Two More Are Accounted For

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

From World War II

SK3c Harry E. Nichols, 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 7 April 2022. (see note)

SGT Elvin L. Phillips, US Army, assigned to the 66th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. His accounting was announced on 3 April 2022. (see note)

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. 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: This week’s “No Longer Missing” article illustrates the fact that DPAA’s press releases and “recently accounted for” webpages are on occasion not at all synchronized or consistent.

SK3c Nichols’ accounting was announced in a DPAA press release dated 7 April 2022; however, per that press release, he was accounted for on 30 May 2019. Searching for him by-name on DPAA’s new Recently Accounted For webpage indicates that his family was notified of his accounting on 16 August 2019. Due to the new format for DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” list, it is not possible to definitively say when he first appeared on DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” list. My guess is that he was recently added; he has not been previously mentioned in a TAH “No Longer Missing” article published on or after 30 May 2019.

In contrast, SGT Phillips appeared this week on both the DPAA “Recently Accounted For” page and in their Press Releases. His press release indicates he was accounted for on 23 March 2022; a by-name search indicates his family was notified of his accounting on 3 April 2022.

DPAA released other press releases this past week regarding the accounting of other formerly-missing US personnel. However, these other personnel have all been previously announced as accounted for on DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” weppage and have already been recognized in prior articles here at TAH.

Category: No Longer Missing