Three 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

2LT David M. Lewis, US Army, assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. His accounting was announced on 16 May 2022.

SSG William O. Wood, US Army, assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. His accounting was announced on 16 May 2022.

Cpl Jack S. Brown, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, was lost on Saipan on 8 July 1944. His accounting was announced on 16 May 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