Two More Return

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

From World War II

Sgt. Alfonso O. Duran, US Army, assigned to 724th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 451st Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost in Slovenia on 25 February 1944. He was accounted for on 22 May 2018. (See note.)

From Korea

None

From Southeast Asia

LCDR Larry R. Kilpatrick, US Navy Reserve, assigned to Attack Squadron One Hundred Five (VA-105), was lost in Vietnam on 18 June 1972. He was accounted for on 18 May 2018.

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

Rest easy. You’re home now.

. . .

Over 72,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,700 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,500 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.

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Author’s Note: DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” page lists an incorrect date of loss and accounting for Sgt. Duran. The DPAA press release associated with his recovery lists the correct dates. The correct dates from the press release are used above.

Category: No Longer Missing