excavations of osseous remains through

various advanced investigative techniques.  The remains were sent to DPAA

for analysis.

To identify Tolson's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is appreciative to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this

mission

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Tolson's name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 29 November, 2017 12:07
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Marine Killed During World War II Accounted For (Quinn, D.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Marine Corps Reserve 1st Sgt. David H. Quinn, killed during World War II,

has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1382907/
marine-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-quinn-d/

In November 1943, Quinn was assigned to Company C, 2nd Amphibian Tractor

Battalion (C-2d Amp Tr Bn), 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff

Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the

Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of

intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were

killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually

annihilated.  Quinn died on the second day of battle, Nov. 21, 1943.

In October 2016, Quinn was disinterred from the National Memorial Cemetery

of the Pacific in Honolulu.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission. 

Interment services are pending; more information will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Quinn's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl

along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his

name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 28 November, 2017 08:05
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for New York Airman Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Robert L. Mains, accounted for on Sept. 4, 2017,

will be buried December 2 in Wading River, New York.

Mains, 27, of Rochester, New York, was killed during World War II.

His family does not wish to be contacted by media.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Mains on file.

/////

In the spring of 1945, as the war in Europe drew to a close, Allied forces

launched a series of aerial attacks to cripple what remained of the German

air force.  Mains, who was a member of the 714th Bombardment Squadron, 448th

Bombardment Group, 2nd Bombardment Division, was a pilot on an attack

mission on April 4, 1945, as one of more than 400 bombers to attack airbases

at Parchim, Perleberg and Wesendorf, Germany.  Mains' aircraft, which held

ten airmen, was attacked by enemy fighter planes in the vicinity of Hamburg.

Following the attack, the aircraft exploded and crashed, leaving only one

survivor, who was subsequently captured after he parachuted into the town of

Ludwigslust.  Personal effects of eight of the nine missing crewmembers were

found and identified by the surviving airman. 

On August 15, 1997, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (now DPAA)

investigative team travelled to Ludwigslust to locate a possible crash site.

A local helped the team analyze a 1948 site sketch and align it with

present-day landmarks.  With this information, the team found aircraft

wreckage. 

In 2014 and 2015, multiple recovery teams excavated the site, finding

osseous material.  The remains were sent to DPAA for analysis.

To identify Mains' remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, as well anthropological analysis, which matched his

records, and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the German government and the staff of the Ludwigslust

Castle for their cooperation in this recovery mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.  Mains' name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle

Monuments Commission site. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I received an article dated 24 November 2017 written by Ms. Elise Cooper, writing for the American Thinker and I forwarded it on to all of you.  As noted in our email Ms. Cooper was ‘quoting’ Mike Benge, Former POW and Advocate extraordinaire, well it appears that is not a  totally true statement. She had interviewed Mike, via phone, for this piece, BUT, was not totally accurate in her reproduction of Mike’s comments. Mike, being a man of integrity, contacted me via email late yesterday to advise me that the story as written was NOT one hundred percent accurate and that he had noted such to Ms. Cooper. Below is a cut from Mike’s email to me:

 “The author of this article briefly interviewed me by phone and although I sent her my research paper and copy of my congressional testimony, she purposely chose to misquote me even though I told/warned her that I did not say that Americans had held in Los Mastitis pysc. Prison in Cuba, but the info came from a State Department cable and there was no available documentation, that there was any follow up by State, for I had them a FOIA  and got nothing.   Regards, Mike”

I will be forwarding a copy of this email on to The American Thinker, to make them aware of the misquoting.

Until the all come home……….

moe

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 22 November, 2017 09:34
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For West Virginia Soldier Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Army Pvt. Shirley E. Bailey, accounted for on Sept. 20, 2017, will be buried

December 1 in Dunbar, West Virginia.

Bailey, 19, of Charleston, West Virginia, was killed during World War II. 

His sister, Helen Francisco, also of Charleston, is available for interviews

at (304) 744-5784.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Bailey on file.

/////

His loss took place in the Hürtgen Forest of Germany in 1944.  Fighting in

the forest, an area comprising of roughly 50-square miles along the

Belgian-German border, lasted from September 1944 to February 1945.  Bailey,

who was a medic with Company G, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry

Division, participated in his unit’s efforts to seize northern parts of the

Hürtgen Forest.  Bailey provided medical support to dozens of casualties

during the battle.  On November 29, 1944, when Bailey’s battalion was moving

out, a German counterattack struck his company.  Bailey rushed forward to

aid a wounded man and was himself killed by enemy fire.

Due to the ongoing fighting, Bailey’s remains were not recovered by members

of his unit during the battle.  After the war, the American Graves

Registration Command (AGRC) collected hundreds of unknown sets of remains

from battlefields in Germany, and labeled each set with an X-number.  One

set of remains, designated X-4734 Neuville, had been recovered from an

isolated grave near Schlich, Germany, in December 1946.  Medical technicians

were unable to identify them in the 1940s and the remains were buried in the

Ardennes American Cemetery, Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, as an unknown

soldier. 

In October 2016, DPAA researchers made a historical association between

X-4734 Neuville and Bailey, based on the recovery site of the remains and

his location of loss.  On June 26, 2017, X-4734 was disinterred and sent to

the DPAA laboratory at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska.

To identify Bailey’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, as well as dental and anthropological analysis, which

matched his records, and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for their

partnership in this recovery.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.  Bailey’s name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the

Netherlands.  A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has

been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

-----Original Message-----
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 21 November, 2017 09:50
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Sailor Killed During World War II Accounted For (Pieper, J.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Navy Reserve Radioman 2nd Class Julius H.O. Pieper, killed during World War

II, has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1378076/sailor-

killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-pieper-j/

On June 19, 1944, Pieper was a member of Landing Ship Tank Number 523

(LST-523), off the coast of Normandy, France. The ship exploded and sank

after striking an underwater mine, killing Pieper. In the years following

the incident, his remains were not recovered or identified. Pieper's twin

brother, Radioman 2nd Class Ludwig J. Pieper, was also killed in the attack,

but his remains were recovered after the incident and buried at the Normandy

American Cemetery in France.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

DPAA is grateful to the French salvage divers and the American Battle

Monuments Commission for their partnership in this recovery.

Pieper's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Ardennes

American Cemetery in France, an American Battle Monuments Commission site. A

rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted

for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 20 November, 2017 11:53
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Shepard, O.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Army Sgt. Ollie E. Shepard, missing from the Korean War, has now been

accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1376973/s
oldier-missing-from-the-korean-war-accounted-for-shepard-o/

In late November, 1950, Shepard was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion,

31st Infantry Regiment, 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. The American forces

withdrew south with the Chinese attacks continuing. By December 6, the U.S.

Army evacuated approximately 1,500 wounded service members; the remaining

soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory.

Because Shepard could not be accounted for by his unit at the end of the

battle, he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 3, 1950.

Interment services at pending; more details will be released 7-10 days prior

to scheduled funeral services.

Shepard's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing, an American Battle

Monuments Commission site in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing

from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate

he has been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 17 November, 2017 09:53
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Michigan Airman Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Donald E. Underwood, accounted for on Sept. 9, 2017,

will be honored next to his mother's grave in Flat Rock, Michigan, November

25, followed by his burial at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington,

D.C., November 28.

Underwood, 23, of River Rogue, Michigan, was killed during World War II.

His son-in-law, Michael Mehall, is available for interviews at 734-552-9644.

The Department of Defense has the attached photos of Underwood on file.

/////

On Jan. 21, 1944, Underwood was a member of the 38th Bombardment Squadron,

(Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group, stationed at Hawkins Field, Helen Island,

Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, when his B-24J bomber crashed shortly after

take-off. 

Following the crash, the squadron's physician recovered the remains of six

individuals and interred them in the Main Marine Cemetery No. 33 on Betio

Island. 

Following the war, the U.S. Army's 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration

Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and

1947.  Using Marine Corps records, they began the task of consolidating all

the remains from isolated burial sites into a single cemetery called Lone

Palm Cemetery.  The remains of the crew on the B-24J bomber were believed to

be among those moved, however Underwood's remains were not identified and he

was declared non-recoverable.

In May 2017, DPAA, through a partnership with History Flight, Inc., returned

to Betio to conduct excavations of osseous remains.  The remains were sent

to DPAA for analysis.

To identify Underwood's remains, scientists from DPAA used laboratory

analysis, including dental, and anthropological analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc. for their partnership in this

recovery mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Underwood's name is recorded on the

Tablets of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along

with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 14 November, 2017 12:51
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For California Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Sgt. William D. Ball, accounted for on Aug. 24, 2017, will be

buried November 21 in Arvin, California.

Ball, 21, of Hollywood, California, was killed during the battle of Tarawa

in World War II.

His nephew, Kenneth Stevens, is available for interviews at (661) 972-1129.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Ball on file. 

/////

In November 1943, Ball was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine

Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which participated in a

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.  Ball was wounded on the first day of battle, Nov.

20, 1043, and was identified for evacuation to the USS J. Franklin Bell for

treatment.  Ball never made it to the ship and his status was adjusted from

wounded in action to missing in action as of Nov. 21, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Ball'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, also known as the Punchbowl,

in Honolulu.  One set of remains was identified as "Unknown X-089."

In 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-089 from the Punchbowl and sent

the remains to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Ball's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records; as well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,975 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.  Ball's name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from

WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been

accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 November, 2017 12:49
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For California Airman Missing From World War II

Dear Editor,

Army Air Forcess 1st Lt. Homer A. Spence, accounted for on Sept. 21, 2017,

will be buried November 18 in his hometown.

Spence, 22, of Manteca, California, was missing from World War II.

His family does not wish to be contacted by media.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Spence on file.

/////

On July 20, 1944, Spence was a member of the 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd

Fighter Group, as a pilot of a P-38J aircraft, escorting bomber aircraft on

a mission targeting Memmingen Airdrome in Germany.  During the return

flight, his aircraft entered a deep dive into the clouds and was not seen or

heard from again.  At the time of his loss, Austria and northern Italy were

still under enemy control, precluding any immediate search to locate his

crash site. 

In September 2010, personnel from the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office

(DPMO- a predecessor to DPAA) were contacted by a private researcher who

found aircraft wreckage of what he believed to be a P-38, at a site on

Heidenberg Mountain near Bruneck, Italy.  Research and exclusionary analysis

indicated that Spence's aircraft was the only known aircraft of that type

lost in the summer of 1944 within 50 kilometers of the crash site.

In April 2012, a joint DPMO and Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC- a

predecessor to DPAA) team investigated the crash site and identified a wide

debris field of aircraft wreckage. 

In September 2015 and September and October 2016, recovery teams returned to

the crash site and excavated the surrounding areas, recovering osseous

remains and personal equipment.  The remains were subsequently sent to DPAA

for analysis.

In July and August 2017, through a partnership with Archaeological and

Historical Conservancy, Incorporated (ACH), additional remains and evidence

were recovered.

To identify Spence's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis which

matched his family, as well as anthropological analysis, which matched his

records, and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc., for

their partnership in this recovery.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.   Spence's name is recorded on the Walls

of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 November, 2017 11:57
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Airman Killed During World War II Accounted For (Harth, W.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William H. Harth, Jr., killed during World War II,

has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1370339/
airman-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-harth-w/

In the summer of 1943, Harth was a bombardier assigned to the 329th

Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), which was

known as "The Traveling Circus."  He served on a B-24D aircraft, nicknamed

"Hell's Angels," when he was participating in a historic mission, which was

the first large-scale, low-altitude attack by U.S. heavy bomber aircraft on

Ploesti, Romania, code-named Operation TIDAL WAVE.  On Aug. 1, 1943, as

Harth's aircraft approached Ploesti, it was hit by German anti-aircraft

fire.  Harth was killed when the aircraft crashed.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Harth's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an American Battle

Monuments Commission site along with the others who are missing from the

World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has

been accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 13 November, 2017 10:58
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor Killed During World War II Accounted For (Gara, M.)

Navy Fireman 2nd Class Martin A. Gara, killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II, has now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1370289/uss-oklahoma
-sailor-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-gara-m/

On Dec. 7, 1941, Gara was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at

Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly

capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen,

including Gara.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veteran's Affairs for their

partnership in this mission.

Gara's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an American Battle

Monuments Commission site along with the others who are missing from World

War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been

accounted for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friends: Our site is up https://www.powinvestigativeproject.org

We’ll call it a “Beta” b/c this entire replacement site literally had to be built this morning after our app threw a sprocket late last night. So we did what veterans do and sucked it up. We’ll update you when the next version comes along, which will allow us to process multi-lingual information from Contributors around the world, especially Chinese, Russian, Lao, Korean and Vietnamese (our site launches today with all these and more languages).

The point of our non-profit project: We know some of the answers we seek are “out there,” and the PIP is designed to reach people who may have those answers, reach them in their own countries and languages, and give them reasons – and the secure ability -- to provide the answers to us. We call it a mash-up of investigative journalism and global crowdsourcing. Our aim: Do what the US government will not or cannot do, using tools that have never existed before to reach people and institutions that may now, finally, be willing to open up.

Can You Help Us Find Missing Americans?

Можете ли вы помочь найти пропавших американцев?

您是否能够协助找寻失踪的美国人？

누락 된 미국인을 찾을 도와 드릴까요?

Bạn có thể giúp tìm những người Mỹ mất tích không?

ທ່ານ ສາມາດຊ່ອຍຊອກຫາ ຄົນອາເມລິກັນທີ່ສູນຫາຍໄດ້ບໍ່ ?

Thank you to all you POW/MIA families who provided information on their loved ones and personal messages to the current and former foreign officials and citizens who likely have information that could help resolve the fates of these missing heroes.

Please spread the word & send me suggestions and corrections as we move forward. Mistakes are all mine and credit goes to our superstar advisors, consultants and experts (see some names below and more on the site,) plus the unnamed researchers we have working from Taiwan to Belarus.

To the American heroes profiled on our site, the additional POW/MIAs to be included on the site in future and all their families: Thank you for your unmeasurable sacrifices for our country.

We remember and salute you this Veterans Day.

Mark

POW Investigative Project (PIP) Launches on Veterans Day

Innovative Site Combines Investigative Reporting & Global Crowdsourcing

(Washington, Nov. 11, 2017) Designed to help solve some of the most controversial and enduring mysteries in US history, the POW Investigative Project (PIP) www.powinvestigativeproject.org launches this Veterans Day, Nov. 11^th.  The multilingual site combines global crowdsourcing, investigative reporting, international freelancers and insights from former top government experts on POW/MIA and human rights issues. www.powinvestigativeproject.org @POWIProj

The project invites contributors from across the world to provide information on US servicemen missing from the Korean, Cold and Vietnam Wars. The site launches with information in seven languages plus English (Russian, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, Polish and Spanish), with more to come. Online contributors may volunteer to share information or, in some cases, accept paid research assignments to resolve specific leads.

With the Pentagon now largely focused on identifying POW/MIA remains already stored in its labs, the PIP investigates reports of Americans secretly held by communist regimes and never returned (alive or dead) – reports the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) now asserts are supported by “no substantiated evidence.”

Take Cold War Navy aviators Lloyd Smith, Jr. and William McClure. Declassified US files obtained by PIP report the men were likely captured by communist forces after their recon plane was shot down off Shantou, China in 1953. The family of Smith is actively seeking information on his fate. The PIP site provides information on the incident in Chinese and asks contributors to track down PRC government records, photos, local newspaper reports or other evidence that could help resolve the fates of Smith and McClure. As part of its mission, the PIP also fights to declassify US intelligence records (some decades old) on American POW/MIAs, including Top Secret and Secret records held back earlier this year related to US prisoners in North Korea and other locations (The family of a POW featured on the PIP site is suing the US government for files on Americans taken to the USSR. goo.gl/fQuuwc)

PIP advisors and consultants include:

• Garnett “Bill” Bell: Widely-regarded as among America’s top experts on Vietnam POW/MIA issues, Bell served as Chief of the U.S. Office for POW/MIA Affairs in Hanoi;
• Chuck Downs: Expert on North Korea, former Executive Director of the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and ex-Deputy Director in the Pentagon’s East Asia office;
• Norm Kass: Leading expert on the involvement of the Soviet Union with US POW/MIAs, Kass served for 18 years as the US Staff Director of the Presidentially-mandated US-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs;
• Eric Longabardi:  A national-award winning TV producer and investigative journalist with expertise in national security issues; and
• John Zimmerlee: Known for his unmatched databases on cases of specific POW/MIAs from the Korean War, Zimmerlee is the son of Capt. John H. Zimmerlee, an Air Force officer missing in Korea.

A nonprofit company, the PIP was founded by Mark Sauter, who serves as its president and investigative correspondent. An author and former award-winning investigative reporter and online news executive, Sauter’s research on unrepatriated US POWs has been widely cited by major media organizations. He is also a former Army officer with service in the DMZ between South and North Korea. 

www.powinvestigativeproject.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 9 November, 2017 13:39
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Texas Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Pvt. Vernon P. Keaton, accounted for on August 24, 2017, will

be buried November 16 in Lula, Oklahoma.

Guerriero, 18, of Lubbock, Texas, was killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II.

His cousin, Deborah Gentry is available for

interviews at (580) 759-5500.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Keaton on file.

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Keaton was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Keaton. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the

deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu'uanu

Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S.

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to

confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.

The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not

be identified as non-recoverable, including Keaton.

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 Keaton's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched family members, as well as circumstantial evidence and laboratory

analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Keaton's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 9 November, 2017 14:05
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For California Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Reserve Assistant Cook Frank L. Masoni, accounted for on Aug.

29, 2017, will be buried November 18 in his hometown.

Masoni, 21, of Gilroy, California, was killed during the battle of Tarawa in

World War II.

His niece, Clorinda Sergi is available for interviews at (408) 858-2302.

The Department of Defense has the attached photos of Masoni on file.

/////

In November 1943, Masoni was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd

Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese

resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert

Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense

fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and

more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.

Masoni died on the second day of the battle, Nov. 21, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Masoni's

remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to

the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification

in 1947.  By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in

the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu.

In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-210 from the Punchbowl

and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Masoni's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is appreciative to the Department of Veteran's Affairs for their

partnership in this mission

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II. Masoni's name is recorded on the Tablets

of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the other MIAs from WWII. A

rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted

for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 9 November, 2017 14:10
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Texas Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Pvt. Vernon P. Keaton, accounted for on August 24, 2017, will

be buried November 16 in Lula, Oklahoma.

Keaton, 18, of Lubbock, Texas, was killed during the attack on the USS

Oklahoma in World War II.

His cousin, Deborah Gentry is available for

interviews at (580) 759-5500.

The Department of Defense has no photos of Keaton on file.

/////

On Dec. 7, 1941, Keaton was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored

at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese

aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it

to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429

crewmen, including Keaton. 

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the

deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu'uanu

Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S.

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to

confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.

The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not

be identified as non-recoverable, including Keaton.

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 Keaton's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched family members, as well as circumstantial evidence and laboratory

analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 (approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II.

Keaton's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 9 November, 2017 10:13
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Massachusetts Marine Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Marine Corps Cpl. Anthony G. Guerriero, accounted for on July 11, 2017, will

be buried November 14 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

Guerriero, 22, of Boston, was killed during World War II.

His niece, Toni Rogers, of West Somerville, Massachusetts, is available for

interviews at (617) 216-2049.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Guerriero on file.

/////

In November 1943, Guerriero was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd

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, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.  Guerriero

died on the second day of battle, Nov. 21, 1943.

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in

the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the

Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which

to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members

who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Guerriero's

remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to

the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification

in 1947.  By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in

the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu.

In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-049 from the Punchbowl

and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Guerriero's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his

records; as well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission. 

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.  Guerriero's name is recorded on the

Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl along with the other MIAs from WWII.

A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted

for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 9 November, 2017 09:37
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for Soldier Captured During Korean War

Dear Editor,

Army Sgt. Gerald J. Mueller, accounted for on Aug. 4, 2017, was buried

November 8 in Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Mueller, 20, of Saint Paul, was captured during the Korean War.

His half-brother, Gregory Beckwith, of Frisco, Texas, is available for

interviews at 913-481-4686.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Mueller on file.

/////

In February 1951, Mueller was a member of Battery D, 82nd Anti-Aircraft

Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons,) 2nd Infantry Division, which was

part of a group known as Support Force 21 (SF21,) providing artillery

support for the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) against the Chinese People's

Volunteer Forces (CPVF.)  On Feb. 11, 1941, while the ROKA was making an

attack north toward Hongch'on, the CPVF launched a massive

counter-offensive.  Unable to withstand the numbers, the ROKA withdrew

south, leaving Mueller's battery and the rest of SF21 behind to fight cut

off from other friendly units.  The following day, SF21 began movement

south, fighting through ambushes and roadblocks, eventually making it to

Wonju.  Mueller, who could not be accounted for, was declared missing in

action as of Feb. 13, 1951.

A returning American prisoner of war reported that Mueller had been captured

and marched to Suan Bean Camp.  Reportedly, he was left behind when other

prisoners were marched to Camp 1 in April 1951.  A list provided by the CPVF

and Korean People's Army (KPA,) reported Mueller died while in their

custody. 

Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned 208 boxes of commingled human

remains to the United States, which we determined to contain the remains of

at least 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. On In May 1992, they

turned over remains from an area associated with the Suan Bean Camp.

To identify Mueller's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which

matched his family, as well as anthropological analysis, which matched his

records, and circumstantial evidence.

Today, 7,716 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North

Korea by American recovery teams.  Mueller's name is recorded on the Walls

of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with

the others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed

next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 8 November, 2017 07:15
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Soldier Captured During Korean War Accounted For, (Harkness, H.)

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Army Sgt. 1st Class Harry E. Harkness, captured during the Korean War, has

now been accounted for.

http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1365848/

soldier-captured-during-korean-war-accounted-for-harkness-h/

On In November 1950, Harkness was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th

Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, participating in combat actions

against the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the vicinity of

Unsan, North Korea.  Harkness was reported missing in action as of Nov. 2,

1950 when he could not be accounted for by his unit.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days

prior to scheduled funeral services.

Harkness' name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an American Battle

Monuments Commission site along with the other MIAs from the Korean War.  A

rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted

for.

For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media

at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 6 November, 2017 07:03
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for Wisconsin Soldier Killed During Korean War

Dear Editor,

Army Cpl. Donald L. Baer, accounted for on Sept. 28, 2017, will be buried

November 11 in his hometown.

Baer, 20, of Racine, Wisconsin, was missing from the Korean War.

His sister, Janet Baril, of Marion, Illinois, is available for interviews at

(618) 751-5268.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Baer on file.

/////

In July 1950, Baer was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry

Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against

forces of the North Korean Army in and around the city of Taejon (now

Daejon), South Korea.  On July 19, 1950, the North Koreans initiated a

large-scale attack on the city in an attempt to destroy U.S. forces.

Following the battle, Baer could not be accounted for and was declared

missing in action as of July 20, 1950.

In June and July 1952, the 392nd Quartermaster Graves Registration Company

(GRC) conducted searches of the area associated with the Division's battles.

The remains that were recovered from the battlefield were sent to the

Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for identification efforts.  No

remains were associated with Baer.  Additionally, no repatriated American

POWs reported that Baer had been captured with another prisoner of war.

Based on the lack of information regarding his status, the U.S. Army

declared him deceased on Dec. 31, 1953.

In February 1951, the 565th GRC recovered five sets of U.S. remains while

conducting recovery efforts in the vicinity of Kujong-ni, South Korea.  One

set of remains was identified and the rest were designated as Unknowns,

including "Unknown X-452."  In May 1955 it was determined the remains were

"unidentifiable" and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of

the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the "Punchbowl."

After a thorough historical and scientific analysis of information

associated with X-452, it was determined that the remains could likely be

identified.  After receipt of approval, the remains were disinterred from

the Punchbowl on Aug. 14, 2017, and sent to DPAA for analysis.

To identify Baer's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched his

records, as well as circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership

in this mission.

Today, 7,716 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North

Korea by American recovery teams.  Baer's name is recorded on the Walls of

the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with the

others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to

his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 6 November, 2017 06:53
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement For Utah Soldier Killed During Korean War

Dear Editor,

Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Cushman, accounted for on April 12, 2017, will

be buried November 11 in Cypress, California.

Cushman, 18, of Springville, Utah, was killed during the Korean War.

His sister-in-law, Cathryn Cushman, of Lakewood, California, is available

for interviews at (562) 277-4281.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Cushman on file.

/////

In late November 1950, Cushman was assigned to Company A, 72nd Medium tank

Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, on the western side of the Korean

Peninsula, when the Division encountered waves of attacks by the Chinese

People's Volunteer Forces (CPVF.)   The attack caused the Division to

withdraw to the village of Kunu-ri.  While in the village, a task force

comprised of Cushman's company and an infantry platoon were ordered to

destroy a roadblock and eliminate enemy troops.  The CPVF overwhelmingly

attacked the unit and by the end of battle, Cushman could not be accounted

for.  He was reported missing in action as of Dec. 5, 1950.

Following the war, no lists provided by the CPVF or Korean People's Army

(KPA) listed Cushman as a prisoner of war, however two returning American

prisoners reported that Cushman had died while being held by the CPVF.

Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of March

31, 1951.

In July and August 2002, a joint U.S. and KPA recovery team conducted a

Joint Recovery Operation at a site, designated KN-0874, in Ung Bong Village,

North Korea.  Based on information provided by Korean witnesses, Mr. Man

Hyon Ho, and Mr. Anh Il Chang, the site was excavated and possible human

remains were recovered, along with personal effects and material evidence,

all of which was sent to the DPAA laboratory for processing.

To identify Cushman's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, which

matched a cousin and a niece, as well as anthropological analysis and

circumstantial evidence, which matched his records.

Today, 7,716 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

advances in technology, identifications continue to be made from remains

that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by

American teams.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 6 November, 2017 06:35
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: LOCAL CONNECTION: Funeral Announcement for Michigan Soldier Killed During World War II

Dear Editor,

Technician 4th Grade Pete M. Counter, accounted for on Aug. 7, 2017, will be

buried November 11 in Onaway, Michigan,

Counter, 24, of Detroit, was killed during World War II.

His niece, Lavina V. Kollias, of Deckerville, Michigan, is available for

interviews at (810) 366-0487.

The Department of Defense has the attached photo of Counter's platoon on

file.

/////

On Dec. 5, 1942, Counter was a member of Company C, 126th Infantry Regiment,

32nd Infantry Division, when he was killed during intense engagement with

Japanese forces in the vicinity of Soputa-Sanananda Track in the Australian

Territory of Papua (present-day Papua New Guinea.)  He was reportedly buried

in an isolated grave north of Soputa.

In February 1943, the remains of an unidentified American soldier,

tentatively associated with the 32nd Infantry Division, were interred at the

U.S. Temporary Cemetery #2 at Soputa.  On April 6, 1943, the remains,

designated "Unknown X-10" were reinterred at Temporary Cemetery #1 at

Soputa, then interred at U.S. Armed Forces Finschhafen #2, and redesignated

"Unknown X-171." 

In 1947, the American Graves Registration service exhumed approximately

11,000 graves, including X-171, which was redesignated to X-2693, and

shipped the remains to the Central Identification Point at the Manila

Mausoleum in the Philippines.  X-2693 could not be identified and were

interred at Fort McKinley (now the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.)

In November 2016, DPAA received authorization to reexamine the remains from

the MACM.  Unknown X-2693 was disinterred Nov. 4, 2016 and sent to the

laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska for analysis.

To identify Counter's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis, which matched

his family, as well as dental and anthropological analysis, which matched

his records, and circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for their

assistance in this mission.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000

died during the war.  Currently there are 72,977 service members

(approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still

unaccounted for from World War II.  Counter's name is recorded on the Walls

of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with

the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to

indicate he has been accounted for.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account

for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA

website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa

or call (703) 699-1420.