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

Research sites: 

www.kpows.com

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

List posted 07/12/19

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

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

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, ...

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

From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (USA) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 17 June, 2019 16:20
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Michigan Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

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

Charles S. Lawler, 19, of Traverse City, Michigan, killed during the Korean

War, was accounted for on May 13, 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

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

as of Dec. 31, 1953.

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

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

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

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

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

into the DPAA laboratory for identification.

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

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

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

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

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.  Lawler'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.

Lawler will be buried July 27, 2019, in his hometown. Traverse City, Michigan

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.

Lawler's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000004mDzEAI

/////

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: 17 June, 2019 13:56
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: New Jersey Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

Fireman 3rd Class Harold K. Costill, 18, of Clayton, New Jersey, killed

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

(This identification was initially published on April 19, 2019.)

On Dec. 7, 1941, Costill was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia,

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

Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits,

but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from

capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor.  The attack on

the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Costill. 

During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered

the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals.

Those who could not be identified, including Costill, were interred as

unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the

Punchbowl, in Honolulu. 

From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, in

cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be

associated with the USS West Virginia, from the NMCP and transferred the

remains to the laboratory for identification.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,704 still unaccounted for from

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

possibly-recoverable.  Costill'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, call the Navy Service Casualty office at (800)

443-9298.

Costill will be buried Sept. 14, 2019, in his hometown. Clayton, New Jersey

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.

Costill's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Xe1DEAS

/////

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: 14 June, 2019 15:36
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: California Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

Dear Editor,

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

1st Class Elden C. Justus, 23, of Eureka, California, killed during the

Korean War, was accounted for on April 16, 2019.

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

In late November 1950, Justus was a member of Headquarters Battery, 57th

Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.  Approximately 2,500 U.S.

and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team

(RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it

was engaged by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. By December 6, the

U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 wounded service members; the

remaining soldiers had been either captured or killed in enemy territory.

When Justus could not be accounted for by his unit at the end of the battle;

he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 6, 1950.

From April 28 to May 10, 2004, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a

predecessor to DPAA, conducted joint recovery operations with the North

Korean People's Army (KPA,) in the vicinity of the Chosin River.  The

recovery team excavated two sites, recovering the remains of at least five

individuals.  The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea,)

unilaterally turned over the remains to the UNC Military Armistice

Commissioned, where they were subsequently accessioned to the laboratory.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used

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

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.  Justus' 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, call the Army Service Casualty Office at (800)

892-2490.

Justus will be buried July 11, 2019, in Arcata, California.

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.

Justus' personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000004OWUOEA4

/////

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: 13 June, 2019 08:25
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Massachusetts Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

Seaman 1st Class Frank A. Hryniewicz, 20, of Three Rivers, Massachusetts,

killed during World War II, was accounted for on Jan. 28, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on Jan. 31, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

of 429 crewmen, including Hryniewicz. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Hryniewicz.

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

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

June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl

for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis.  Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces

Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

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 72,704 still unaccounted for from

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

possibly-recoverable.  Hryniewicz' 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.

For future funeral information, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/1874361/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-hryniewicz-f

/

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

or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

Hryniewicz' personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XeLsEAK

/////

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: 12 June, 2019 13:37
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

Seaman 1st Class Millard Burk, Jr., 19, of Pikeville, Kentucky, killed

during World War II, was accounted for on July 25, 2018.

(This identification was initially published on Sept. 21, 2018.)

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

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

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

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

crewmen, including Burk. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Burk.

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

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

June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl

for analysis.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally,

scicentists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,708 (approximately 26,000 are

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

Burk'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.

Burk will be buried July 19, 2019, at the Punchbowl.

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

or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

Burk's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XeKaEAK

/////

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: 10 June, 2019 09:37
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Missouri Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

W. Harris, 23, of Cherryville, Missouri, killed during World War II, was

accounted for on April 16, 2019.

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

In November 1944, Harris was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 110th

Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.  He was reported missing in

action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Hürtgen Forest, near the

village of Simonskall, in Germany.  Due to ongoing combat operations and

extensive land mines throughout the forest, American forces were unable to

search for him.  On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.

After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched

the Hürtgen Forest for Harris’ remains.  Unable to make a correlation with

any remains found in the area, his remains were declared non-recoverable. 

In 1946, following demining operations, a set of remains was recovered from

near where Harris was last seen alive.  The remains, unable to be

identified, were designated Unknown X-2702, and buried at United States

Military Cemetery Neuville, present day Ardennes American Cemetery, in

Belgium.

Based upon the original recovery location of X-2702, DPAA analysts

determined that there was a likely association between the remains and

Harris.  In August 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle

Monuments Commission disinterred X-2702 and accessioned the remains to the

DPAA laboratory for identification.

To identify Harris’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,704 service members

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

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

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, Harris’ grave was

meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years.  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

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

cle/1821247/soldier-killed-during-world-war-ii-accounted-for-harris-d/

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.

/////

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: 7 June, 2019 12:23
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Iowa Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

Ralph L. Bennett, 22, of Ames, Iowa, killed during World War II, was

accounted for on April 29, 2019.

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

In June 1944, Bennet was a member of Headquarters Company, 209th Engineer

Combat Battalion, as an engineer in the China-Burma-India Theater.  On June

13, 1944, Bennet's battalion fought in the siege of Myitkyina, Burma, after

successfully taking the airfield west of Myitkyina from Japanese control.

Bennett was reported to have been killed during the battle.

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

eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial locations.

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

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

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

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

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

at Kalaikunda was conducted in September and October 1947.

One set of remains, designated Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda, was reportedly

disinterred on Oct. 21, 1947 and transferred to Schofield Barracks in

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

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

Punchbowl, in Honolulu, in March 1949.

On July 16, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-48 Kalaikunda from the

Punchbowl and accessioned the remains into the laboratory.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.  Additionally,

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

analysis.

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 72,708 service members

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

unaccounted for from World War II.  Bennett'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.

Bennett will be buried Aug. 3, 2019, in his hometown. (Ames, Iowa)

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.

Bennett's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000ccR8EAI

/////

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: 7 June, 2019 10:39
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Illinois Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army 1st

Lt. Seymour P. Drovis, 24, of Cook County, Illinois, killed during World War

II, was accounted for on Sept. 4, 2018.

(This identification was initially announced on Sept. 14, 2018.)

In July 1944, Drovis was a member of Company A, 105th Infantry Regiment,

27th Infantry Division, engaged against enemy forces in Achugao Village,

Saipan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  The division

sustained heavy casualties during one of the largest Japanese "banzai"

attacks of WWII.  A soldier reported seeing Drovis fatally shot on July 7,

1944. 

In September 2013, two Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command anthropologists

(JPAC, a predecessor to DPAA) recovered possible osseous remains and

material evidence from a burial feature on Saipan.  The location correlates

to where Drovis' unit fought during the banzai attack.  The remains were

recovered by JPAC Central Identification Laboratory anthropologists and by a

Japanese non-governmental organization, Kuenti, working in conjunction with

the Japanese government, and in cooperation with a local archeological firm,

Swift and Harper Archaeological Research and Consulting, and the Japanese

Historic Preservation Office.  The remains were subsequently sent to the

DPAA laboratory for identification.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Japanese non-governmental organization, Kuenti,

working in conjunction with the Japanese government, and in cooperation with

a local archeological firm, Swift and Harper Archaeological Research and

Consulting, and the Japanese Historic Preservation Office for their

partnerships 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 72,708 service members

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

unaccounted for from World War II.  Drovis' name is recorded on the Courts

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

Honolulu, 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.

Drovis will be buried Oct. 16, 2019, in Arlington National Cemetery, near

Washington, D.C.

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: 7 June, 2019 09:11
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Colorado Soldier Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

Harry W. Wilder, 21, of Denver, killed during World War II, was accounted

for on Nov. 26, 2018.

(This identification was initially published on Nov. 28, 2018.)

In November 1944, Wilder was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 110th

Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.  He was reported missing in

action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand sector of

the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany.  Due to

ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest

American forces were unable to search for him.  When the war ended, Wilder

was among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand

sector.  On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased. 

After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched

the Hürtgen Forest for Wilder’s remains.  Unable to make a correlation with

any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable. 

In April 1947, following demining operations, a set of unidentified remains

was recovered from the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest. The

remains were sent to the central processing point at Neuville, Belgium. They

were unable to be identified, were designated X-5392, and buried as an

unknown Soldier at Neuville American Cemetery.

Based upon the original recovery location of X-5392, a DPAA historian

determined that there was a likely association between the remains and

Wilder.  In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle

Monuments Commission disinterred X-5392 and accessioned the remains to the

DPAA laboratory for identification.

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

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,708 service members

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

unaccounted for from World War II.  Wilder’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, Wilder’s grave was

meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years.  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.

For future funeral information, visit

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

cle/1869261/soldier-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-wilder-h/

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.

Wilder’s personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XmUWEA0

/////

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: 6 June, 2019 09:30
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Colorado Sailor Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Baker 2nd

Class David L. Kesler, 23, of Berthoud, Colorado, killed during World War

II, was accounted for on Jan. 17, 2019.

(This identification was initially published on Jan. 24, 2019.)

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

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

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

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

of 429 crewmen, including Kesler. 

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

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

Cemeteries.

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

personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves

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

the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification

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

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

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

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

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

be identified as non-recoverable, including Kesler.

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

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

June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl

for analysis.

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

analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.  Additionally,

scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial

DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

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 72,708 (approximately 26,000 are

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

Kesler'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.

For future funeral information, visit

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

cle/1867897/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-kesler-d/

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

or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

Kesler's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XdzqEAC

/////

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: 5 June, 2019 14:11
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Ohio Marine Accounted For From World War II

Dear Editor,

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

remains of a U.S. serviceman, killed during World War II, are those of

Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. William E. Brandenburg, 19, of New Miami, Ohio.

Brandenburg was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.

(This identification was initially published on Oct. 29, 2018.)

In November 1943, Brandenburg was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 2nd

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

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

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

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

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

virtually annihilated. Brandenburg died on the third day of the battle, Nov.

22, 1943.

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

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

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

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

Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.

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

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

the island. Reports indicate that Brandenburg was buried in the Central

Division Cemetery, later renamed to Cemetery #26.  The 604th Quartermaster

Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio

between 1946 and 1947, but Brandenburg's remains were not identified. All of

the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central

Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947.  By 1949, the remains

that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery

of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one

set, designated Tarawa Unknown X-074.

In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-074 from the NMCP for

identification.

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

Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis,

anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

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 72,708 service members

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

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

Courts of the Missing at the NMCP, along with the other MIAs 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 Service Casualty office at

(800) 847-1597.

For future funeral information, visit

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/
Article/1867299/marine-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-brandenburg-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.

Brandenburg's personnel profile can be viewed at

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XiBBEA0

/////

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

 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/1509 - full section - but only one full page – easy read

 Sec. (a), that provides the dates that apply to each conflict that DPAA is accountable for reads as follows;

World War II during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, including members of the armed forces who were lost during flight operations in the Pacific theater of operations covered by section 576 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106–65; 10 U.S.C. 1501 note).

The Cold War during the period beginning on September 2, 1945, and ending on August 21, 1991.

The Korean War during the period beginning on June 27, 1950, and ending on January 31, 1955.

The Indochina War era during the period beginning on July 8, 1959, and ending on May 15, 1975.

The Persian Gulf War during the period beginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on February 28, 1991.

Such other conflicts in which members of the armed forces served as the Secretary of Defense may designate.

From: Ann Mills-Griffiths <powmiafam@aol.com>
Sent: 1 June, 2019 17:33
To:

INDO-PACIFIC

STSTRATEGY REPORT

PREPAREDNESS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND

PROMOTING A NETWORKED REGION

Missing soldier returns to Texas after 69 years

Wilson County News

“Over six years, we went through historical facts and MIA files.” ... According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, 7,662 Americans remain ...

From  the desk of:

By SETH ROBSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: May 25 2019

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/bolton-north-korea-issues-at-top-of-list-for-trump-s-state-visit-to-japan-1.582974
 

STILL Hope that the USS PUEBLO may get to come home after 50 years in the hands of the North Koreans! moe