Six More Return
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.
From World War II
• F1c Leonard R. Geller, 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 31 January 2018.
• S1c Leon Arickx, 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 1 February 2018.
• S1c Donald G. Keller, 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 26 January 2018.
• S1c Eugene W. Wicker, 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 1 February 2018.
• Pfc Jack H. Krieger, Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, USMC, was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 31 January 2018.
• 1st Lt. Eugene P. Ford, 765th Bombardment Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, US Army, was lost in Croatia on 17 December 1944. He was accounted for on 19 January 2018.
From Korea
• None
From Southeast Asia
• None
Welcome back, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.
You’re home now. Rest easy.
. . .
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
On 17 December 1944, a flight of 31 bombers was on a mission to hit a synthetic oil refinery at Odertal, Germany. To conserve fuel, drag was reduced by not lowering the ball turrets. This proved disastrous as the flight was attacked by some 50 ME-109s and FW-190s. Nine bombers were shot out of the sky and a tenth, said to be the last B-24 Liberator built, ditched in the Adriatic, near the small island of Vis. For years, divers searched for the aircraft before finally locating it in 2010. It contained the remains of three crew, including those of 1st Lt. Eugene P. Ford, of Pennsylvania. At last, he is found and home.
a bit more at
http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1428694/tulsame/
Some great photos of 1LT Ford nd his crew at http://www.461st.org/Crews/765th%20Crews/Ford.html
Holden
I’m impressed that anyone can gather remains in ocean waters, especially after 75 years.
Maybe they find clothing or gear with trace DNA?
PFC Jack H. Krieger, USMC, was a combat engineer and the first casualty of WW II from Larned, Kansas. His mortal remains were located, as those of so many Fallen at Betio in the Tarawa Atoll, thanks to the efforts of that wonderful organization, History Flight. To read more about this Marine, please visit
http://www.gbtribune.com/section/69/article/111320/
Welcome home, Marine.
S1c Leon Arickx, from Mitchell, Iowa, was 22; S1c Donald G. Keller hailed from Ohio; 21-year-old F1c Leonard R. Geller was from Oklahoma. I am sorry to report that I can no information on S1c Eugene W. Wicker.
Always known to God and, now, to us. Welcome home.
What I found indicates that S1C Eugene Wicker was born in Oklahoma, one of six children born to James Newton Wicker and Ida Belle Wicker. He was 20 at the time of his death.
The rest of his info at this site requires joining the site. https://www.geni.com/people/S1c-Eugene-W-Wicker/6000000033809366161
Thanks for the backup, UpNorth. I don’t know how I missed that, but glad you caught it.
No problem. Happy to help.
Thanks for the research 2/17.
And men, thank you for your ultimate sacrifice. You were gone but never forgotten.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace in your home soil now.
Rest in Peace, men, Rest in Peace.