Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Reynolds, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Jan. 16, 2019.
In April 1951, Reynolds was a member of Medical Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and attached to 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, near Hwach’on Reservoir, South Korea. He was killed on April 26, 1951, while caring for wounded Soldiers. Because of ongoing fighting in the area, Reynolds’ remains were unable to be recovered.
In 2017, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI), a South Korean organization with the same mission as DPAA searched in the vicinity of where Reynolds was killed and recovered possible osseous material. The remains were accessioned into the MAKRI laboratory, where it was determined the remains were likely of European decent. They were subsequently sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Reynolds’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the South Korean Government and the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,670 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. Reynolds’ 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.
Reynolds will be buried Oct. 10, 2019, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
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 00:30:462025-04-03 00:30:47Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds
Pilot Accounted-For From World War II (Hadfield, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, 26, of Salt Lake City, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Hadfield was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, piloting an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hadfield, and his two crewmen, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton and Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hadfield’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA,) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hadfield’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hadfield’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Hadfield’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Hamilton and Kalausich were also identified on Dec. 13, 2018.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Adolph Hagedorn, the government of Germany, and 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 72,747 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Hadfield’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Hadfield will be buried March 21, 2019, in Bluffdale, Utah.
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 00:30:132025-04-03 00:30:152nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Eberhardt, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Eugene K. Eberhardt., 29, of Newark, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for on July 3, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Eberhardt 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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence.
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 72,750 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Eberhardt’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 and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
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 00:29:182025-04-03 00:29:201st Class Eugene K. Eberhardt
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Fulmer, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer, 20, of Newberry, South Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Nov. 27, 2018.
In November 1944, Fulmer was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Fulmer was among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Fulmer’s remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable.
In April 1947, following demining operations, a set of remains was recovered from the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest. The remains were sent to the central processing point at Neuville, Belgium. They were unable to be identified, were designated X-5460, and buried at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5460, a DPAA historian determined that there was a likely association between the remains and Fulmer. In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-5460 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Fulmer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Fulmer’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with others who are missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Fulmer’s grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Fulmer will be buried July 18, 2019, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
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 00:28:482025-04-03 00:28:50Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer
Airman Accounted-For From World War II (Kalausich, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Sgt. John Kalausich, 19, of Charleston, West Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Kalausich was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Kalausich, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Kalausich’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA,) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Kalausich’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Kalausich’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Kalausich’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Hagedorn, the government of Germany and 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Kalausich’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Kalausich will be buried Feb. 23, 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 00:28:172025-04-03 00:28:19Sgt. John Kalausich
Airman Accounted-For From World War II (Hamilton, V.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton, 19, of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Hamilton was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hamilton, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hamilton’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hamilton’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hamilton’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Hamilton’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Hagedorn, the government of Germany and 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Hamilton’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Hamilton will be buried April 13, 2019, in Monongahela, 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 00:27:452025-04-03 00:27:46Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton
Naval Aviator Accounted-For From The Vietnam War (Lannom, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Naval Reserve Lt. Richard C. Lannom, 27, of Union City, Tennessee, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On March 1, 1968, Lannom, a bombardier-navigator assigned to Attack Squadron Three Five (ATKRON 35), USS Enterprise (CVA-65), was on board an A-6A aircraft on a night strike mission over Quang Ninh Province of North Vietnam. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost due to the low altitude of the aircraft, and the pilot had been instructed to turn his identification beeper off. The flight path to the target was over islands known to have light anti-aircraft artillery. When the aircraft failed to return to the carrier, a search and rescue effort was mounted. No evidence of the plane could be found. Lannom and his pilot were subsequently declared missing in action.
In August and September 2006, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team interviewed three wartime residents concerning a crash site. One witness, reported traveling to the crash site on the top of a mountain in Na San Hamlet several times, finding a pilot’s helmet.
During a JFA in 2007, a witness stated that in 1968, he heard an explosion while he was sleeping. He went outside and observed an aircraft crash and explode on impact. He later observed scattered aircraft wreckage and personal effects.
Between October and December 2017, a VNOSMP Unilateral Team excavated a crash site below the peak of a steep mountain on the southwestern peninsula of Tra Ban Island. The team recovered possible osseous material, as well as material evidence and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Lannom’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the government of Vietnam for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Lannom’s name is recorded on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Lannom will be buried March 2, 2019, in Union City, Tennessee.
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 00:27:152025-04-03 00:27:16Reserve Lt. Richard C. Lannom
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Cook, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Grant C. Cook, Jr., 20, of Cozad, Nebraska, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Aug. 27, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cook 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 Cook.
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 Cook.
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 Cook’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cook’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.
Cook will be buried May 9, 2019, at the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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.dpaa.mil/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 00:26:402025-04-03 00:26:42Fireman 1st Class Grant C. Cook
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Cheshire, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T. Cheshire, 40, of San Diego, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 10, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cheshire 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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cheshire’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.
For future funeral information, visit http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1727479/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-cheshire-j/
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 00:26:052025-04-03 00:26:06Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T. Cheshire
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Austin, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin, 36, of Warrior, Alabama, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 4, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Austin 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 Austin.
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 Austin.
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 Austin’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Austin’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.
Austin will be buried June 12, 2019, in the Punchbowl.
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.dpaa.mil/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 00:25:262025-04-03 00:25:28Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin
Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 8, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Reynolds, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Winfred L. Reynolds, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Jan. 16, 2019.
In April 1951, Reynolds was a member of Medical Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and attached to 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, near Hwach’on Reservoir, South Korea. He was killed on April 26, 1951, while caring for wounded Soldiers. Because of ongoing fighting in the area, Reynolds’ remains were unable to be recovered.
In 2017, the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI), a South Korean organization with the same mission as DPAA searched in the vicinity of where Reynolds was killed and recovered possible osseous material. The remains were accessioned into the MAKRI laboratory, where it was determined the remains were likely of European decent. They were subsequently sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Reynolds’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the South Korean Government and the Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,670 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. Reynolds’ 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.
Reynolds will be buried Oct. 10, 2019, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
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.
2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 1, 2019
Pilot Accounted-For From World War II (Hadfield, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, 26, of Salt Lake City, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Hadfield was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, piloting an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hadfield, and his two crewmen, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton and Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hadfield’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA,) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hadfield’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hadfield’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Hadfield’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Hamilton and Kalausich were also identified on Dec. 13, 2018.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Adolph Hagedorn, the government of Germany, and 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 72,747 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Hadfield’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Hadfield will be buried March 21, 2019, in Bluffdale, Utah.
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.
1st Class Eugene K. Eberhardt
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 25, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Eberhardt, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Eugene K. Eberhardt., 29, of Newark, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for on July 3, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Eberhardt 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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt.
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 Eberhardt’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence.
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 72,750 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Eberhardt’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 and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
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.
Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 22, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Fulmer, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Floyd A. Fulmer, 20, of Newberry, South Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Nov. 27, 2018.
In November 1944, Fulmer was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Nov. 14, 1944, after fierce combat in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest, near the village of Simonskall, in Germany. Due to ongoing combat operations and extensive land mines throughout the forest American forces were unable to search for him. When the war ended, Fulmer was among more than two dozen Soldiers still missing in the Raffelsbrand sector. On Nov. 15, 1945, the War Department declared him deceased.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest for Fulmer’s remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable.
In April 1947, following demining operations, a set of remains was recovered from the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest. The remains were sent to the central processing point at Neuville, Belgium. They were unable to be identified, were designated X-5460, and buried at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5460, a DPAA historian determined that there was a likely association between the remains and Fulmer. In April 2018, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-5460 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Fulmer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Fulmer’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with others who are missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Fulmer’s grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Fulmer will be buried July 18, 2019, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
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.
Sgt. John Kalausich
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 17, 2019
Airman Accounted-For From World War II (Kalausich, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Sgt. John Kalausich, 19, of Charleston, West Virginia, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Kalausich was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Kalausich, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. Vernon Hamilton, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Kalausich’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA,) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Kalausich’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Kalausich’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Kalausich’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Hagedorn, the government of Germany and 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Kalausich’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Kalausich will be buried Feb. 23, 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.
Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 17, 2019
Airman Accounted-For From World War II (Hamilton, V.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Sgt. Vernon L. Hamilton, 19, of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 13, 2018.
On March 21, 1945, Hamilton was a member of the 642nd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, aboard an A-26B, when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went missing during a combat mission from Couvron, France to Dülmen, Germany. Hamilton, his pilot, 2nd Lt. Lynn W. Hadfield, and the other crewman, Sgt. John Kalausich, had been participating in the interdiction campaign to obstruct German troop movements in preparation for the Allied crossing of the Rhine River on March 23, 1945.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the area where the aircraft was believed to have crashed, however no crash sites could be positively matched with Hamilton’s aircraft.
In June 2016, a German researcher, Adolph Hagedorn, who had previously collaborated with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, JPAC (a predecessor to DPAA) contacted DPAA historians regarding a crash site he had found in Hülsten-Reken, Germany, that could possibly be linked to Hamilton’s aircraft. In September 2016, Hagedorn led DPAA to the crash site in a horse paddock, where the aircraft matched the description of Hamilton’s.
In November and December 2016, under a partnership, History Flight, Inc., a nongovernmental organization, excavated the crash site, recovering aircraft material, life support equipment, personal effects and possible osseous material.
To identify Hamilton’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Hagedorn, the government of Germany and 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 72,751 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Hamilton’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, 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 contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Hamilton will be buried April 13, 2019, in Monongahela, 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.
Reserve Lt. Richard C. Lannom
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 15, 2019
Naval Aviator Accounted-For From The Vietnam War (Lannom, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Naval Reserve Lt. Richard C. Lannom, 27, of Union City, Tennessee, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On March 1, 1968, Lannom, a bombardier-navigator assigned to Attack Squadron Three Five (ATKRON 35), USS Enterprise (CVA-65), was on board an A-6A aircraft on a night strike mission over Quang Ninh Province of North Vietnam. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost due to the low altitude of the aircraft, and the pilot had been instructed to turn his identification beeper off. The flight path to the target was over islands known to have light anti-aircraft artillery. When the aircraft failed to return to the carrier, a search and rescue effort was mounted. No evidence of the plane could be found. Lannom and his pilot were subsequently declared missing in action.
In August and September 2006, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team interviewed three wartime residents concerning a crash site. One witness, reported traveling to the crash site on the top of a mountain in Na San Hamlet several times, finding a pilot’s helmet.
During a JFA in 2007, a witness stated that in 1968, he heard an explosion while he was sleeping. He went outside and observed an aircraft crash and explode on impact. He later observed scattered aircraft wreckage and personal effects.
Between October and December 2017, a VNOSMP Unilateral Team excavated a crash site below the peak of a steep mountain on the southwestern peninsula of Tra Ban Island. The team recovered possible osseous material, as well as material evidence and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Lannom’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the government of Vietnam for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Lannom’s name is recorded on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Lannom will be buried March 2, 2019, in Union City, Tennessee.
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.
Fireman 1st Class Grant C. Cook
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 11, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Cook, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Grant C. Cook, Jr., 20, of Cozad, Nebraska, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Aug. 27, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cook 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 Cook.
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 Cook.
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 Cook’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cook’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.
Cook will be buried May 9, 2019, at the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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.dpaa.mil/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T. Cheshire
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 9, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Cheshire, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Chief Pharmacist’s Mate James T. Cheshire, 40, of San Diego, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 10, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Cheshire 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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire.
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 Cheshire’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cheshire’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.
For future funeral information, visit http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/Article/1727479/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-cheshire-j/
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.
Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Jan. 8, 2019
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Austin, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin, 36, of Warrior, Alabama, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 4, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Austin 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 Austin.
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 Austin.
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 Austin’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
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 72,751 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Austin’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.
Austin will be buried June 12, 2019, in the Punchbowl.
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.dpaa.mil/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.