Three More Are Home
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.
From World War II
CPL Joseph Akers, US Army, assigned to C Company, 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, was lost in Germany on 11 November 1944. He was accounted for on 10 May 2018.
From Korea
SGT John W. Hall, US Army, assigned to Headquarters Battery, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 1 December 1950. He was accounted for on 16 May 2018.
CPL DeMaret M. Kirtley, US Army, assigned to A Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 6 December 1950. He was accounted for on 11 May 2018.
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.
Category: No Longer Missing
Welcome home.
If Corporal Akers’ unit sounds familiar, it’s because he was killed in the same battle (and likely the same tank destroyer) along with SGT Melvin C. Anderson, who was named here two weeks ago. Please see that for much more info in the comments section. Akers was from West Virginia. If you want to read about a unit that seemed to be in combat constantly, here is the after-action reports link:
http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll8/id/3561
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace in your home soil now.
Welcome Home.
PFC Kirtley was a long way from his home in Wyoming in late November 1950. He was among those Americans at the Chosen when the massive Chinese attack came. Forever 21, he left an older sister, brother, and parents (Ura and Stella) in Johnson county to wonder what became of him, before he was declared KIA.
SGT John W. Hall’s unit was running the gauntlet when he was lost. This was the event which led to the most unusual, if not sacred, unit ceremony held in the US military: the burning of the unit colors by the 2nd Engineer Battalion. That unit held off an overwhelming Chinese assault, buying precious time for other US troops to get out. When it appeared that the heroic effort would reach its predictable and unavoidable outcome, the unit commander ordered the destruction of all of the 2nd Engineer Battalion’s equipment and, to deny the Chinese a war trophy, the unit colors.
Welcome home, Brothers. Rest in peace now.