Another Is Home

| September 13, 2020

Per DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage, the following formerly-missing US sailor was publicly announced as having been accounted for during the past week.

From World War II

Mus1c Joseph W. Hoffman, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 11 September 2020.

From Korea

None

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 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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Green Thumb

Welcome home, Mus1c Hoffman.

Rest well.

5th/77th FA

Welcome Home Mus1c Joseph W. Hoffman. We Salute your Service and Pay Honors to your Service.

Kinda brings it close to the feelz. What would a Musician’s Battle Station be on a Battleship? I am sure it wasn’t to be available to sound the Charge on a bugle. He died as a Warrior, facing the enemy, in the company of his fellow Warriors.

Thanks Hondo.

AW1Ed

Welcome home.

OWB

Welcome home, brother Hoffman.

Not a lot of information available yet, but it looks like there is an American Legion Post named for him in Chillicothe, Ohio. AL Post 757. ( post757.org )

Sparks

Welcome home, brother. Rest in peace in your home soil.