Another Three Return

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

From World War II

Pfc Kenneth W. Likens, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. He was accounted for on 26 June 2019.

From Korea

SGT Vernon R. Judd, US Army, assigned to D Company, 89th Medium Tank Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 28 November 1950. He was accounted for on 26 June 2019.

CPL Billy J. Butler, US Army, assigned to C Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 28 November 1950. He was accounted for on 3 May 2019. (see note)

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 72,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; over 1,500 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA); 126 remain unaccounted for from the Cold War; 5 remain unaccounted for from the Gulf Wars; and 1 individual remains unaccounted for from Operation Eldorado Canyon. 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. 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 is found in one of the 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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Note: While CPL Butler was accounted for on 3 May 2019, a public announcement of this fact was not made by DPAA until on or about 21 June.

Category: No Longer Missing