Seventeen More Return

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

From World War II

• GM1c George Herbert, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. He was accounted for on 14 August 2017.

• PhM1c John H. Schoonover, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. He was accounted for on 15 August 2017.

• Tech 4 Pete M. Counter, Company C, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on Papua New Guinea on 5 December 1942. He was accounted for on 7 August 2017.

• Tech Sgt Earl P. Gorman, 718th Bombardment Squadron, 449th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Forces, US Army, was lost in Yugoslavia on 23 April 1944. He was accounted for on 9 August 2017.

• 1st Lt. Frank A. Fazekas, 22nd Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group, US Army Air Forces, US Army, was lost in France on 27 May 1944. He was accounted for on 8 August 2017.

• ARM2c Albert P. Rybarczyk, Navy Torpedo Squadron Eighteen (VT-18), USS Intrepid, US Navy, was lost on Palau on 8 September 1944. He was accounted for on 14 August 2017.

• AOM2c Ora H. Sharninghouse, Navy Torpedo Squadron Eighteen (VT-18), USS Intrepid, US Navy, was lost on Palau on 8 September 1944. He was accounted for on 14 August 2017.

• 2nd Lt. Stanley F. Stegnerski, 370th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, 8th Fighter Command, US Army Air Forces, US Army, was lost in Germany on 21 November 1944. He was accounted for on 16 August 2017.

• PVT Rudolph Johnson, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 365th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in Italy on 21 February1945. He was accounted for on 10 August 2017.

From Korea

• PFC Walter W. Green, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 2 November 1950. He was accounted for on 10 August 2017.

• MSG Finley J. Davis, Company D, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 1 December 1950. He was accounted for on 11 August 2017.

• PFC James P. Shaw, Company G, 2nd Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 3 December 1950. He was accounted for on 10 August 2017.

• SGT Philip J. Iyotte, Company E, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in North Korea on 9 February 1951. He was accounted for on 8 August 2017.

• PFC Felipe A. Champion, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, US Army, was lost in South Korea on 12 February 1951. He was accounted for on 17 August 2017.

• CPL Ernest L.R. Heilman, Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost in South Korea on 13 February 1951. He was accounted for on 11 August 2017.

From Southeast Asia

• Col. Martin R. Scott, Headquarters, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, US Air Force, was lost in Vietnam on 15 March 1966. He was accounted for on 13 August 2017.

• 1st Lt. David T. Dinan, III, US Air Force Reserve, assigned to 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 288th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force, US Air Force, was lost in Laos on 19 March 1969. He was accounted for on 7 August 2017.

Welcome back, elder brothers-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 7,700 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.

 

(Author’s Note: While Jonn published an article announcing the recovery of SSG William Turner’s remains this past week, it appears that as of 18 August 2017 DPAA had not yet formally announced his accounting.

Category: No Longer Missing