Category: No Longer Missing

DPMO has announced the identification of three US MIAs from World War II, three US MIAs from the Korean War, and one US MIA from Southeast Asia.

• 2nd Lt. Jimmie D. Collins III, 446th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost on 21 June 1944, in the Netherlands. He was accounted for 15 October 2014.
• SSgt. Maurice J. Fevold and SSgt. Ward C. Swalwell Jr., 599th Bombardment Squadron, 397th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Forces, were lost 23 December, 1944, in Germany. They were accounted for 17 September 2014 and 3 October 2014, respectively.
• CPL Lonald D. Skeens, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost 4 September 1950 in South Korea. He was accounted for 11 October 2014.
• SGT Cameron M. Flack and SGT Arnold Pitman, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, were both lost 12 December 1950 in North Korea. They were accounted for 8 October 2014 and 7 October 2014, respectively.
• SSG James L. Van Bendegom, B Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost 12 July 1967 in South Vietnam. He was accounted for 17 October 2014.

All of these belatedly returned brothers-in-arms will be buried with full military honors. Information concerning the dates and locations of their interments is not readily available.

SSgt. Fevold and SSgt. Swalwell appear to have been crewmembers on the same aircraft as 1st Lt. William Cook and Sgt. Eric M. Honeyman, who were identified by DPMO some weeks ago and whose repatriation and identification was previously discussed here. 1st Lt. Cook will be buried today in Oakland, CA.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms. Rest in peace.

. . .

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 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site; they no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) samples to assist in possible identification of remains. So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative. If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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

DPMO has announced the identification of twelve US MIAs from World War II and another US MIA from the Korean War.

• PFC Richard N. Bean, Company D, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost 15 June 1944 on Saipan. He was accounted for 4 September 2014.
• 1st Lt. William Cook and Sgt. Eric M. Honeyman, 599th Bombardment Squadron, 397th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Forces, was lost 23 December 1944 in Germany. They were accounted for 27 and 28 August 2014, respectively.
• SGT Lee H. Manning, Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost 1 December 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for 26 August 2014.
• Pvt. Robert J. McConachie, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, USMC, was lost 15 June 1945 on Okinawa, Japan.
• 1st Lts. William D. Bernier, Bryant E. Poulsen, Herbert V. Young Jr.; Sgt. Charles A. Gardner; Staff Sgt. John E. Copeland,; and Tech. Sgts. Charles L. Johnston and Hugh F. Moore, 321st Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Army Air Forces, US. Army Air Forces, were lost 10 April 1944, on Papua New Guinea. They were accounted for on 18 July 2014, 16 July 2014, 19 August 2014, 31 July 2014, 2 August 2014, 21 August 2014, and 5 September 2014, respectively.
• PFC Bernard Gavrin, Company D, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost 15 June 1944 on Saipan. He was accounted for 29 July 2014.

PFC Gavrin was buried on 12 September 2014 in Arlington National Cemetery. Funeral arrangements for the other individuals listed above was not immediately available; however, all will be buried with full military honors.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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

 

(Author’s note:  the original version of this article misspelled the name of one of these returned fallen.  My apologies for the error.)

 

 

SSgt. David R. Kittredge, 450th Bomber Squadron, 322nd Bomber Group, Medium, 9th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was a crewman on a B-26. Unfortunately, his aircraft was lost in Germany on 16 April 1945. SSgt. Kittredge died as the result of the crash. His remains were not recovered at the time.

However, human remains from the crash were discovered in 2012. They were identified by the Armed Forces DNA lab earlier this year as those of SSgt. Kittredge.

SSgt Kittredge’s remains were returned to his family yesterday. He will be interred at Nicolet Memorial Gardens in Scott, WI, tomorrow, with full military honors.

Welcome home, my elder brother-in-arms. Rest in peace.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.  Additionally, DPMO has a page explaining the use of DNA (both types) in the process of identifying human remains here.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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

DPMO has announced the identification of  two US MIAs from World War II.

1st. Lts. William D. Bernier and Bryant E. Poulsen, 321st Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Army Air Forces, USAAF, were lost 10 April 1944 in Papua New Guinea. 1st. Lt. Poulson was accounted for on 16 July 2014; 1st. Lt. Bernier was accounted for on 18 July 2014. They will be buried with full military honors. Specific dates and locations have not yet been announced.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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

MCPO Ret. In TN sends us a link from WCHS 8 in regards to West Virginia resident Army Corporal Alva C. Groves of Four States whose remains have been returned and identified for burial Thursday;

He was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. His unit was occupying a defensive position northeast of Kujang, North Korea, when it was attacked by Chinese forces in November 1950.

The federal office said Chinese forces reported in 1953 that Groves was captured and died in a prisoner of war camp on April 14, 1951, from tubercular peritonitis.

If he died that long ago and in the custody of the Chinese, I don’t know why it could have taken this long to resolve but welcome home, Alva.

DPMO has announced the identification of one US MIA from World War II and another US MIA from the Korean War.

• SSgt. Gerald V. Atkinson, 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, US Army Air Forces was lost 10 April 1945 north of Berlin. He was accounted for 20 June 2014. SSgt. Atkinson will be buried with full military honors 16 August 2014 in Chattahoochee, FL.
• MSG Lawrence O. Jock, A Battery, 955th Field Artillery, 8th US Army, was lost 14 July 1953 in North Korea. He was accounted for 25 June 2014 – appropriately, also the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. MSG Jock will be buried with full military honors 1 August 2014 in Malone, NY.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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

DPMO has announced the identification of another US MIA from World War II.

Pfc. Randolph Allen, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost 20 November 1943 on Tarawa. He was accounted for 17 June 2014. He will be buried with full military honors 28 July 2014 in Arlington National Cemetery.

Welcome home, my elder brother-in-arms. Rest in peace.

Separately, DPMO has announced funeral arrangements for CPL Cletus R. Lies, who was lost 28 November 1950 near the Chosin Reservoir. CPL Lies will be buried 3 July 2014 in New Rockford, ND. The identification of CPL Lies’ remains was announced by DPMO in December, 2013, and was also previously noted here.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

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