Another Five Are Accounted For
Per DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage, the following formerly-missing US personnel were recently publicly announced as having been accounted for.
From World War II
LCDR Hugh R. Alexander, 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 27 April 2021.
F2c Ralph C. Battles, 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 28 April 2021.
F3c Harry R. Holmes, 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 27 April 2021.
S2c Charles L. Saunders, 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 28 April 2021.
S2c Russell O. Ufford, 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 30 April 2021.
From Korea
None
From Southeast Asia
None
Welcome back, elder brothers-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 who has not yet been accounted for 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
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace now.
Slowly but surely the crew of the USS Oklahoma come ashore to their homeland. Welcome home sailors. America thanks you for your sacrifice.
*Slow Salute*
Welcome home, men.
Rest well.
May the angels lead you into paradise,
may the martyrs come to welcome you,
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
May we honor you by word and by deed.
God bless
Lt. Cdr. Alexander’s widow was told:
“The injured men told Dr Hubbard they were trapped in a room on the ship and it was your husband who turned to the Chaplain and said, ‘Well, Chaplain, we have only a few minutes to live, let’s get as many men out of here as we can.’ And they started pushing the smaller men through a porthole.
https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=108503