Another Ten Return
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US personnel.
From World War II
ENS Frances C. Flaherty, US Naval Reserve, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 1 November 2019.
MM1c Paul H. Gebser, US Naval Reserve, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 1 November 2019.
Cox Layton Banks, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 30 Ocober 2019.
F1c Bethel Walters, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS West Virginia, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 30 October 2019.
S2c Lloyd R. Timm, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 1 November 2019.
S2c Everett Windle, US Navy, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941. His accounting was announced on 30 October 2019.
PVT Porfirio C. Franco, US Army, assigned to 200th Coastal Artillery, was lost in the Philippines on 18 July 1942. His accounting was announced on 29 October 2019.
Sgt Jerome B. Morris, USMC, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 29 October 2019.
From Korea
SFC Phillip C. Mendoza, US Army, assigned to D Battery D, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. He was accounted for on 12 August 2019. (see note)
SGT William C. Holmes, US Army, assigned to Heavy Tank Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 21 September 1951. His accounting was announced on 31 October 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: Recently, DPAA changed the heading for one of its column headings on its “Recently Accounted For” listing. Formerly, the column was titled “Date Accounted For”; it now is titled “Date Announced”. Dates for existing listings posted as “Date Accounted For” were not updated when the change occurred.
SFC Mendoza’s “Date Announced” date currently reads 12 August 2019. However, this DPAA announcment announcing SFC Mendoza’s accounting is dated 21 October 2019. I am personally convinced that SFC Mendoza was accounted for on 12 August 2019, but that his name was “slipstreamed” into DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” list after the fact sometime between 18 August 2019 and 21 October.
Category: No Longer Missing
Welcome Home Brothers. We Salute your Service and pay Honors to your Sacrifice. Our apologies for the delay.
Thanks Hondo.
ninja…you’re up. Patiently awaiting “the rest of the stories.”
Roger, KoB!
Welcome home.
ENS Francis C. Flaherty:
“Francis Charles Flaherty was born in Charlotte, Michigan, on 15 March 1919. He was a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church while living in Charlotte. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in July 1940 and was commissioned as an Ensign in December of that year. During the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, he was serving on board USS Oklahoma (BB-37). As the ship was capsizing, Ensign Flaherty remained in a gun turret holding a flashlight to permit others in the turret to see in order to escape. For his sacrificial heroism on that occasion, Esnign Flaherty was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.”
“The escort ship USS Flaherty (DE-135), 1943-1966, was named in honor of Ensign Flaherty.”
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/f/flaherty–francis-c-.html
This site has his picture and his Headstone:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5783769/francis-charles-flaherty
He was the Son of Francis F Flaherty and Gertrude Flaherty and the Brother of Dolores Flaherty and John Jacob Flaherty.
You can read his Medal of Honor Citation here:
http://www.victoryinstitute.net/blogs/utb/1941/12/07/francis-c-flaherty-medal-of-honor-citation/
Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.
“…no greater love.” His story sounded familiar when I was pouring thru the linkys you provided. Trying to remember if Mason had done a post on him or it was another source? Maybe a read on the ship named in his Honor? Lost both his parents when he was 13, 3 months apart, he an only child. Accident, with his Mother dying from injuries later? Mother dying of a broken heart? Illness? She was only 44. They were re-united in Spirit, now their physical remains will be together.
Paul Heino Gebser was born 25 July 1903, perhaps in the San Diego, California area and was 38 years old when he gave his life for our Country. There is a small picture of him in Uniform on his Headstone:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6686186/paul-heino-gebser
His Mother, Emma and his Sister, Loma are buried next to him in the Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego, California. Loma passed away at the age of 17 in 1936.
According to the 1940 Census, Paul was living with his parents, Henry and Emma in San Diego, California.
http://www.archives.com/1940-census/paul-gebser-ca-33149384
His Father was Henry William Gebser, born around 1875 in Germany. He passed away around 1950 in California.
His Mother, Emma, was also born in 1875 and passed away in 1960.
Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.
Another example of how legal immigrants became Americans and gave their FIRST generation child to the defence of their adopted Country. Reminds me of the outlook that our new commentator Whizzbang projected this past week. Hand Salute!
Cox Layton Thomas Banks was born 8 Apr 1921 in Coffee County, Tennessee.
He joined the Navy as a Coxswain in Texas.
He was only 20 years old when he gave his life for our Country.
There is a nice picture of him wearing two different uniforms at these two sites:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56114630
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26161905/layton-thomas-banks
He was survived by his Parents, John Thomas Banks and Virginia Pirtle Banks.
Layton had three Brothers who outlived him. They were Walter, Clarence and Billy Wayne.
He had two Sisters that outlived him: Elizabeth and Stella. His older sister, Mary Lee, passed away in 1924 at the age of 15.
His Family are buried at the Rowlett Creek Cemetery in Plano, Collin County, Texas.
Here is some interesting information on Layton:
https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=116160
Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.
Using the longevity of life of most of his family, had he survived the war he would have had a fairly long life. Like so many Warriors that day, taken too soon. I noticed the find-a-grave folks had already updated their information on him to recovered.
Hand Salute!
Navy Fireman 1st Class Bethel Elbert Walters was only 25 years old when he gave his life for our Country.
He was born on 20 Feb 1916, perhaps Dallas, Texas and entered the Navy from Montague County, Texas.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56134683/bethel-elbert-walters
Both of his parents outlived him. His Father was Elbert Ernest Walters. His Mother was Esther Florence Morris Walters.
Bethel’s Siblings who outlived him were Vern Aliene Walters Lovelady, Ellen Maurine Walters Isensee and
Loyd E Walters. He lost a younger Brother at Birth, Floyd B. Walters.
Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.
The USS West Virginia came back to avenge the death of this Warrior and his shipmates many times over. Wonder how many of the crew that served her on 7 Dec ’41 were serving on her when those floating Artillery platforms extracted their revenge?
BZ to the shipyards, the Ship, and the later crews that served her.
Hand Salute!
S2 Lloyd Rudolph Timm was only 19 years old when he gave his life for our Country.
He was born on 24 Jul 1922 in Wabasha County, Minnesota and enlisted in the Navy in Minnesota as well.
There two nice pictures of him in two different Uniforms at these sites:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56133680/lloyd-rudolph-timm
https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=69119
His brother, Warren Timm, 21, had only recently transferred from the Oklahoma to train in aviation mechanics in Jacksonville, Fla. where he was the day of the attack.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66404218/warren-elmer-timm
His Parents, Rudolph Louis Timm and Clara Anna Graner Timm, outlived him.
His other Siblings were Gus,Elmo, LaVonne and Eleanor.
Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.
Forever 19. His brother’s job of keeping them flying helped revenge Lloyd’s death. If Warren had not of transferred out when he did, he possibly would have perished along side his Brother. Maybe one of our more sharper eyed or former swabbies can confirm if the rifle that Lloyd is holding in his picture is the 1903 Springfield.
A Hand Salute to both of these Brothers.
Heading to Church. Would anyone care to cover the rest of our Troops on this Post?
If not, I will continue after Church Services.
Thank You!
White vestments due to All Souls Day?
Green vestments for tomorrow’s mass.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace in your home soil.
Welcome home, brothers. Sorry it took so long to get you home.
[…] This October, DPAA announced that it had accounted for SGT William C. Holmes, US Army. SGT Holmes was lost in North Korea on 21 September 1951. […]