Seven More Return

DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.

From World War II

• Cpl Henry Andregg, Jr., Company C, 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, US Marine Corps, was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 9 May 2017.

• Pfc Sam J. Kourkos, Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, US Marine Corps, was lost on Tarawa on 21 November 1943. He was accounted for on 9 May 2017.

• SSG Michael Aiello, G Company, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, US Army, was lost in the Netherlands on 30 September 1944. He was accounted for on 5 May 2017.

From Korea

• CPL John Lane, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in South Korea on 31 July 1950. He was accounted for on 3 May 2017.

• CPL Richard J. Seadore, D Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, was lost in South Korea on 14 December 1950. He was accounted for on 28 April 2017.

• CPL Glen E. Kritzwiser,C Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea, on 13 February 1951. He was accounted for on 9 May 2017.

• CPL Frank L. Sandoval, A Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, , was lost in North Korea on 13 February 1951. He was accounted for on 3 May 2017.

From Southeast Asia

• None

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