WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. John G. Krebs, 19, of Sterling, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Dec. 17, 2018.
(This identification was initially announced on Dec. 20, 2018.)
On July 11, 1950, Krebs was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea, when he was declared missing in action.
In February 1951, the American Graves Registration Services recovered five sets of remains from northwest of Chonui in the village of Kujong-ni. Two sets of remains were identified; the other three were unidentifiable and designated as Unknowns and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
In December 1953, Krebs was declared deceased.
In September 2018, Unknown X-491 Tanggok was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Krebs’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as and circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,663 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North Korea by American recovery teams. Krebs’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Service Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Krebs will be buried May 17, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:42:062025-04-03 00:42:08Cpl. John G. Krebs
USS West Virginia Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Gabriele, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Angelo M. Gabriele, 21, of Trenton, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 13, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Gabriele was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Gabriele.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Gabriele, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia, from the NMCP and transferred the remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Gabriele’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Gabriele’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Gabriele will be buried June 24, 2019, in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:41:392025-04-03 00:41:41Navy Fireman 1st Class Angelo M. Gabriele
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Stern, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Ensign Charles M. Stern, Jr., 26, of Albany, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 24, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Stern was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Stern.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Stern.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Stern’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Stern’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Stern will be buried July 21, 2019, in Albany, New York.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:41:052025-04-03 00:41:07Ensign Charles M. Stern, Jr.
Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Morris, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Reserve Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class John O. Morris, 22, of Seattle, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 13, 2018.
In late 1943, Morris was a member of Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU) 17. In November 1943, American units landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Following the battle, the majority of units withdrew from the island, leaving only the chaplains and a defense garrison, including a series of U.S. Navy Construction Battalion, Seabee, units. CASU 17 was among those stationed on the island. On Dec. 16, 1943, Morris was killed during the test-firing of a machine gun. The weapon accidentally discharged, killing Morris. He was buried on the island, in Cemetery #33.
In the aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Morris’ remains were not identified and he was declared non-recoverable.
In 2018, members of History Flight, Inc., a non-profit organization, uncovered a coffin burial in Cemetery #33 on Betio, and transferred the remains to DPAA.
To identify Morris’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Morris’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Morris will be buried Aug. 1, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:40:362025-04-03 00:40:38Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class John O. Morris
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (McKissack, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack, 37, of Talpa, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on July 26, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, McKissack was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including McKissack.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including McKissack.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify McKissack’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. McKissack’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
McKissack will be buried May 4, 2019, in Winters, Texas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:40:052025-04-03 00:40:06Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Master Sgt. Charlie J. Mares, 30, of Waelder, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Feb. 4, 2019.
In July 1950, Mares was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat against the Korean People’s Army. Mares was reported missing in action following the battle, fought near Kwonbin-ni, South Korea, on July 31, 1950.
In May 1951, a set of remains located in the vicinity of where Mares was lost, arrived at the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan. The remains, designated X-1273 Tanggok, could not be identified, and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, where they were buried as an Unknown.
In October 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-1273 from the Punchbowl, and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Mares’ remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,663 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North Korea by American recovery teams. Mares’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Service Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Mares will be buried March 29, 2019, in Cistern, Texas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:39:352025-04-03 00:39:37Master Sgt. Charlie J. Mares
Marine Accounted For From World War II (Goldtrap, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine Corps. Cpl. Claire E. Goldtrap, 21, of Hobart, Oklahoma, killed during World War II, was accounted for on June 1, 2018.
In November 1943, Goldtrap was assigned to Company A, 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Goldtrap died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943, during the first wave of the assault.
The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Goldtrap’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.
In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-277 from the NMCP and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis. Records indicate that X-277 was originally buried in Cemetery #11 on Betio as an Unknown. Even though Goldtrap’s Casualty Card indicated he was buried in Cemetery #33, Cemetery #11 was located in close proximity to the beach designated “Beach Red 1,” where Goldtrap was reported to have disembarked from the USS Thuban to support amphibious operations.
To identify Goldtrap’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department for Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Goldtrap’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others killed or lost in WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Marine Corps Service Casualty office at (800) 847-1597.
Goldtrap will be buried April 10, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:39:032025-04-03 00:39:04Cpl. Claire E. Goldtrap
Air America Crewman Accounted For From Vietnam War (Weissenback, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Mr. Edward J. Weissenback, 29, of Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Dec. 20, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Weissenback, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was a crewman aboard an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Weissenback was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Sept. 25, 2018, the pilot, George L. Ritter, was accounted for. On Dec. 20, 2018, co-pilot Roy F. Townley was accounted for.
To identify Weissenback’s remains, DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
Weissenback will be buried July 5, 2020, in Eagle Point, Oregon.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:38:332025-04-03 00:38:34Edward J. Weissenback
Air America Co-Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War (Townley, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Mr. Roy F. Townley, 52, of Ontario, California, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Dec. 20, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Townley, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was co-piloting an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Townley was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Sept. 25, 2018, the pilot, George L. Ritter, was accounted for. On Dec. 20, 2018, crewman Edward J. Weissenback was accounted for.
To identify Townley’s remains, DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
For future funeral information, visit https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1773912/air-america-co-pilot-accounted-for-from-vietnam-war-townley-r/
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:37:492025-04-03 00:37:51Roy F. Townley
Air America Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War (Ritter, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Mr. George L. Ritter, 49, of Philadelphia, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Ritter, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was piloting an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Ritter was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Dec. 20, 2018, co-pilot Roy F. Townley and crewman Edward J. Weissenback were accounted for.
To identify Ritter’s remains, DPAA used dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
For future funeral information, visit https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1771602/air-america-pilot-accounted-for-from-vietnam-war-ritter-g/
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 00:37:172025-04-03 00:37:19George L. Ritter
Cpl. John G. Krebs
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 7, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Krebs, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. John G. Krebs, 19, of Sterling, Illinois, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Dec. 17, 2018.
(This identification was initially announced on Dec. 20, 2018.)
On July 11, 1950, Krebs was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea, when he was declared missing in action.
In February 1951, the American Graves Registration Services recovered five sets of remains from northwest of Chonui in the village of Kujong-ni. Two sets of remains were identified; the other three were unidentifiable and designated as Unknowns and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl.
In December 1953, Krebs was declared deceased.
In September 2018, Unknown X-491 Tanggok was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Krebs’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as and circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,663 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North Korea by American recovery teams. Krebs’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Service Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Krebs will be buried May 17, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Navy Fireman 1st Class Angelo M. Gabriele
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
USS West Virginia Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Gabriele, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Angelo M. Gabriele, 21, of Trenton, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 13, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Gabriele was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Gabriele.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Gabriele, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia, from the NMCP and transferred the remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Gabriele’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Gabriele’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Gabriele will be buried June 24, 2019, in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Ensign Charles M. Stern, Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Stern, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Ensign Charles M. Stern, Jr., 26, of Albany, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 24, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Stern was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Stern.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Stern.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Stern’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this recovery.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Stern’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Stern will be buried July 21, 2019, in Albany, New York.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class John O. Morris
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Morris, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Reserve Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class John O. Morris, 22, of Seattle, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 13, 2018.
In late 1943, Morris was a member of Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU) 17. In November 1943, American units landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Following the battle, the majority of units withdrew from the island, leaving only the chaplains and a defense garrison, including a series of U.S. Navy Construction Battalion, Seabee, units. CASU 17 was among those stationed on the island. On Dec. 16, 1943, Morris was killed during the test-firing of a machine gun. The weapon accidentally discharged, killing Morris. He was buried on the island, in Cemetery #33.
In the aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Morris’ remains were not identified and he was declared non-recoverable.
In 2018, members of History Flight, Inc., a non-profit organization, uncovered a coffin burial in Cemetery #33 on Betio, and transferred the remains to DPAA.
To identify Morris’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to History Flight, Inc., for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Morris’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Morris will be buried Aug. 1, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (McKissack, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack, 37, of Talpa, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on July 26, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, McKissack was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including McKissack.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including McKissack.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify McKissack’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. McKissack’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
McKissack will be buried May 4, 2019, in Winters, Texas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Master Sgt. Charlie J. Mares
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Mares, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Master Sgt. Charlie J. Mares, 30, of Waelder, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Feb. 4, 2019.
In July 1950, Mares was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat against the Korean People’s Army. Mares was reported missing in action following the battle, fought near Kwonbin-ni, South Korea, on July 31, 1950.
In May 1951, a set of remains located in the vicinity of where Mares was lost, arrived at the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan. The remains, designated X-1273 Tanggok, could not be identified, and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, where they were buried as an Unknown.
In October 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-1273 from the Punchbowl, and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Mares’ remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,663 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by North Korean officials or recovered from North Korea by American recovery teams. Mares’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Service Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Mares will be buried March 29, 2019, in Cistern, Texas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Cpl. Claire E. Goldtrap
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 5, 2019
Marine Accounted For From World War II (Goldtrap, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine Corps. Cpl. Claire E. Goldtrap, 21, of Hobart, Oklahoma, killed during World War II, was accounted for on June 1, 2018.
In November 1943, Goldtrap was assigned to Company A, 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Goldtrap died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943, during the first wave of the assault.
The battle of Tarawa was a significant victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Goldtrap’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu.
In October 2016, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-277 from the NMCP and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis. Records indicate that X-277 was originally buried in Cemetery #11 on Betio as an Unknown. Even though Goldtrap’s Casualty Card indicated he was buried in Cemetery #33, Cemetery #11 was located in close proximity to the beach designated “Beach Red 1,” where Goldtrap was reported to have disembarked from the USS Thuban to support amphibious operations.
To identify Goldtrap’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department for Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,741 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Goldtrap’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others killed or lost in WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Marine Corps Service Casualty office at (800) 847-1597.
Goldtrap will be buried April 10, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Edward J. Weissenback
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 4, 2019
Air America Crewman Accounted For From Vietnam War (Weissenback, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Mr. Edward J. Weissenback, 29, of Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Dec. 20, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Weissenback, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was a crewman aboard an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Weissenback was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Sept. 25, 2018, the pilot, George L. Ritter, was accounted for. On Dec. 20, 2018, co-pilot Roy F. Townley was accounted for.
To identify Weissenback’s remains, DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
Weissenback will be buried July 5, 2020, in Eagle Point, Oregon.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Roy F. Townley
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 4, 2019
Air America Co-Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War (Townley, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Mr. Roy F. Townley, 52, of Ontario, California, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Dec. 20, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Townley, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was co-piloting an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Townley was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Sept. 25, 2018, the pilot, George L. Ritter, was accounted for. On Dec. 20, 2018, crewman Edward J. Weissenback was accounted for.
To identify Townley’s remains, DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
For future funeral information, visit https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1773912/air-america-co-pilot-accounted-for-from-vietnam-war-townley-r/
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
George L. Ritter
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 1, 2019
Air America Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War (Ritter, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Mr. George L. Ritter, 49, of Philadelphia, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On Dec. 27, 1971, Ritter, an employee of Air America Incorporated, was piloting an Air America C-123K from Udorn Airfield, Kingdom of Thailand, headed for Xianghon District, Xaignabouli Province, Laos. The aircraft was on a routine resupply mission for U.S. Agency for International Development and was last heard from when they were northeast of Sayaboury. Laos. Search and rescue efforts were continued through Dec. 31, 1971, but no sign of the aircraft or the four crewmembers were found. Ritter was subsequently reported missing.
In October 1997, a Joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team interviewed witnesses in Ban Donkeo, Houn District, Oudomxai Province. The individuals led the team to the crash site, approximately 400 meters north of the village. The team recovered various pieces of aircraft wreckage.
Subsequent field operations in December 2014 and May 2017 led investigators to additional witnesses and a possible burial site.
In October and November 2017, as well as July and August 2018, Joint U.S./L.P.D.R. recovery teams excavated the crash site, recovering possible human remains, personal effects, life support items and aircraft wreckage. The remains were accessioned to the DPAA laboratory for identification. On Dec. 20, 2018, co-pilot Roy F. Townley and crewman Edward J. Weissenback were accounted for.
To identify Ritter’s remains, DPAA used dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the government and the people of Laos for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,589 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For family contact information, visit CIA.gov and select “Contact Us.”
For future funeral information, visit https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1771602/air-america-pilot-accounted-for-from-vietnam-war-ritter-g/
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.