Two More Are Accounted For

DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage and/or DPAA press releases indicates that the following formerly-missing US personnel have been accounted for.

From World War II

S1c James R. Ward, 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 22 February 2022. (see note)

From Korea

CPL William N. Zoellick, US Army, assigned to B Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. His family was notified of his accounting on 23 February 2022.

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. The same is true for remains which may be recovered in the future.

On their web site’s Contact Us page DPAA now has FAQs. The answer to 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.

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Author’s Note: S1c Ward was apparently accounted-for in August 2021 and his family notified not long thereafter. However, his accounting was not publicized by DPAA in a timely manner on their “Recently Accounted For” page and noted on their website until recently (the press release noting his accounting is dated 22 February 2022). His accounting has thus not previously been featured in an article here at TAH.

Category: No Longer Missing