Two More Come Home from the South Pacific

DPMO has announced the identification of  two US MIAs from World War II.

1st. Lts. William D. Bernier and Bryant E. Poulsen, 321st Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Army Air Forces, USAAF, were lost 10 April 1944 in Papua New Guinea. 1st. Lt. Poulson was accounted for on 16 July 2014; 1st. Lt. Bernier was accounted for on 18 July 2014. They will be buried with full military honors. Specific dates and locations have not yet been announced.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

. . .

Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

Everybody deserves a proper burial.  That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

Category: No Longer Missing