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

Research sites: 

www.kpows.com

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

List posted 07/31/19

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

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.

 

03/222/19
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

Twins killed together to be buried together

NavyTimes.com

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency unearthed the remains in 2015 and shipped them to a laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha ...

Ukraine, US sign memorandum on search for POW, MIA

Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

"A signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the Defense Ministry of Ukraine and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA (prisoner of ...

 

From the desk of Tony C., USMC Combat Veteran, Vietnam, Florida’s Top Veteran’s Advocate and POW/MIA Advocate.

moe note; Tony gives us a copy of Roger Hall’s Update Notice from the Federal Courts on the case he (Roger) and his team of Advocates have been fighting for over 15 years in an attempt to get the CIA to release any and all documents they posses reference to POW’s and MIA’s.   Far from over, but a Smart  Salute to Judge Royce Lamberth and Specifically to ROGER and his team and their tenacity, commitment to uncovering the TRUTH  on our POW/MIA’s.

From: Roger Hall

-------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <DCD_ECFNotice@dcd.uscourts.gov>
Date: Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 10:55 AM
Subject: Activity in Case 1:04-cv-00814-RCL HALL et al v. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Order on Motion for Summary Judgment
To: <DCD_ECFNotice@dcd.uscourts.gov>

This is an automatic e-mail message generated by the CM/ECF system. Please DO NOT RESPOND to this e-mail because the mail box is unattended.
***NOTE TO PUBLIC ACCESS USERS*** Judicial Conference of the United States policy permits attorneys of record and parties in a case (including pro se litigants) to receive one free electronic copy of all documents filed electronically, if receipt is required by law or directed by the filer. PACER access fees apply to all other users. To avoid later charges, download a copy of each document during this first viewing. However, if the referenced document is a transcript, the free copy and 30 page limit do not apply.

U.S. District Court

District of Columbia
Notice of Electronic Filing

The following transaction was entered on 8/2/2019 at 10:55 AM and filed on 8/2/2019

Docket Text:
MEMORANDUM & ORDER discharging [333] Order to Show Cause; granting in part and denying in part [295] Motion for Summary Judgment; granting in part and denying in part [312] Motion for Summary Judgment; granting in part and denying in part [319] Motion for Summary Judgment. The Court further orders the parties to meet and confer within ten days--and to update the Court within ten days thereafter--on a plan for further searches and briefing. SEE ORDER FOR FULL DETAILS. Signed by Judge Royce C. Lamberth on 08/02/2019. (lcrcl3)

1:04-cv-00814-RCL Notice has been electronically mailed to:

James H. Lesar ? ? jhlesar@gmail.com

John Harrison Clarke ? ? johnhclarke@earthlink.net

Christopher Charles Hair ? ? christopher.hair@usdoj.gov

1:04-cv-00814-RCL Notice will be delivered by other means to::

The following document(s) are associated with this transaction:

From: Prichard, Charles L CIV DPAA OC (US) <charles.l.prichard.civ@mail.mil>
Sent: 26 July, 2019 15:39
To: Prichard, Charles L CIV DPAA OC (US) <charles.l.prichard.civ@mail.mil>
Subject: DoD to Conduct Annual Korean/Cold War Briefings in Arlington, Virginia

Dear Editor,

The Department of Defense (DoD), Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA),

the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) and Service Casualty

Offices (SCO) will conduct their Korean/Cold War Annual Government Briefings

in Arlington, Virginia, August 1, 2019, beginning at 9am.

The DoD is committed to keeping families of the missing and the public

informed about the efforts being made to account for our unaccounted for

U.S. personnel. Throughout the year, DPAA specialists meet with hundreds of

family members of missing personnel in Washington, D.C. and major

metropolitan areas across the country.  These meetings are designed to

address the individual needs of the family members.

Media representatives are welcome to video, photograph and record all

presentations and discussions in the open forum.

Requests for interviews with specific family members or DoD personnel must

go through a DPAA Public Affairs Office representative, who will facilitate

the request.

For additional information on the DPAA's mission to account for unaccounted

for Americans from past conflicts, visit the DPAA web site at www.dpaa.mil,

find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dodpaa/ or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

DPAA will broadcast the session live via Facebook Live, at

www.facebook.com/dodpaa

For more information, contact:

Chuck Prichard, APR

Division Chief

Public Affairs

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301-2300

Office: (703) 699-1169

Mobile: (703) 946-6213

charles.l.prichard.civ@mail.mil

www.dpaa.mil

"Fulfilling Our Nation's Promise"

Missouri Vietnam Wall Run Expected to Draw Thousands

krmsradio.com

The event is scheduled for September 21st, the day after “National POW-MIA Awareness Day.” About 500 motorcycles and other vehicles are ...

 

	July 23, 2019
	Families of missing WWII servicemen want the Pentagon to exhume and ID their remains San Antonio Express-News One of the fallen soldiers, 1st Lt. Alexander Nininger, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Another, Brigadier Gen. Guy O. Fort, was a ...

	Asks for reflection of sacrifices Korean War veterans made The Greater New Milford Spectrum Thanks to POW son John Zimmerlee, Korean War POW/MIA family members had requested the disinterment of specific graves which could possibly ...
	Marine killed in WWII returning to Butler County after remains identified Hamilton Journal News The Japanese “were virtually annihilated,” according to a news release about Brandenburg from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).
	Tributes planned for Korean War soldier Lawler Traverse City Record Eagle ... of Korea," according to his obituary. Lawler's remains were identified in May, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's website.

Route of procession for Traverse City Korean War veteran announced

UpNorthLive.com

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) aid Lawler was reported missing in action on November 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by ...

Ralph Jackson never came home to Richland Center from the Korean War. On Saturday, his ...

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency lists 165 men from Wisconsin unaccounted for in the Korean War. According to the agency, more than ...

COMING HOME: Remains of 22 US Soldiers Killed in Brutal WWII Battle Return to USA

Sean Hannity (blog)

“Forensic archaeologists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) are now working to identify the remains and notify the next of kin, the ...

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 18 July, 2019 21:48
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Air Force

Col. Roy A. Knight, Jr., 36, of Millsap, Texas, killed during the Vietnam

War, was accounted for June 4, 2019.

(This identification was initially published June 13, 2019.)

In May 1967, Knight was a pilot with the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron,

assigned to Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand.  On May 19, 1967, Knight

was

leading a flight of two A-1E aircraft on a strike mission in northern Laos,

when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire.  No parachute was observed

prior to the aircraft crashing and bursting into flames.  Additionally, no

beeper signals were heard.  While search and rescue efforts were initiated,

an

organized search could not be conducted due to intensity of hostile ground

fire in the area.  The Air Force declared Knight deceased in September 1974.

In 1991 and 1992, Joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.)

teams

investigated a crash site allegedly associated with Knight's loss,

recommending it for excavation.  In March 1994, the site was excavated and

life support items were recovered.  The crash site was investigated four

additional times in subsequent years.

In January and February 2019, a joint team recovered possible human remains

and additional life support items.  The remains were accessioned to the DPAA

laboratory for analysis.

To identify Knight's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental analysis, as

well as material and circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Laos for their partnership

in

this mission.

Today there are 1,588 Department of Defense personnel who are still

unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.  Knight's name is recorded on the

Courts

of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu,

along with others unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War.  A rosette will be

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

For family information, contact the Air Force Casualty Assistance Office at

(800) 831-5501.

Knight will be buried Aug. 10, 2019 in Weatherford, Texas.

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.

Knight's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTNbEAO

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 18 July, 2019 10:27
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Maryland Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc.

Raymond H. Middlekauff, 31, of Baltimore, killed during World War II, was

accounted for on April 8, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on April 16, 2019.)

In late 1944, Middlekauff was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 22nd

Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, which was engaged in battle

against German forces near the town of Grosshau, in the Hürtgen Forest in

Germany.  He was reported missing in action as of Dec. 4, 1944, when his

company reorganized after a severe counterattack and he could not be

accounted for.

Following the close of hostilities in Europe in 1945, Middlekauff was among

the hundreds of soldiers still missing from combat in the Hürtgen Forest.

On Dec. 5, 1945, after no information on his whereabouts, the War Department

declared him deceased and non-recoverable. 

Between 1947 and 1950, American Graves Registration Command (AGRC)

investigative teams traveled to Grosshau to search for Middlekauff’s

remains.  Various graves registration units recovered dozens of unidentified

remains from the Hürtgen Forest.  Those that could not be identified were

designated as Unknowns and buried in American cemeteries in Europe.

Following thorough analysis of military records and AGRC documentation by

DPAA historians and scientists, one set of remains, Unknown X-2773 Neuville,

which was buried at present day Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium, was

determined to have a likely association with Middlekauff.  Unknown X-2773

Neuville was disinterred in April 2018 and sent to DPAA for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally,

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

Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

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 72,692 service members still

unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable.  Middlekauff’s name is recorded on the

Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten,

Netherlands, an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with others

who are missing from WWII.  Although interred as an "unknown" his grave was

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

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

he has been accounted for.

If you wish to contact Middlekauff’s family, call the Army Casualty Office

at (800) 892-2490.

For future funeral details, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Arti

cle/1815430/soldier-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-middlekauff-r/

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.

Middlekauff’s personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Lm79EAC

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

Appeals Court Affirms Bergdahl Conviction, Finds No Unlawful Command Influence

..."We are planning to take it before the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces as soon as possible," attorney Eugene Fidell told Military.com....

Kentucky sailor killed in WWII identified

WEBCAST: WORLD WAR II REMAINS RETURN TO US IN REPATRIATION CEREMONY

Remains of 22 servicemen killed during WWII to be repatriated

PHOTOS: At least 22 servicemen killed in the battle of Tarawa come home

Remains of 22 servicemen killed during WWII repatriated to US

San Antonio sailor accounted for from World War II 78 years later

KENS5.com

Today, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) shared that Navy fireman 3rd Class Jasper L. Pue, Jr. from San Antonio Texas was ...

Korean War Cpl. identified as Vidalia man

fox28media.com

VIDALIA, Ga. (WTGS) — The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Monday that Army Cpl. William S. Smith, 19, of Vidalia, Ga.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 16 July, 2019 11:44
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Iowa Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy

Signalman 3rd Class William J. Shanahan, Jr., 23, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

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

(This identification was initially published on June 6, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

of 429 crewmen, including Shanahan. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Shanahan.

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

Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Shanahan's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

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 72,692 still unaccounted for from

World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as

possibly-recoverable.  Shanahan's 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.

Shanahan will be buried Sept. 3, 2019, in his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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.

Shanahan's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XeJLEA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 16 July, 2019 11:42
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy

Fireman 3rd Class Jasper L. Pue, Jr., 21, of San Antonio, killed during

World War II, was accounted for April 16, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 1, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

crewmen, including Pue. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Pue.

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

Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,692 still unaccounted for from

World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as

possibly-recoverable.  Pue's 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.

Pue will be buried Aug. 25, 2019, in Houston.

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.

Pue's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XgYNEA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 16 July, 2019 11:01
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Kentucky Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy

Fireman 1st Class Billy J. Johnson, 22, of Caney, Kentucky, killed during

World War II, was accounted for on Feb. 26, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on March 1, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

of 429 crewmen, including Johnson. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Johnson.

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

Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Johnson's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,692 still unaccounted for from

World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as

possibly-recoverable.  Johnson's 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.

Johnson will be buried Aug. 19, 2019, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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.

Johnson's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XdzbEAC

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 15 July, 2019 15:06
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Georgia Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl.

William S. Smith, 19, of Vidalia, Georgia, killed during the Korean War, was

accounted for on June 4, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on June 6, 2019.)

In the summer of 1950, Smith was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 9th

Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, fighting against members of the

Korean People's Army.  On Sept. 1, 1950, he was reported missing in action

after an enemy assault on his unit's position along the Naktong River, near

Yongsan, South Korea.  Absent evidence of continued survival, the Department

of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec, 31, 1953.

On Sept. 23, 1950, personnel from the United Nations Military Cemetery

(UNMC) at Miryang, South Korea, examined a set of unknown remains that had

been recovered in the vicinity of Changyang, South Korea, approximately 5.5

miles northeast of Yongsan.  The remains could not be identified and were

designated ass X-193, and buried at UNMC Miryang.  After identification

attempts failed, the remains were transferred to the National Memorial

Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were

interred as Unknown.

On Oct. 30, 2017, following thorough historical and scientific analysis,

X-193 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory for

analysis.

To identify Smith' remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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

in this mission.

Today, 7,649 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.  Smith's name is

recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl along with 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.

Smith will be buried Aug. 17, 2019, in his hometown. Vidalia, Georgia

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.

Smith's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000012HhWREA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

A Brooklyn-born Israeli soldier went MIA 37 years ago.
International intrigue and DNA testing finally brought him home - Loveday
Morris


http://jewishworldreview.com/0719/baumel.php3 

A balloon with a purpose: Luke Cesnik's POW-MIA balloon coming to Steamboat festival this ...

Steamboat Pilot & Today

To increase awareness, the all-volunteer Freedom Flight members fly POW-MIA hot air balloons at balloon rallies, city festivals, veteran functions, ...

Christmas, Bible controversies prompt VA policies for 'inclusive' religious liberty

Catholic News Agency

The display, sponsored by an outside group called the Northeast POW/MIA Network, used a Bible donated by a World War II veteran who possessed it ...

Remains of Georgia soldier who died in secret WWII mission identified

Atlanta Journal Constitution

To identify them, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency used dental and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. The Armed ...

 

Procession escorts soldier killed in the Korean War to Clermont County

WKRC TV Cincinnati

31, 1953, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. A set of remains were recovered from an isolated grave in South Korea. In 1955, the ...

 

Ohio Soldier killed in Korean War to be returned home for burial

10TV

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said the U.S. Army later issued a "presumptive finding of death" for Pfc. Woods. Remains found in a grave ...

 

Soldier Killed in Korean War to Be Returned Home for Burial

U.S. News & World Report

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio soldier reported missing in action in the Korean War and later identified through DNA is returning home.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 8 July, 2019 11:59
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Missouri Marine Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine

Corps Platoon Sgt. George E. Trotter, 38, of Kansas City, Missouri, killed

during World War II, was accounted for on April 16, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 8, 2019.)

In November 1943, Trotter was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th

Marines, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance

on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in

an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at

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

2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Trotter

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

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

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

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

launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

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

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

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

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

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

the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification

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

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

the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown

X-055.

On March 13, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-055 from the NMCP for

identification.

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

anthropological analysis.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,698 service members still

unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 26,000 are

assessed as possibly-recoverable. Trotter's name is recorded on the Courts

of the Missing at the NMCP, 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, call the Marine Corps Service Casualty Office at

800-847-1597.

Trotter will be buried Aug. 9, 2019, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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.

Trotter's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XkvuEAC

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

-----Original Message-----
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 8 July, 2019 09:55
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Georgia Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc.

Hulett A. Thompson, 23, of Carrollton, Georgia, killed during World War II,

was accounted for on May 29, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on June 3, 2019.)

In June 1944, Thompson served as an infantryman assigned to the 2nd

Battalion,

5307th Combat Unit (Provisional,) also referred to as Task Force Galahad, or

Merrill's Marauders, in the China-Burma-India region. On June 30, 1944,

Thompson's unit fought in the siege of Myitkyina, Burma. He was reportedly

killed in action and his remains could not be recovered following the

battle.

On Jan. 9, 1948, his remains were declared non-recoverable.

The remains of servicemen killed during the battle were buried in at least

eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial locations.

Eventually, all known burials were concentrated into the U.S. Military

Cemetery at Myitkyina, including the remains of those who were not

identified.

In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S. Military

Cemetery were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Military Cemetery at

Kalaikunda, India.  The exhumation of the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda was

conducted in September and October 1947.

One set of remains, designated Unknown X-386, Kalaikunda, was reportedly

disinterred on Nov. 13, 1947, and transferred to Schofield Barracks in

Hawaii, where they were unable to be identified.  They were subsequently buried in

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

Honolulu, in June 1949.

On July 16, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-386 Kalaikunda from the

Punchbowl and accessioned the remains into the laboratory.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally,

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

analysis.

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 72,698 service members (approximately

26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from

World War II.  Thompson's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the

Manila merican Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City, Philippines, 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, call the Army Service Casualty office at (800)

892-2490.

Thompson will be buried Nov. 30, 2019, in his hometown. Carrollton, Georgia

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

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

website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

Thompson's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000cePXEAY

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

Korean War soldier's body to return home Friday

Kinston Free Press

WASHINGTON— The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that Army Cpl. Stephen P. Nemec, 21, of Cleveland, Ohio, killed ...

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 27 June, 2019 10:13
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Nebraska Twins Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that twin

brothers, Navy Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Leo Blitz, and Navy Fireman 1st

Class Rudolph Blitz, both 20, of Lincoln, Nebraska, killed during World War

II, were accounted for on May 21, 2019.

(These identifications were initially published on May 24, 2019.)

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Blitz twins were assigned to the battleship USS

Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was

attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo

hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in

the deaths of 429 crewmen, including the Blitz twins. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including the brothers.

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

Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify the Blitzes' remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,700 still unaccounted for from

World War II, of which approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly

recoverable.  The Blitz's names are 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 their names to indicate they have been accounted for.

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

443-9298.

The Blitz twins will be buried Aug. 10, 2019, in their hometown. Lincoln Nebraska.

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.

Leo Blitz's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XeJBEA0

Rudolph Blitz's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XeKOEA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 27 June, 2019 12:12
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Pennsylvania Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl.

Earl H. Markle, 19, of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean

War, was accounted for on May 17, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 28, 2019.)

In November 1950, Markle was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th

Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.  He was reported missing in action

on Nov. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Unsan,

North Korea.  His remains could not be recovered following the attack, and

he was not reported as a prisoner of war.  The U.S. Army declared him

deceased as of Dec. 31, 1953.

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

Korean Chairman Kim in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes,

purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during

the Korean War.  The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,

Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA

laboratory for identification.

To identify Markle's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Today, 7,652 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.  Markle'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.

For future funeral information, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/
Article/1858242/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-markle-e/

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.

Markle's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000004mFbEAI

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 27 June, 2019 10:55
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: California Marine Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine

Corps Staff Sgt. Wesley L. Kroenung, Jr., 25, of South Pasadena, California,

killed during World War II, was accounted for April 16, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 8, 2019.)

In November 1943, Kroenung was a photographer with Headquarters Company,

Headquarters and Service Battalion, Fifth Amphibious Corps, temporarily

assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese

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

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

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

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

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

reportedly buried in the 2nd Marine Division Cemetery #4.

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

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

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

launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

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

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

the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted

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

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

the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification

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

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

the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown

X-103.

On November 7, 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-103 from the NMCP for

identification.  Shortly thereafter, DPAA disinterred one set of remains,

designated Tarawa Unknown X-104B from Cemetery #33, in conjunction with

recovery efforts being conducted by History Flight, Inc., a nonprofit

organization in partnership with DPAA.  The remains were consolidated and

sent to the laboratory for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs, History Flight,

Inc., and the Republic of Kiribati 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 72,700 service members still

unaccounted for from WWII, of which approximately 26,000 are assessed as

possibly-recoverable.  Kroenung's name is recorded on the Courts of the

Missing at the NMCP, 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, call the Marine Corps Casualty Office at

800-847-1597.

For future funeral information, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/
Article/1841388/marine-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-kroenung-w/

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.

Kroenung's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XkHLEA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 26 June, 2019 12:25
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Marine Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine

Corps Pvt. Waldean Black, 20, of Perryton, Texas, killed during World War

II,  was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.

(This identification was initially published on Feb. 7, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

of 429 crewmen, including Black. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Black.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum

directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On

June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for

analysis.

To identify Black remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome

DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

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 72,700 still unaccounted for from

World War II, of which approximately 26,000 are assessed as

possibly-recoverable.  Black's 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 Marine Corps Casualty Office at (800)

847-1597.

For funeral information, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Arti

cle/1887861/uss-oklahoma-marine-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-black-w/

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.

Black's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Xm7cEAC

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From the desk Of Ed Huffine.

moe note: HISTORY FLIGHT - http://historyflight.com/ - is a non-profit organization out of Key West Florida operated by Mark Noah who has dedicated the corporations efforts to finding our Missing in Action/Unaccounted for military men and women. He was once informed by a (then) DPMO employee NOT to concern himself with Tarawa – not worth the effort. As you will see from the FOX NEWS story below HISTORY FLIGHT has repatriated over 270 sets of remains from Tarawa since 2015 and they just located more than 30 sets of remains.  

Our Salute to the HISTORY FLIGHT team for their commitment to finding ALL the Marines we left behind on Tarawa since 20-23 November 1943.

Please, Share this story with all on your communications list.

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 20 June, 2019 08:30
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Airman Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air

Forces 2nd Lt. Toney W. Gochnauer, 24, of Amarillo, Texas, killed during

World War II, was accounted for on May 13, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 15, 2019.)

On Jan. 25, 1944, Gochnauer was a member of 425th Bombardment Squadron,

308th Heavy Bombardment Group, 14th Air Force, as the co-pilot aboard a

B-24J Liberator aircraft, departing Kunming, China on a supply mission to

Chabua, India.  Despite initially favorable weather, conditions deteriorated

rapidly and the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination.  Four other

aircraft were also lost during their approach to Chabua.  Due to inability

to pinpoint a loss location, no search efforts were initiated, and none of

the eight crewmembers or four passengers on board were recovered. 

In June 2017, DPAA contractor Abor Country was tasked to perform a

reconnaissance of a site near Kese Bagang Village, East Kameng District,

State of Arunachal Pradesh, based on information provided by Mr. Clayton

Kuhles.  Abor Country reported they had located an aircraft crash site with

a significant amount of debris, including wreckage that resembled an

aircraft wing.  The contractor turned possible human remains over to the

U.S. Consulate in Kolkata. 

In December 2017, during a Joint Field Activity, a DPAA investigation team

visited the crash site and recovered human remains.  The remains were

consolidated into the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Gochnauer's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally, the Armed

Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome

DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to government and people of India, Abor Country and Mr.

Clayton Kuhles 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 72,704 service members

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

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

Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig

City, Philippines, 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, call the Army Service Casualty office at (800)

892-2490.

For future funeral information, visit www.dpaa.mil

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

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

DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 21 June, 2019 08:16
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Ohio Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc.

Roger L. Woods, 18, of Cincinnati, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was

accounted for on May 21, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 23, 2019.)

In the summer of 1950, Woods was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 34th

Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, fighting against members of the

Korean People's Army.  On July 29, 1950, he was reported missing in action

in the vicinity of Kochang, South Korea.  Absent of evidence of continued

survival, the Department of the Army declared him deceased as of Dec. 31,

1953.

According to historical reports, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration

Company recovered a set of remains initially designated as Unknown X-274

Miryang and later as Unknown X-274 Tanggok from an isolated grave in the

vicinity of Kochang Town, South Korea.  A tag that accompanied the remains

claimed that the remains had been removed from a single grave on Oct. 29,

1950.  On April 20, 1955, the remains were declared unidentifiable and were

subsequently transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

(NMCP,) known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as an Unknown.

In August 2018, following thorough historical and scientific analysis, X-274

was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

To identify Woods' remains, scientists from DPAA used dental,

anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as

circumstantial and material evidence. 

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

in this mission.

Today, 7,652 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.  Woods' name is

recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl along with 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 contact information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at

(800) 892-2490.

Woods will be buried July 11, 2019, in Goshen, 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.

Woods' personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000kZ2IDEA0

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

One of the sets of Remains returned to the US last summer. 

We still need identification for at least 48 more out of the original 55.

-----Original Message-----
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 21 June, 2019 16:02
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl.

Billy J.

Butler, 19, of Kerrville, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted

for on April 29, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on May 23, 2019.)

In late 1950, Butler was a member of Company C, 2nd Engineer Combat

Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the

enemy near Kujang, North Korea.  On Nov. 28, 1950, his unit's defensive

positions were attacked and he was captured by the Chinese People's

Volunteer Force (CPVF.) 

Following the war, returning American prisoners reported that Butler died in

January 1951, at the prisoner of war camp in Pukchin-Tarigol, North Korea,

known by some as Hofong Camp.  On March 15, 1954, the U.S. Army declared

Butler deceased as of Jan. 27, 1951.

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

Korean Chairman Kim in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes,

purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during

the Korean War.  The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,

Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA

laboratory for identification.

To identify Butler's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Today, 7,652 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.  Butler'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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800)

892-2490.

Butler will be buried July 27, 2019, in his hometown. Kerrville, Texas

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.

Butler's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000Bpz0sEAB

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 21 June, 2019 16:34
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Texas Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc.

Sterling Geary, Jr., 24, of Cooper, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was

accounted for on April 8, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on April 26, 2019.)

In November 1950, Geary was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th

Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, which was engaged in battle with

the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces in North Korea.  He was declared

missing in action on Nov. 27, 1951 when he could not be accounted for by

his unit following fighting at Hill 234, and Tong-dong Village, North Korea.

Following the war, one returning American prisoner of war reported that

Geary had been captured by the CPVF and died in March 1951 while being held

at prisoner of war Camp 5.  Based on this information, the U.S. Army

declared him deceased as of March 31, 1951.

On Dec. 21, 1993, North Korea unilaterally turned over 34 boxes of remains,

believed to be unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War.  The

remains in Box 17 were reportedly recovered from Tonju-ri, Pyokdong County,

North P'yongan Province, North Korea. 

In October 2000, two joint Korean and U.S. Central Identification Laboratory

Hawaii (a predecessor to DPAA) Recovery Operations excavated sites in Kujang

County, North Korea, which is near Unsan County, and an area associated with

individuals captured and sent to prisoner of war Camp 5, where Geary was

reported to have died.  The remains recovered were accessioned to the

laboratory and consolidated with remains returned in 1993.

To identify Geary's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological

analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally, scientists from

the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA,)

Y-chromosome STR DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

Today, 7,652 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.  Geary'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.

Geary will be buried Aug. 15, 2019, in Dallas, Texas.

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.

/////

SFC Kristen Duus

Chief of External Communications

Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

2300 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C 20301-2300

(703) 699-1420