Another Three Are Accounted For
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing individuals.
From World War II
MMC Lada Smisek, US Navy, assigned to Naval Ammunition Depot and Submarine Base, Cavite, Philippine Islands, was lost in the Philippines on 28 September 1942. He was accounted for on 4 February 2020.
Pfc Royal L. Waltz, USMC, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943. He was accounted for on 4 February 2020.
Cpl Oscar E. Koskela, USMC, assigned to Headquarters Company, 29th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, was lost on Saipan on 18 June 1944. He was accounted for on 4 February 2020.
From Korea
None
From Southeast AsiaNone
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.
Category: No Longer Missing
Welcome Home Warriors. We Salute your Service and pay Honors to your Sacrifice. #accountforevery1
Thanks Hondo.
Welcome Home elder brothers. I learned something from this as well and I look forward to whatever human interest stories the TAH data miners find as well. The 2nd Marine Division had always been 2, 6, 8 Marines with 10th Marines as DivArty to me. I didn’t realize that it had been reinforced with 18th marines on Tarawa and 29th on Saipan until this post with some followon research I did a little search the interweb myself. Royal Lawrence Waltz was born in Hanford, California, on 8 February 1923. He was the son of Royal Leander and Maude (Parrish) Waltz; his siblings, Martha and Freeland Waltz, were already teenagers when young Royal arrived. The family made their home on a dairy farm in rural Kings County. Little information is known about Royal’s life before the service. According to the 1940 census, he attended high school for one year; this was probably all he completed before enlisting in the Marine Corps on 13 August 1941. After completing boot camp. Private Waltz was immediately assigned to Company “A” of the Second Engineer Battalion, which was then constructing Camp Catlin on the island of Oahu. Waltz came aboard in late October, 1941, and thus had a ringside seat for his country’s entry into World War II. (1) In April of 1942, the battalion shipped back to the mainland to join the 2nd Marine Division. The following month, Royal’s Company A was temporarily disbanded and the men attached to combat regiments for deployment overseas. Royal himself traveled to the Solomon Islands on the rolls of the Third Battalion, 2nd Marines; he participated in the battle for Guadalcanal as a carpenter. In September 1942, Royal’s company re-formed, and they served out the rest of the campaign as an organic unit. When the Guadalcanal veterans rejoined the rest of their battalion in New Zealand in the spring of 1943, they were re-designated as Company “A,” First Battalion, 18th Marines – the engineer unit of the 2nd Marine Division. The next several months were spent in training new men and preparing for subsequent combat operations. Injuries were… Read more »
Thanks for the comment/add on USAFRetired. It is always good to learn more about our fallen heroes. I FIRST came here, years ago, following linkys to Stolen Valor. I hung around for the commaradship and the chance to be a burr under someone’s saddle. We learn a lot here from one another and I look forward to the posts every day. Wonder how many hundreds lurk around and never comment? No doubt a goodly number of them think I’m a nut that needs a life. Well they are half right. I am a nut, but my life is paying Honor to the American Patriots who served this Great Nation. And for that, I offer no apologies.
Hope Admin doesn’t mind, this is a follow up article to the Pearl Harbor Veteran that I mentioned last Sunday. RIP Mr. Fred Johnson, Ret LCDR USNR
https://www.macon.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/article240055478.html?fbclid=IwAR1DC5epO6gbvWUQ0O6JCoCoYP8sNIr2n5FJUisBNNpwKKozCTJWKCUfNN4
Thank you as well, USAFRetired, and thank-you TAH for bringing these reports to us. I’m always amazed by those numbers of unaccounted for when I read them. I can’t remember how I linked here the first time 5th/77th FA, but I’ve read here for about 3 years before posting any comments. I just used a computer to read more accurate news. I don’t go to any other blogs. I’m not very good at it yet, but your posts are always informative, and read as very well rounded and thoughtful to me for what it’s worth. I’m always too late to see what the ‘wing guy’ had posted before it’s excised, but it must be pretty bad. Anyone who’d think you’re a nut is probably just a squirrel looking for one.
Welcome home guys, you have to be a little amazed that your being remembered by strangers on a ‘gizmo’ 75 years after your sacrifice. out.
Welcome Home elder brothers. I learned something from this as well and I look forward to whatever human interest stories the TAH data miners find as well. The 2nd Marine Division had always been 2, 6, 8 Marines with 10th Marines as DivArty to me. I didn’t realize that it had been reinforced with 18th marines on Tarawa and 29th on Saipan until this post with some followon research I did a little search the interweb myself. Royal Lawrence Waltz was born in Hanford, California, on 8 February 1923. He was the son of Royal Leander and Maude (Parrish) Waltz; his siblings, Martha and Freeland Waltz, were already teenagers when young Royal arrived. The family made their home on a dairy farm in rural Kings County. Little information is known about Royal’s life before the service. According to the 1940 census, he attended high school for one year; this was probably all he completed before enlisting in the Marine Corps on 13 August 1941. After completing boot camp. Private Waltz was immediately assigned to Company “A” of the Second Engineer Battalion, which was then constructing Camp Catlin on the island of Oahu. Waltz came aboard in late October, 1941, and thus had a ringside seat for his country’s entry into World War II. (1) In April of 1942, the battalion shipped back to the mainland to join the 2nd Marine Division. The following month, Royal’s Company A was temporarily disbanded and the men attached to combat regiments for deployment overseas. Royal himself traveled to the Solomon Islands on the rolls of the Third Battalion, 2nd Marines; he participated in the battle for Guadalcanal as a carpenter. In September 1942, Royal’s company re-formed, and they served out the rest of the campaign as an organic unit. When the Guadalcanal veterans rejoined the rest of their battalion in New Zealand in the spring of 1943, they were re-designated as Company “A,” First Battalion, 18th Marines – the engineer unit of the 2nd Marine Division. The next several months were spent in training new men and preparing for subsequent combat operations. Injuries were… Read more »
My apologies for the duplication.
I can’t imagine the heartache of his family going from WIA to several months later MIA, to months later KIA.
Welcome home.
As I read the tributes, I think about how much others have done, and how little I have done.
There but for the grace of God go I.
I know VOV is an atheist. He will disagree with me, and I don’t care. It is site for all veterans.
Topic: Worst Bunk buddies/shipmates/tentmates/submates…Pandora’s box is clicking
Mea culpa, not the best space for this. If Admin would redirect, I would be appreciative.
Welcome home Brothers. Rest in peace in your home soil.