Five More Return

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

From World War II

Matt1c Ignacio C. Farfan, 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 10 April 2018.

S2c Joe M. Kelley, 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 13 April 2018.

SSgt. Vincent L. Politte, US Army, assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost in Romania on 1 August 1943. He was accounted for on 16 April 2018.

Pfc Clarence E. Drumheiser, USMC, assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. He was accounted for on 6 April 2018.

PFC John H. Walker, US Army, assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, was lost in Germany on 24 November 1944. He was accounted for on 13 April 2018.

From Korea

None

From Southeast Asia

None

Welcome back, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

Rest easy. 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.

Author’s Notes:

1. Although Pfc Clarence E. Drumheiser, USMC, was accounted for on 6 April 2018, DPAA did not announce that fact on its list of personnel recently accounted for until on or after 16 April 2018.

2. On its website, DPAA lists the wrong rate for one of the sailors lost at Pearl Harbor: Ignacio C. Farfan. DPAA refers to him as a “Steward’s Mate 1st Class”. That rate did not exist until February 1943. The correct title for Farfan’s rate in December 1941 was “Mess Attendant 1st Class”, with abbreviation “Matt1c”. I have used that rate abbreviation above. Reference:

http://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_steward.html

Category: No Longer Missing