2019
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stories and Press Releases below chart

Research sites: 

www.kpows.com

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

List posted 01/07/2020

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

SOME HIGHLIGHTS NOTE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN HEADLINES ("captured")  AND KNOWN ("MIA") STATUS.

We asked why so many of these are  being re-announced 2-3 times increasing news forwards and confusion.

 

03/22/19
These are being published with the full information, while the initial notification only contains basic information.  The updates are providing information on the loss, recovery and identification, as well as funeral information if it is available at the time.

I hope this helps,

SFC Kristen Duus
Chief of External Communications
Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA)
<sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 30 December, 2019 09:02
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Michigan Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

Dec. 30, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today
that Army Pfc. John A. Shelemba, 19, of Hamtramck, Michigan, who was killed
during the Korean War, was accounted for on Sept. 12, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Oct. 1, 2019.)

In the summer of 1950, Shelemba was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion,
34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in
action July 20, 1950, while defending Taejon, South Korea. After the battle,
his remains could not be recovered.
 
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Services was tasked with
recovering the remains of U.S. casualties lost in South Korean battlefields.
One set of remains, designated Unknown X-251 Taejon, could not be identified
and was subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the
Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In October 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-251 from the Taejon and sent the
remains to the laboratory for analysis.

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

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

Today, 7,602 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using
modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that
were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by
American recovery teams, or disinterred from unknown graves. Shelemba's name
is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery
of the Pacific, in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the
Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has
been accounted for.

For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)
892-2490.

Shelemba will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,
Virginia. The date has yet to be determined. For future funeral information,
visit www.dpaa.mil.

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.

Shelemba's personnel profile can be viewed at
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000ycAh1EAE

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette
SFC, USA
Public Affairs NCOIC
Outreach and Communications
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
241 18th St. South, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: Tue, Dec 17, 2019 8:16 am
Subject: Missouri Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

Dec. 17, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

that Army Cpl. Jerome V. Hummel, 23, of St. Louis, killed during the Korean

War, was accounted for Sept. 23, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Sept. 25, 2019.)

In late 1950, Hummel was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry

Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov.

30, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when his

unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the battle, his remains could

not be recovered.

On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned

over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members

killed during the Korean War.  The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl

Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned

into the DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Hummel's remains, scientists from DPAA used circumstantial and

material evidence.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical

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

autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

Today, 7,603 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by

American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Hummel's name is

recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of

the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the

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

been accounted for.

For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.

Hummel will be buried May 7, 2020, in his hometown.

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) 699-1420/1169.

Hummel's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001VEjEAM

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: Wed, Dec 11, 2019 5:50 am
Subject: Alabama Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

Dec. 11, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

that Army Pfc. William J. Winchester, 20, of Mount Hope, Alabama, who was

captured and died in captivity during the Korean War, was accounted for

Sept. 10, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Sept. 16, 2019.)

In late 1950, Winchester was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 24th

Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces

near Unsan, North Korea in November 1950. He reportedly died while in

custody of the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces at Prisoner of War Camp #5

in February 1951. 

On 1954, During Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over

remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-13442

Operation Glory. The remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war

camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the

remains could be identified as Winchester and he was declared

non-recoverable. The remains were subsequently buried as an unknown in the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

On June 11, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred X-13442

Operation Glory and accessioned the remains to the laboratory.

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

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as

circumstantial and material evidence. 

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of

the Army for their partnership in this mission.

Today, 7,603 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by

American recovery teams, or disinterred from unknown graves. Winchester's

name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial

Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing

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

he has been accounted for.

For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)

892-2490.

Winchester will be buried March 19, 2020, in Lima, Ohio.

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.

Winchester's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000NGBceEAH

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 26 November, 2019 09:04
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Indiana Airman Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

Nov. 26, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Charles G. Ruble, 20, of Parker City,

Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for May 31, 2019.

(This identification was initially published June 4, 2019.)

In September 1944, Ruble was a member of the 99th Troop Carrier Squadron,

441st Troop Carrier Group, serving as an aerial engineer aboard a C-47A

aircraft, nicknamed the Celia L. On September 17, 1944, the Celia L, which

operated out of U.S. Army Air Forces Station 490, Langar, Nottinghamshire,

England, participated in Operation MARKET GARDEN, the Allied invasion of the

German-occupied Netherlands. The aircraft was carrying a crew of five and

transporting 10 paratroopers from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment to a

drop-zone near Groesbeek, Netherlands. Anti-aircraft fire struck the plane's

wing and ignited its gas tanks. The paratroopers successfully exited the

plane, as did two of the crewmembers. The pilot crash landed the plane

several hundred yards inside the German border. Three crewmembers survived,

but two, including Ruble, could not be accounted for and were believed to

have been killed in the crash.

In April 1946, members of the 606th Quartermaster Graves Registration

Company recovered eight sets of remains from isolated burials near Zyfflich,

Germany, close to the Netherlands border. One set of remains, designated

X-2565 Neuville, was buried about 500 yards from a downed C-47 aircraft in a

grave marked with an uninscribed wooden cross. U.S. authorities interred

X-2565 at what is today the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium after they

had been declared unidentifiable.

After thorough research and analysis, historians from DPAA determined that

Ruble was a strong candidate for association with X-2565. In June 2018,

X-2565 was disinterred and the remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory at

Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S.

Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa 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 72,635 service members still

unaccounted for from World War II with approximately 30,000 assessed as

possibly recoverable. Ruble's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing

at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments

Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing

from WWII. Although interred as an "unknown", his grave was meticulously

cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments

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

been accounted for.

For family information, call the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)

892-2490.

Ruble will be buried March 2, 2020 at Arlington National Cemetery in

Arlington, Virginia.

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) 699-1420/1169.

Ruble's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Xe8qEAC

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-142

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 26 November, 2019 08:03
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor From Illinois Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

Nov. 26, 2019

WASHINGTON— The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

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

Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for on July 2, 2019.

(This identification was initially published July 16, 2019.)

On Dec. 7, 1941, Loebach was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which

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

Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which

caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths

of 429 crewmen, including Loebach. 

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

deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu

Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S.

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to

confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.

The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not

be identified as non-recoverable, including Loebach.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma

Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.

¬

To identify Loebach’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of

the Navy 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 72,635 still unaccounted for from

World War II with approximately 30,000 assessed as possibly recoverable.

Loebach’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl,

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

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

For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800)

443-9298.

Loebach will be buried Dec. 19, 2019, in LaSalle, Illinois.

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) 699-1420/1169.

Loebach’s personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Xe01EAC

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 25 November, 2019 12:50
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Missouri Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

Nov. 25, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

that Army Cpl. Gerald N. Wilson, 19, of Camden, Missouri, killed during the

Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 29, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Sept. 3, 2019.)

In the summer of 1950, Wilson was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th

Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was last seen July 25, 1950,

while participating in the defense of Yongdong, South Korea. Following the

battle, his remains could not be recovered.

Following the war, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company

recovered a set of remains, designated Unknown X-1044 Tanggok from Ulgok,

South Korea. The remains were declared unidentifiable and were subsequently

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

Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

On June 11, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred X-1044

Tanggok and accessioned the remains to the laboratory.

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

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as

circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the

Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and

autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

Today, 7,604 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using

modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that

were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by

American recovery teams, or disinterred from unknown graves. Wilson's name

is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery

of the Pacific, in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the

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

been accounted for.

For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)

892-2490.

Wilson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

The date has yet to be determined. For future funeral information, visit

www.dpaa.mil.

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.

Wilson's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000009WJxrEAG

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 25 November, 2019 08:31
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: USS Oklahoma Sailor From Texas Accounted For >From World War II

Dear Editor,

Nov. 25, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

that Navy Fireman 1st Class Lawrence E. Woods, 28, of Greenwood, Texas,

killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 29, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Sept. 11, 2019.)

On Dec. 7, 1941, Woods was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which

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

Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which

caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths

of 429 crewmen, including Woods. 

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

deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu'uanu

Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S.

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to

confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.

The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in

Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not

be identified as non-recoverable, including Woods.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma

Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Woods' remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner

System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of

the Navy 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 72,635 still unaccounted for from

World War II with approximately 30,000 assessed as possibly recoverable.

Woods' name is recorded on the Walls 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 family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800)

443-9298.

The location and date for Woods' funeral have yet to be determined. For

future funeral information, visit www.dpaa.mil.

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) 699-1420/1169.

Woods' personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000uar0CEAQ

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

From: Everette, Sean P SFC USARMY DPAA OC (USA) <sean.p.everette.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 25 November, 2019 11:57
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Wisconsin Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

Nov. 25, 2019

WASHINGTON- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today

that U.S. Army Pvt. William D. Hedtke, 28, of Iola, Wisconsin, killed during

World War II, was accounted for Oct. 17, 2019.

(This identification was initially published Oct. 25, 2019.)

In 1944, Hedtke was assigned to Battery B, 319th Glider Artillery Battalion,

82nd Airborne Division. Army officials reported he died of injuries

sustained in a hard glider landing near Groesbeek, Netherlands, during

Operation Market Garden on Sept. 18, 1944. His remains were not recovered

after the war. 

In June 1945, Canadian graves registration personnel recovered a set of

American remains near Groesbeek that were given to the American Graves

Registration Command (AGRC). After unsuccessful efforts by the AGRC to

identify the remains, they were designated X-1230 Margraten and interred as

an Unknown at the Netherlands American Cemetery.

In 2016, DPAA disinterred X-1230 to be scientifically analyzed for possible

association to an Operation Market Garden casualty.

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

anthropological analysis.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal

(Y-STR) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S.

Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa 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 72,635 service members still

unaccounted for from World War II with approximately 30,000 assessed as

possibly recoverable. Hedtke's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing

at Margraten American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site

in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others missing from WWII. A

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

for.

For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)

892-2490.

Hedtke will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

The date has yet to be determined. For future funeral information, visit

www.dpaa.mil.

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.

//////

Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420