Five 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
SF3c Francis L. Hannon, 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 29 June 2021.
Sgt Arthur B. Ervin, USMC, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, was lost on Saipan on 5 July 1944. His accounting was announced on 29 June 2022.
PFC Lowell D. Smith, US Army, assigned to F Company, 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Reipertswiller, France, on 21 January 1945. His accounting was announced on 29 June 2022.
From Korea
PFC Edward J. Reiter, US Army, assigned to K Company, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Ch’onan, South Korea, on 7 July 1950. His accounting was announced on 29 June 2022.
PFC Donald M. Born, US Army, assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was lost IVO Chinju, South Korea, on 30 July 1950. His accounting was announced on 29 June 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.
Category: No Longer Missing
Welcome home brothers sorry it took so long.
Hondo you’ve screwed up my body calendar two weeks in a row as today isn’t Sunday.
I was watching a documentary yesterday that said there were over 2600 missing from the Battle of Peleliu and that there might soon be efforts to begin unsealing a number of the cave/tunnel complexes there to search for remains.
If true this might give the USS Oklahoma and Tarawa a run for their money in a few years time.
Sorry, but as I explained last week I’m currently traveling. That’s not only screwed up my body clock/calendar – it’s also affected the “No Longer Missing” article timelines.
Good chance this will remain the case for at least the next NLM article, and possibly one or two more after that.
*Slow Salute*
Some background on Sgt Ervin
https://missingmarines.com/arthur-b-ervin-jr/
Thank You, USAFRetired, for sharing.
Thanks again, DPAA, for keeping faith.
Welcome Home Warriors. A Salute to your Service and Honors paid for your Sacrifice.
Thanks, Hondo.
Thank You, Hondo, for posting this.
Salute. Never Forget.
Rest In Peace. Hope this brings closure to their Families.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace now.
Before I begin to highlight the recently accounted for missing veterans, I wanted to just take a minute to talk about cleaning veterans headstones from the 4 July “Happy Birthday America! Open Thread“. If anyone is interested in doing this project in your AO, here is a link to a you tube video on how to clean them.There is also a video for cleaning the bronze plaques which is a different method of cleaning. If you have any questions, please contact me. https://youtu.be/8WdUSzKcmjs
Thanks again Hondo for your “recently accounted for” post.. (You’re keeping me on my toes (smile))Now, the rest of the story. SF3c Francis L. Hannon: Born in Van Buren Township, Francis was the youngest of four children blessed to the union of Francis Michael and Eva Mary (nee Windoffer) Hannon. The Hannons eventually relocated to Middletown, in neighboring Henry County. On August 23, 1939, the 18-year-old traveled to Indianapolis and enlisted in the Navy. Within months he was stationed on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37). During Bud’s time on ship, the Pacific Fleet operations of Oklahoma included joint operations with the Army and the training of reservists. Oklahoma had been based at Pearl Harbor from 29 December 1937 for patrols and exercises, and only twice returned to the mainland.
On December 7, 1941, SF3c Hannon was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including 20-year-old Francis Hannon.
Navy Shopfitter 3rd Class Francis Leon Hannon will finally be returned to his family and, on October 13, 2022, laid to rest.
Sgt Arthur B. Ervin:
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in June 1940, age 18. He was stationed with the guard detachment at the Ford Island Naval Air Station in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. PFC Ervin was credited with participating in the defense of the base. After transferring to California, he became a member of E/22nd Marines, and traveled to Samoa for training. While there, he volunteered for the Third Raider Battalion, and with them participated in Operation Cleanslate (the invasion of Pavuvu). After contracting malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis, he was transferred back to California for medical treatment.
After release from the hospital, joined Company A, 24th Marines as a corporal commanding a machine gun squad. He landed on Namur, Kwajalein Atoll on February 1, 1944, where he was awarded the Navy Cross and received a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action. He returned to duty and was promoted to sergeant in April, 1944 and appointed section sergeant of his company’s mortar section. He participated in the invasion of Saipan, where he was awarded the Bronze Star medal. Sergeant Ervin was killed in action on July 5, 1944, while attempting to rescue his commanding officer and close friend, First Lieutenant Philip Wood. For unknown reasons, he was buried as an Unknown in the Fourth Marine Division cemetery.
Sgt Arthur B. Ervin
PFC Lowell D. Smith:
In January 1945, Smith was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. The unit was in regimental reserve during the Battle of Reipertswiller in France. On Jan. 21, Smith was part of a Browning Automatic Rifle squad when his company attacked German forces surrounding several companies in an attempt to help them break out. Company F immediately drew enemy artillery and mortar fire followed by sniper and machinegun fire and was forced to withdraw. When the unit reassembled following the withdrawal, Smith was missing. In May that year, Army personnel reviewing captured German records discovered a German death report for Smith dated the day he went missing.
PFC Edward J. Reiter:
In July 1950, PFC Reiter was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 7 after his unit sustained heavy casualties while defending against the North Korean army’s advance near Ch’onan, South Korea. His body was not recovered because his unit was forced to retreat, nor were any remains found that could be identified as Reiter. The Army declared him non-recoverable in January 1956 and issued a presumptive finding of death after the end of the war.
NOTE: He was 17 years old at the time of his death.
PFC Donald M. Born:
Born on July 2, 1923 Columbus, Montana, in July 1950, Born was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit took part in defensive action near Chinju at the southern end of the Korean peninsula. Early in the morning of July 30, the North Korean People’s Army launched a probing attack against Born’s unit, which then withdrew to a new position. He went missing during the attack but was not reported as officially missing in action until a month later. Born was never listed as a prisoner of war, and the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
Thanks, SKYJUMPER, for posting “the rest of the story” on these Warriors. It is muchly appreciated. 🇺🇸
Thanks, too, for posting the video on proper techniques for cleaning Grave Markers. There’s a lot of well meaning people who attempt to clean them up and cause way yonder more harm than good. Let me top off your coffee cup and offer you a bowl of this peach cobbler.
Thanks KoB.
You’re right about people using the wrong cleaning product on marble or bronze markers.
NEVER, EVER use a bleach product or even a product with vinegar in it!! It can and will do irreparable harm to the marker! Water alone will clean up some of the lichen, dirt, etc., but it won’t do very well.
What we use is the product shown in the video…..D2 Biological Solution. It’s what they use on the military headstones located at Arlington, etc.. Very pricey at $49.00 per gallon. You use it full strength from a spray bottle. So far, on the cemetery we are working on, we have used six gallons with possibly another 3-4 gallons to complete it.
Another tip, NEVER, EVER use steel wool, any type of brush that has metal in it or anything that has metal in it.
It will damage the marker. We use strictly old towels, tooth brushes,
Yep, that D2 is gooood stuff. And as you’ve probably noticed, the stone continues to brighten up in the weeks after the application. We’ll spray the marker down with well water to knock the top layer of dirt off and use a nylon tire brush for the initial cleaning. Spay it down good with the D2, using the big brush to spread it out and then the old tooth brush to get into the letter crevices. A Compatriot that’s in the monument business cuts us a deal on the D2.
Welcome Home.