Another Is Known
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
TSgt William F. Teaff, US Army, assigned to the 351st Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force., US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Berlin, Germany, on 6 March 1944. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2022.
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.
Category: No Longer Missing
RIP brothers in arms.
A link to a prior notification
Services set next month for WWII soldier recently identified (msn.com)
Services set next month for WWII soldier recently identified (msn.com)
The article linked here appears to have been published yesterday (Sat, 30 Apr 2022). The DPAA press release announcingTSgt Teaff’s accounting was dated three days prior. These DPAA press releases aren’t published until after the family has been notified of the accounting.
Since the TAH “No Longer Missing” articles are normally posted on Sundays, it’s theoretically possible for the media to publicize an accounting prior to it being mentioned here.
FWIW: PVT Solieau’s accounting was covered in this 20 Dec 2020 “No Longer Missing” article here at TAH:
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=108463
Hondo yes I’d looked him up but couldn’t post to that thread with the link. I wonder what took so long between Dec 2020 to repatriate his remains and schedule the service.
Welcome home.
Welcome home TSgt Teaff.
We never stopped hoping for your return.
We will never stop looking for your brothers.
Thanks, Hondo.
And now, the rest of the story.
TSgt William F. Teaff was born on April 10, 1918 in Summit County, Ohio.
He attended Bergholz High School for 3 years and worked in a machine shop.
He enlisted in Akron, Ohio on 19 October 1942.
In the spring of 1944, Teaff was assigned to the 351st Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force. On March 6, he was the radio operator aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber that was part of a larger mission to bomb targets in Berlin. German fighters attacked the B-17’s formation while it flew over The Netherlands, and Teaff’s plane was destroyed. The entire crew except for the navigator, who was killed when the plane was hit, was able to bail out before the B-17 blew up in the sky. The crew was captured by the Germans and several of them, including Teaff, were sent to Stalag Luft 6, a prisoner of war camp in Heydekrug, Germany.
Teaff was one of only three Americans who died in the POW camp. He died July 10 in the nearby village of Matzicken, Lithuania, where he was receiving medical treatment for diptheria.
The Germans buried him with full military honors in Grave 4 of the Camp Cemetery of Heydrekrug. T/Sgt Teaff’s grave was lost in the later stages of the war.
COMMENDATIONS
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ Prisoner of War Medal
★ Air Medal
★ Purple Heart
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Thanks for the rest of the story, Skyjumper. Another hero of The Bloody Hundredth returns.
Welcome home Brother. Rest in peace now.
Welcome Home.