Eleven More Are Home

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

From World War II

CWT Francis D. Day, 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 September 2019.

BM1c Arnold M. Nielsen, 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 September 2019.

QM2c Daryle E. Artley, 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 September 2019.

FM1c James C. Webb, 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 September 2019.

FM1c Lawrence E. Woods, 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 September 2019.

Sgt. R. L. Tyler, US Army, assigned to Headquarters Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Forces, was lost in the Philippines on 19 July 1942. He was accounted for on 11 September 2019.

Pfc. Michael Kocopy, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 27 August 2019. (see note)

1st Lt. Steve Nagy, US Army, assigned to 407th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy,) 92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy,) 40th Combat Bombardment Wing, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, was lost in Germany on 24 August 1944. He was accounted for on 6 September 2019.

From Korea

CPL Joe T. Avant, US Army, assigned to Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team, was lost in North Korea on 30 November 1950. He was accounted for on 11 September 2019.

CPL Autrey J. Betar, US Army, assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. He was accounted for on 11 September 2019.

1LT George S. Crisp, US Army, assigned to L Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 12 December 1950. He was accounted for on 6 September 2019.

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 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.

—–

Author’s Note: Both the date of loss and date accounted for listed on DPAA’s newly accounted for page for Pfc. Kocopy appear to be incorrect. Per this DPAA press release, the actual date of Pfc. Kocopy’s death was 20 November 1943; the actual date of his accounting was 27 August 2019.

Category: No Longer Missing