This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Hondo

  • Two More Return

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

    From World War II

    • Pfc Lyle E. Charpilloz, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8thMarine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost on Tarawa Atoll on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 22 November 2017. (See note below.)

    • 1st Sgt David H. Quinn, Company C, 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost on Tarawa Atoll on 21 November 1943. He was accounted for on 22 November 2017.

    From Korea

    • None

    From Southeast Asia

    • None

    Welcome back, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    You’re home now. Rest easy.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of DNA from recovered remains against DNA from some (but not all) blood relatives can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    On their web site’s “Contact Us” page, DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to one of those FAQs describes who can and cannot submit DNA samples useful in identifying recovered remains. The chart giving the answer can be viewed here. The text associated with the chart is short and can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a DNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

     

    Author’s Note: DPAA’s listing of recently accounted-for personnel is incorrect and incomplete regarding Pfc Charpilloz. As this article by DPAA notes, Pfc Charpilloz was lost during the battle for Beito Island. His actual date of loss was 20 November 1943.

  • Another Two Return Home

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

    From World War II

    • RM2c Julius H. O. Pieper, US Navy Reserve, assigned to the crew of Landing Ship Tank Number 523 (LST-523), was lost in France on 19 June 1944. He was accounted for on 20 November 2017.

    From Korea

    • SGT Ollie E. Shepard, I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 3 December 1950. He was accounted for on 17 November 2017.

    From Southeast Asia

    • None

    Welcome back, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    You’re home now. Rest easy.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of DNA from recovered remains against DNA from some (but not all) blood relatives can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    On their web site’s “Contact Us” page, DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to one of those FAQs describes who can and cannot submit DNA samples useful in identifying recovered remains. The chart giving the answer can be viewed here. The text associated with the chart is short and can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a DNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

     

    Author’s Note: While Jonn published an article announcing the recovery of SSG William Turner’s remains some time ago, it appears that as of 22 November 2017 DPAA has yet to formally announce his accounting.

  • Two More Return

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

    From World War II

    • FM2c Martin A. Gara, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1945. He was accounted for on 8 November 2017.

    • 2nd Lt. William H. Harth, Jr., 329th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, US Army, was lost in Romania on 1 August 1943. He was accounted for on 8 November 2017.

    From Korea

    • None

    From Southeast Asia

    • None

    Welcome back, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Rest in peace. You’re home now.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of DNA from recovered remains against DNA from some (but not all) blood relatives can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    On their web site’s “Contact Us” page, DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to one of those FAQs describes who can and cannot submit DNA samples useful in identifying recovered remains. The chart giving the answer can be viewed here. The text associated with the chart is short and can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a DNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

     

    Author’s Note: While Jonn published an article announcing the recovery of SSG William Turner’s remains some time ago, it appears that as of 17 October 2017 DPAA has yet to formally announce his accounting.

  • Boy, I Hope These Reports are Wrong

    Since both Fox News and the Daily Beast are already reporting this, I thought it was probably apropos to mention it here.

    Recent reports indicate there may be more to the recent incident regarding 2 Navy SEALs and one Army Green Beret that happened in Mali.  That incident left the Green Beret, SSG Logan J. Melgar, dead; Jonn’s written about the incident here.

    That incident is now under investigation by NCIS as a homicide.  Unfortunately, if recent reports concerning the incident from Fox News and the Daily Beast are correct the incident leading to SSG Melgar’s death may involve other criminal malfeasance as well.

    Let me be clear that these latest allegations are not yet confirmed.  All organizations concerned seem to be withholding official comment.  That’s to be expected, since NCIS is still investigating the matter.

    Still:  the story is already out there.  Read the linked stories if you’d like more details concerning the new allegations.  I’ve got nothing further.

  • Remembering Edmund

    For our nautically-oriented readers. This wouldn’t have been as apropos yesterday, but IMO it works today.

    It happened forty-two years and two days ago – 10 November 1975.

     

     

    Rest in peace, men.

  • One More Returns

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

    From World War II

    • None

    From Korea

    • SFC Harry E. Harkness, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 2 November 1950. He was accounted for on 30 October 2017.

    From Southeast Asia

    • None

    Welcome back, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Rest in peace. You’re home now.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of DNA from recovered remains against DNA from some (but not all) blood relatives can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    On their web site’s “Contact Us” page, DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to one of those FAQs describes who can and cannot submit DNA samples useful in identifying recovered remains. The chart giving the answer can be viewed here. The text associated with the chart is short and can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a DNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

     

    Author’s Note: While Jonn published an article announcing the recovery of SSG William Turner’s remains some time ago, it appears that as of 11 October 2017 DPAA has yet to formally announce his accounting.

  • Well, This Should Be An Easy Case

    The other day, an individual appeared in court in Colorado.  He was at a hearing to consider whether he’d violated bond conditions imposed after he was arrested on a drug charge.

    He was holding his hat, which he’d removed, behind him.  However, as he was standing there officers noticed that a small paper packet had fallen to the floor behind him.

    The packet was confiscated by police.  It was found to contain cocaine. And a review of surveillance film showed that the packet had fallen out of the hat he was holding behind him while in court.

    The man is now facing additional charges of felony drug possession violation.

    Oh, did I mention that the guy in question is in the US illegally?  Well, yeah – he is.

    Fox News has more details if you’re interested.

    Believe it or not, stupid stuff like this does occasionally happen. I once had one of my soldiers drop a packet of drugs on the floor after CID had asked to question him.  The guy was in the process of taking his ID out of his wallet – and the packet fell out of his wallet and landed on the floor in plain sight of multiple people, including the CID agents waiting to question him.  Reading the resulting ROI was a hoot.

    Criminals aren’t often the “sharpest knife in the drawer”.

     

  • Another Returns

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

    From World War II

    • S1c Edward F. Slapikas , US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. He was accounted for on 26 October 2017.

    From Korea

    • None

    From Southeast Asia

    • None

    Welcome back, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Rest in peace. You’re home now.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of DNA from recovered remains against DNA from some (but not all) blood relatives can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    On their web site’s “Contact Us” page, DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to one of those FAQs describes who can and cannot submit DNA samples useful in identifying recovered remains. The chart giving the answer can be viewed here. The text associated with the chart is short and can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a DNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

     

    Author’s Note: While Jonn published an article announcing the recovery of SSG William Turner’s remains some time ago, it appears that as of 4 November 2017 DPAA has yet to formally announce his accounting.