Another Seven Are 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

SSG Roy Carney, US Army, assigned to 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. His accounting was announced on 24 June 2022.

SSG George B. Walker, US Army, assigned to 369th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost IVO Willhelmshaven, Germany, on 3 February 1944. His accounting was announced on 27 June 2022.

PFC Robert L. Alexander, US Army, assigned to A Company, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Tanapag, Saipan, on 7 July 1944. His accounting was announced on 27 June 2022.

SGT Garland W. Collier, US Army, assigned to Headquarters Company., 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was lost IVO Opheusden, Netherlands, on 5 October 1944. His accounting was announced on 24 June 2022.

PFC Francis P. Martin, US Army, assigned to L Company, 232nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, was lost IVO Reipertswiller, France, on 16 January 1945. His accounting was announced on 28 June 2022.

PFC Worley D. Jacks, US Army, assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Lichtenberg, France, on 7 March 1945. His accounting was announced on 27 June 2022.

PVT John P. Cooper, US Army, assigned to B Company, 778th Tank Battalion, was lost IVO Lampaden, Germany, on 7 March 1945. His accounting was announced on 24 June 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.

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Author’s Note: DPAA does not give a date of loss for SGT Garland. Other sources give his date of loss as 5 October 1944.

This article was delayed due to travel. The next will likely also be delayed as well.

Category: No Longer Missing