Another Six Return

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

M1c Leonard F. Smith, 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 19 May 2020.

F1c Louis J. Tushla, 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 19 May 2020.

Pfc Mervin D. Galland, 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 19 May 2020.

From Korea

CPL R. B. Cherry, US Army, assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 27 November 1950. His accounting was announced on 20 May 2020.

SGT William E. Cavender, US Army, assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 28 November 1950. His accounting was announced on 20 May 2020.

SGT Jesse D. Hill, US Army, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was lost in North Korea on 2 December 1950. His accounting was announced on 21 May 2020.

From Southeast Asia

None

Welcome back, elder brother-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