Four More Return
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.
From World War II
• S1c Milton R. Surratt, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Haror, HI, on 7 December 1941. He was accounted for on 14 April 2017.
• 2nd Lt George S. Bussa, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost on Tarawa Atoll on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 19 April 2017.
From Korea
• SFC Richard G. Cushman, A Company, 72nd Medium Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 5 December 1950. He was accounted for on 12 April 2017.
• PVT Walter F. Piper, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 13 February 1951. He was accounted for on 18 April 2017.
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: A previous “No Longer Missing” article inadvertently included an erroneous entry for one of the above individuals which listed the wrong name and location of loss for that individual. The prior article has been corrected by removing the erroneous entry. The correct entry appears above.
My apologies for the error.
Category: No Longer Missing
Rest in Peace.
Welcome Home, Men.
Rest Well.
I began with PVT Walter F. Piper, HHC, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. All I could found about him so far is that his name is listed on the wall of the missing who hailed from New Jersey. But then I looked at his unit’s action for Feb 1951. Here’s a link to the declassified reports. The story is quite incredible, one incredible account after another of the all-out assault by Chinese and NORK forces. If you have the time, the detailed read is simply amazing.
http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/004/USA_2ID_060003_0251_01.pdf
Welcome home and rest in peace in your home soil. God be with your families now.
Welcome home, Brothers.
As I have said to many friends before, I hope that I live to see the day when the POW/MIA flag gets hauled down for the last time. Welcome home my Elder Brothers in Arms.
Gentlemen, welcome home. Rest in Peace in your native land. We honor your service and your sacrifice.
WELCOME HOME SIRS. We are FOREVER in your debt. Rest easy now.