Two More 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
S2c Walter R. Pentico, 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 4 June 2021.
1LT Myles W. Esmay, US Army, assigned to Company B, 236th Engineer Combat Battalion, reinforcing the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), was lost at Myitkyina, Burma, on 7 June 1944. His accounting was announced on 3 June 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
RIP Lt Esmay, RIP S2C Pentico
Jerry
FYI, Today, I am listen do the “Complete Broadcast Day for D-DAY” as broadcast from a NY Radio station.
Orcat Radio has both CBS and NBC’s Complete June 6th 1944 radio broadcasts (among many other WWII Radio broadcasts
https://www.otrcat.com/p/complete-broadcast-1944-d-day-invasion-of-normandy-nbc
https://www.otrcat.com/p/complete-broadcast-1944-d-day-invasion-of-normandy-cbs
Welcome Home Warriors, We Salute your Service and will Pay Honors to your Sacrifice. The Lab at Offutt AFB is winding down their work on USS Oklahoma troops. BZ to the fine work those folks did. They exceeded their expected number and % of IDs by a goodly amount.
Thanks Hondo.
R.I.P.
5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) aka: Merrill’s Marauders
Welcome home brothers. Rest in peace now.
*Slow Salute*
Welcome home.
All hell was breaking loose 77 years ago today…
And thanks to DPAA for keeping faith with our fallen comrades.