Another from Pearl Is Identified
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US military personnel.
From World War II
• WT1c Walter Sollie, U.S. Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. He was accounted for on 18 August 2016.
Welcome back, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.
Rest in peace. You’re home now.
. . .
Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). 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, or 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 can be viewed in DPAA’s FAQs.
If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts 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
RIP shipmate.
Welcome home, WT1 Solle.
(For the curious, a WT is a watertender, a crewman aboard a steam-powered ship who is responsible for tending to the fires and boilers in the ship’s engine room. Alternative terms include fireman and stoker. Rate was in effect 1884 to 1948, then became boilermaker, which later became machinist’s mate in 1996.)
Hondo, this is a link to a listing of WWII Navy rates, for your reference.
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Ranks&Rates/index.html
PO Sollie: Don’t believe for a moment you were forgotten. Rest assured you were in the hearts of family, friends, Veterans and the American public who are blessed by your sacrifice.
Wow, never heard of some of those ratings. Also interesting is pay increases were in increments of three years for enlisted personnel (12, 15, 18, 21, etc.)
Hondo. The sailor’s name was Sollie, not Solle. He was from Marengo county, Alabama, and was born on November 23, 1904. He was likely a career sailor, given his age and rating rank. Welcome back to home soil, Walter.
Correct – typo on my part (should have used cut/paste). Mea culpa, and that’s now corrected above.
I applaud and appreciate everyone that makes this happen. As a Soldier it’s a great feeling to know we won’t be forgotten.
The scariest part is that for some it takes 70 or more years to be finally laid to rest.
I wonder how many more until everyone is accounted for.
This is great for W1Tc Sollie’s family
Take a look at Walter’s photo as you remember him
https://www.fold3.com/page/636577557_walter_sollie/
Holden