Thirteen More Are Home

Per DPAA’s “Recently Accounted For” webpage, the following formerly-missing US personnel were publicly announced as having been accounted for during the past week.

From World War II

F1c Samuel C. Steiner, 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 May 2020.

S1c Maurice V. Spangler, 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 May 2020.

S1c James C. Williams, 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 May 2020.

Pfc John E. Gillen, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force4was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

Pfc Harold W. Hayden, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

Pvt Howard E. Miller, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 22 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 30 April 2020.

1st Lt Hugh D. Fricks, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 23 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

Cpl Raymond J. Tuhey, USMC Reserve, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, was lost on Tarawa on 23 November 1943. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

SSG Raymond C. Blanton, US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, was lost in the Hurtgen Forest, Germany, on 14 October 1944. His accounting was announced on 28 April 2020.

PFC Clarence W. Brotherton, US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, was lost in the Raffelsbrand Forest, Germany, on 14 October 1944. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

From Korea

CPL Burl Mullins, US Army, assigned to Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 30 November 1950. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

CPL Dale W. Wright, US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division., was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

PFC Glenn E. Collins, US Army, assigned to Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. His accounting was announced on 27 April 2020.

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 7,500 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