Three More Accounted For

Defense MIA/POW Accounting Agency

Soldier Accounted For From Korean War

U.S. Army Pfc. Billy A. DeBord

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Billy A. DeBord, 18, of Miamisburg, Ohio, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 28, 2023.

In July 1950, DeBord was a member of F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on July 25 while his unit was engaged by the North Korean People’s Army near Yongdong, South Korea. Due to the fighting, his body could not be recovered at that time, and there was never any evidence that he was a prisoner of war. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.

On April 17, 1951, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered a set of remains designated Unknown X-945 near Yongdong. There was not enough identifying evidence to associate the remains with DeBord and were declared unidentifiable on April 15, 1955. The remains were sent to Hawaii where they were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Oct. 21, 2019, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-945 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.

To identify DeBord’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph comparison. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

DeBord’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

DeBord will be buried in Miamisburg, Ohio on Nov. 11, 2023.

Soldier Accounted For From World War II

U.S. Army Pvt. Robert R. Gruwell

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. Robert R. Gruwell, 20, of Los Angeles, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 12, 2022.

In the summer of 1944, Gruwell was assigned to Company G, 3^rd Battalion, 517^th Parachute Regimental Combat Team. On Aug. 15, Gruwell’s unit was part of Operation DRAGOON, the invasion of southern France to secure ports along France’s Mediterranean coast. Specifically, their orders were to prevent German troops from moving to the invasion beaches to fight back against the sea landings and to secure the area around LeMuy. Gruwell’s unit landed near Callian early in the morning, and he went missing sometime that day between Callian and LeMuy. He was never reported as a prisoner of war and no recovered remains were ever identified as him. On May 15, 1945, Gruwell’s status was changed to killed in action.

The American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was charged with recovering the remains of fallen service members in the European Theater following the war. Between July 1947 and October 1949, AGRC teams conducted several searches in the area where Gruwell went missing, but never found any remains that could be identified as him. He was declared non-recoverable on Aug. 1, 1951.

On Aug. 23, 1944, a team from the 11^th U.S. Evacuation Hospital interred a set of remains designated X-23 Draguignan in what is now known as Rhône American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery in Draguignan, France. X-23 is believed to have died around Aug. 16 and was so badly burnt that he was unable to be identified.

DPAA historians continue to conduct research on those missing from Operation DRAGOON. Their analysis of X-23’s file led them to them to associate those remains as possibly belonging to three Soldiers, one of whom was Gruwell. X-23 was disinterred in February 2020 and sent to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.

To identify Gruwell’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Gruwell’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at the Brittany American Cemetery in Montjoie Saint Martin, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Gruwell was buried in Riverside, California, on June 8, 2023.

Soldier Accounted For From World War II

U.S. Army Pfc. Leonard E. Adams

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Leonard E. Adams, 25, of Dana, Indiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.

In January 1945, Adams was assigned to Headquarters Company, 3^rd Battalion, 157^th Infantry Regiment, 45^th Infantry Division. Elements of the unit were supporting five companies attempting to secure terrain near Reipertswiller, France, when they were surrounded by German forces while being pounded by artillery and mortar fire. The surrounded companies were given the order to attempt a break-out on Jan. 20, but only two men made it through German lines. The rest were either captured or killed. Adams was among those killed, but his body could not be recovered because of the fighting.

Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched the area around Reipertswiller, finding 37 unidentified sets of American remains, but it was unable to identify any of them as Adams. He was declared non-recoverable on May 4, 1951.

DPAA historians have been conducting on-going research into Soldiers missing from combat around Reipertswiller, and found that Unknown X-6372 Neuville, buried at Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, could be associated with Adams. X-6372 was disinterred in July 2021 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.

To identify Adams’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Adams’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinozé, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Adams will be buried in Radcliff, Kentucky on a date yet to be determined.

 

 

 

Category: No Longer Missing