Another Two Are Accounted For

| July 12, 2020

Per DPAA’s 2020 News Releases webpage, the following formerly-missing US personnel were publicly announced as having been accounted for during the past week.

From World War II

2nd Lt. William H. Melville, US Army, assigned to 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, US Army Air Forces, was lost in Papua on 28 October 1943. His accounting was announced on 7 July 2020.

From Korea

CPL Francis J. Rochon, US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost near Changnyeong, South Korea, on 1 September 1950. His accounting was announced on 9 July 2020.

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 72,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,500 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; over 1,500 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA); 126 remain unaccounted for from the Cold War; 5 remain unaccounted for from the Gulf Wars; and 1 individual remains unaccounted for from Operation Eldorado Canyon. 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. 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 is found in one of the 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.

Category: No Longer Missing

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5th/77th FA

Welcome Home Warriors. We Salute your Service and pay Honors to your Sacrifice. Rest Easy.

Thanks Hondo!

A Proud Infidel®™️

Welcome Home.

*Slow Salute*

Green Thumb

Welcome home, men.

Rest well.

Natalia Y

As a Papuan, I salute 2nd Lt. Melville and express gratitude for his sacrifice. United States and their allies fought and died to protect my people from exploitation and murder by an invading army.