Another Nine Are Accounted For

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

From World War II

• SGT Richard G. Sowell, 295th Joint Assault Signal Company, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 106th Infantry, US Army, was lost on Saipan on 7 July 1944. He was accounted for on 27 June 2017.

• LT William Q. Punnell, VF-14 Fighter Squadron, US Navy, was lost on Palau on 25 July 1944. He was accounted for on 26 June 2017.

• PFC Gerald F. Wipfli, I Company, 3rd Battalion, 112th Infantry, US Army, was lost in Germany on 4 November 1944. He was accounted for on 23 June 2017.

From Korea

• CPL Thomas H. Mullins, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 2 November 1950. He was accounted for on 21 June 2017.

• CPL Clarence R. Skates, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 30 November 1950. He was accounted for on 22 June 2017.

• PFC Charlie H. Hill, D Battery, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Self-Propelled Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. He was accounted for on 21 June 2017.

• MSG George R. Housekeeper, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 12 December 1950. He was accounted for on 21 June 2017.

• SFC Max E. Harris, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 12 December 1950. He was accounted for on 23 June 2017.

From Southeast Asia

• Capt. Robert E. Holton, 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron, USAF, was lost in Laos on 29 January 1969. He was accounted for on 16 June 2017.

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