Another Three Are Accounted For
Per DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage and recent press releases, the following formerly-missing US personnel were recently publicly announced by DPAA as having been accounted for.
From World War II
PFC Juan F. Gutierrez, US Army, assigned to the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment, was lost at Cabanatuan, Philippines, on 19 November 1942. His accounting was announced on 3 March 2021. (see Note)
From Korea
CPT Emil J. Kapaun, US Army, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, was lost in North Korea on 23 May 1951. His accounting was announced on 5 March 2021. (see Note)
MSG James Hart, Jr., US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, on 2 December 1950. His accounting was announced on 4 March 2021. (see Note)
From Southeast Asia
None
Welcome back, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.
Rest easy. You’re home now.
. . .
Over 72,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,500 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,500 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Additionally, 126 US personnel 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.
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Author’s Note: MSG Hart’s accounting was announced by DPAA press release on 4 March 2021; CPT Kapaun’s identification was announced via the same means on 5 March. However, as of 6 March neither accounting was listed on DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage.
The date of loss above for MSG Hart reflects the date he was noted as MIA. His precise date of death is not known with certainty.
The Dates of Loss above for PFC Gutierrez and CPT Kapaun reflects the dates they died while held as POWs. CPT Kapaun was taken prisoner IVO Unsan, North Korea, on 2 November 1950. The precise date when PFC Gutierrez was taken prisoner is unclear.
Category: No Longer Missing
Welcome home.
Welcome Home Warriors. We Salute your Service and Pay Honors to your Sacrifice.
In re of PFC Gutierrez, I finally finished the book, Ghost Soldiers; the story of some of the men held as POWs in the PI. Took me longer than usual for a book of that length cause I kept having to put it down and walk away. Mankinds inhumanity to their fellow Man. The 200th Coast Artillery is mentioned several times.
On the subject of Asian POW Camps, I’m wondering if the Norks (read Chinese Communists) learned their lessons on how to treat American POWs from the Japanese during the Japanese Occupations of their land, or if it was in retaliation to the Americans embracing/forgiving the Japanese of their treatment of POWs, or if it is in fact a trait of Asians and a disregard of human life.
KoB, Pick up the DVD The Great Raid that is based on the book. Good movie.
My wife’s grandfather was killed at Bataan as a member of USAFFE.
Tanks! USAFRetired, I’ll look in to that. The Tube of youBoob showed it as available for buy or rent, but, again, cheap bast…er er, frugal phuquer that I am, I only look at their free or commercial infused stuff. As I’ve mentioned before, I had a good friend and neighbor that was a POW during all of that, on the March, and he had never talked of it until just before his passing. And then it was only to say it was bad and he didn’t want to discuss it. I do remember, quite vividly, several Drill Sergeants emphasizing during SERE Training that one DID NOT want to become a POW in SEA. “Save the last round for yourself, Boys!”
Every Asian country we have fought was like that. All but Japan were communists on top of it, and they don’t give a shit about their own people on a good day, let alone their enemy prisoners. Although right after the Son Tay raid, the NVA got a whole new attitude about their American prisoners, given that they thought the Americans could drop in on them anywhere, anytime, and waste their skinny asses.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace now.
Be forewarned that what follows may be a bit different from my normal response to Hondo’s kind posts about this most solemn topic. I was unprepared for what I would discover in my usual search for additional information about the subject veterans. It will take me a while to formulate an appropriate response.
The remains of PFC Juan Gutierrez were apparently misidentified previously. The confusion resulting is difficult to handle. So, please bear with me as my research continues and I look for ways to deal with this and the reminders of my own family grief over the decades with past losses.
I checked the ABMC Manila American Cemetery website for his name. Among the 369 names they have listed for the 200th Coast Artillery Regt. He doesn’t appear with either a Grave or on the Hemicycle of the Missing.
Welcome Home, men.
Rest well.