Four More Accounted For
Defense MIA/POW Accounting Agency
USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II
Navy Ship’s Cook 1st Class Clarence Thompson
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Ship’s Cook 1st Class Clarence Thompson, 47, of New Orleans, Louisiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Oct. 14, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Thompson was assigned to the battleship 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 Thompson.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Thompson.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Thompson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Thompson’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Thompson will be buried on Aug. 25, 2023, in Slidell, Louisiana.
Airman Accounted For From World War II
U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Howard L. Dickson
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Howard L. Dickson, 30, of Dayton, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 23, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Dickson was assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator bomber on which Dickson was a gunner and instructor was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Dickson’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Dickson will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on a date yet to be determined.
Airman Accounted For From WWII
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James M. Triplett
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James M. Triplett, 36, of Spokane, Washington, killed during World War II, was accounted for Oct. 25, 2022.
In September 1944, Triplett was assigned to 700th Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 2d Air Division, 8th Air Force. On Sept. 27, the B-24H Liberator bomber on which he was serving as a radio operator was part of a large mission to bomb the industrial city Kassel in northern Hesse, Germany. During the mission the formation of aircraft encountered heavy resistance from enemy ground and air forces, which resulted in the rapid loss of 25 Liberators. Several of the crew aboard Triplett’s aircraft were able to bail out, and witnesses who survived did not report seeing him escape the aircraft. Six of the nine crew members were killed. His body was not recovered, and the Germans never reported him as a prisoner of war. The War Department issued a finding of death on Sept. 28, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They discovered the Liberator crash site outside of Richelsdorf, Germany. An identification tag for one of the missing crew members was discovered at this site, linking it to the loss of Triplett’s crew.
DPAA historians are conducting ongoing, comprehensive research focused on air losses over Germany, and in 2009 sent an investigation team to investigate a crash site near Richelsdorf, which was recommended for excavation. Subsequently, three DPAA recovery teams performed excavation operations at the crash site in 2015 and 2016. Identification media correlated the site to the B-24H on which Triplett flew. Remains recovered from the crash site during these excavations were sent to the DPAA laboratory for examination and identification.
To identify Triplett’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Triplett’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Luxembourg American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Luxembourg, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Triplett will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 31, 2023.
Medal of Honor Sailor Accounted For From World War II
Navy Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward, 20, of Springfield, Ohio, killed during World War II, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, was accounted for on Aug. 19, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Ward was assigned to the battleship 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.
Before the ship capsized and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life. For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, Ward’s parents were presented with his Medal of Honor in March 1942. And the destroyer escort USS J. Richard Ward DE-243 was named in honor of Seaman Ward. It was commissioned in 1943 and decommissioned in 1946.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Ward.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Ward’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Ward’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Ward will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, on a date yet to be determined.
Category: No Longer Missing
“Pearl Harbor Attack Casualty, Ship’s Cook 1st Class Clarence Thompson, to be Laid to Rest in Slidell”
https://press-herald.com/pearl-harbor-attack-casualty-ships-cook-1st-class-clarence-thompson-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-slidell/
“Thompson, born on Oct. 22, 1894, in New Orleans, Louisiana, enlisted in his hometown on July 27, 1917. He served with distinction, rising through the ranks to attain the position of Ship’s Cook 1st Class.
“Throughout his career, Thompson achieved several promotions, showcasing his commitment and expertise. He was promoted to Mess Attendant 3rd Class upon enlistment, further advancing to Matt 2nd Class on April 1, 1918, Matt 1st Class on July 1, 1919, Ship’s Cook 3rd Class on September 1, 1919, SC2c on March 19, 1926, and ultimately reaching the rank of Ship’s Cook 1st Class on June 9, 1928.”
Thompson’s service stations were marked by his commitment and contribution. Notably, he served aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB 37) from June 16, 1935, and was also stationed on vessels including the USS Koka (AT 31), USS Langley (CV 1), and USS Bridge (AF 1), as well as at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the USS Rueben James (DD 245). His dedicated service earned him a collection of awards and decorations, including the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (Bronze Star), World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, and World War I Victory Medal (Mine-Sweeping Clasp).”
Ship’s Cook 1st Class Clarence Thompson
will be honored with a burial ceremony at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, located at 34888 Grantham College Drive in Slidell, Louisiana on 25 August 2023.
Rest In Peace, Sir.
Salute.
Never Forget.
Bring Them All Home.
1LT Howard Lawrence Dickson.
“Cincinnati Woman Reflects On Family’s Legacy Of Military Service And Perseverance”
https://www.wyso.org/2023-08-02/cincinnati-woman-reflects-on-her-familys-legacy-of-service-and-perseverance
“My name is Jenny Ryan, and I am the granddaughter of 1st Lt. Howard Lawrence Dickson. We knew him as Larry.”
“He was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He went to the University of Dayton where he met and married Adeline Ambrose.”
“In 1942, Larry enlisted in the Army Air Force, and he was stationed as an intelligence officer on the ground. His mother was thrilled that he wasn’t in action, but that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted to be more of an integral part and be able to do missions, so, he eventually was transferred to become a gunner instructor. When he wasn’t on duty, he actually volunteered on many missions to learn more about the plane, to be a gunner in some of the missions but a large part of what he did was just a go and provide some companionship for the other members of the plane. He would read Shakespeare to them to try to get their minds off the incoming battle.”
“On August 1st of 1943, the U.S. held a large offensive to bomb the Axis’ fuel refineries in Ploesti, Romania. My grandfather, because that’s what he did, volunteered again on this mission to actually work the gunner position on the plane. During that mission, the plane was shot down by anti-aircraft guns, and of the 11 crew members on board, five were killed, three survived but were captured, and then three were missing in action, including my grandfather.”
“When he was determined to be killed in action, they had a memorial service, and my mother was invited to come because she was his next of kin. She was only four years old at the time.”
“My mother passed away in 2017…We did decide to honor our mother’s wishes and bury him in Arlington Cemetery.”
Rest In Peace, Sir.
Salute.
Never Forget.
Bring Them All Home.
“WWII Airman’s Remains Identified As James Triplett of Spokane”
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jul/19/wwii-airmans-remains-identified-as-james-triplett-/
“Triplett was born and raised in Spokane. He lived in a house on the 400 block of West 15th Avenue on the South Hill and attended Roosevelt Elementary and Lewis and Clark High School. He then attended the University of Idaho, according to an obituary published in The Spokesman-Review.”
“He was the son of prominent Spokane banker William Thomas Tripplett Sr., who was senior vice president of the Spokane and Eastern branch of the Seattle First National Bank and later became president of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce.”
“Triplett was survived by his wife, Jacqueline (Lowery) Triplett, who was living in Seattle during 1944.”
“Triplett’s name is listed on a World War II memorial plaque at Lewis and Clark High School in the main entrance vestibule.”
Rest In Peace, Sir.
Salute.
Never Forget.
Bring Them All Home.
Rest In Peace.
Medal Of Honor Recipient Navy Seaman 1st Class James Richard Ward’s Family can be found at this link:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8159203/james-richard-ward
He enlisted in the United States Navy at Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 25, 1940. After basic training, he reported on board the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37).
In March 1942, his Medal Of Honor was mailed to his Parents in Springfield, Ohio accompanied by a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of Navy Frank Knox.
“For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage, and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life.”
USS J. Richard Ward:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_J._Richard_Ward
“USS J. Richard Ward (DE-243) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She was named in honor of James Richard Ward who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic efforts under fire on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37). She was launched by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas, 6 January 1943; sponsored by Miss Marjorie Ward, sister of Seaman First Class Ward; and commissioned 5 July 1943.”
20 Years Young. A Flashlight. He did not abandon ship.
John 15:13 “Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends.”
Rest In Peace, Sir.
Salute.
Never Forget.
Bring Them All Home.
Rest Easy, Good Sirs. We will say your names…We will be your witnesses. SALUTE!
Every Fallen Service Member deserves, at the very least, a Marked Resting Place. Until they are all accounted for.
A Salute, too, to the fine folks in Nebraska for their unending work in identifying these Warriors.
Another Salute to Dave and our very own (we have THE best) ninja for bringing us their stories. It is muchly appreciated.
Welcome home.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace now.
Welcome Home.