More Return Home
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US military personnel.
From World War II
• LTJG Aloysius H. Schmitt, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was accounted for on 18 May 2016.
• Warrant Officer Daryl H. Goggin, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was accounted for on 25 May 2016.
• FM1 Frank E. Nicoles, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was accounted for on 20 May 2016.
• Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was accounted for on 20 May 2016.
From Korea
• SFC Richard Davis, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, was lost on 2 November 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 23 May 2016.
From Vietnam
• LCDR Frederick P. Crosby, Light Photographic Squadron (VFP) 63, US Navy, was lost on 1 June 1965 in Vietnam. He was accounted for on 25 May 2016.
Additionally, as Jonn noted the other day the remains of 1st Lt. Donald W. Bruch, Jr., 333rd Tactical Fighting Squadron, USAF, have also been recovered and repatriated. 1st Lt. Bruch was lost on 29 April 1966 in Vietnam. He was accounted for on 30 November 2015. Either I missed DPAA’s announcement of his accounting at the time or DPAA’s announcement of his accounting was delayed.
Welcome back, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.
You’re home now. 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 making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.
DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to refer you to someone who can answer that question – or may be able to answer the question themselves. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact one of those POCs for further information.
If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a mtDNA 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.
Category: No Longer Missing
Outstanding post Hondo. I will post on FB as well. The more who get the word about this the more brave men we can lay to rest.
Semper Fi bro.
Thanks, DH.
There’s not much we can do for the dead other than give them a proper burial and remember their sacrifice.
I can’t do much to arrange the burials. But Jonn lets me post articles here, so I can at least publicize the fact that those recovered are no longer missing.
Welcome home, to all who were missing.
Word
This Wednesday, 1 June, will mark the 5oth year since LCDR Crosby was shot down over North Vietnam. He and his wife, Mary, who passed away earlier this year, had four children. One of their children, Deborah, was six when her Dad was lost. “We’re going into this Memorial Day with a whole different feeling. “There’s a whole bunch of different emotions, but we’re so proud that he’s getting the attention and honor he deserves.”
Indeed. So are we.
Rest easy, gentlemen. Welcome home.
Rest in peace brothers.
Welcome home. Rest in peace in your home soil now brothers. God be with your families.
Welcome home, men.
Rest well.
Welcome home. You’ve patiently waited to come home and its time to rest.
Welcome home, Brothers. You were missing but were never forgotten. Blessings …