WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Frederick E. Coons, 22, of Fairview Township, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Oct. 29, 2018.
In July 1950, Coons was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1950, Coons was declared missing action in the vicinity of Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, when he couldn’t be accounted for after a unit withdrawal action to set up a roadblock against North Korean Forces.
On Feb. 23, 1952, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered three sets of remains from a shallow, temporary grave near the village of Apkong-ni, South Korea. The remains, designated X-5272, X-5273 and X-5274, were transferred to the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok for temporary burial. The remains were then sent to the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for identification.
One set of remains, X-5272 was declared unidentifiable and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu for burial.
On March 12, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-5272 from the Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Coons’ 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 the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,675 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. Coons’ 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 Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Coons will be buried April 24, 2019, in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:06:532025-04-02 23:06:55Cpl. Frederick E. Coons
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce, 21, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Sept. 26, 2018.
In July 1950, Boyce was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea. Boyce could not be accounted-for and was declared missing in action on July 11, 1950.
In December 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Boyce was declared deceased.
On October 7, 1950, a set of remains was recovered from an isolated grave in the vicinity of Choch’iwon, South Korea. The remains, unable to be identified, were designated as Unknown X-170 and were buried in the Taejon United Nations Military Cemetery. In 1951, the graves at Taejon were exhumed and the unknowns were transferred to the Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan. Again, X-170 could not be identified and the remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-170 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Boyce’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, 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, 7,675 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. Boyce’s 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 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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:06:182025-04-02 23:06:20Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce
Airman Accounted For From Vietnam War (Kibbey, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey, 32, of Delmar, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Aug. 6, 2018.
On Feb. 6, 1967, Kibbey was a member of Detachment 5, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, when he, along with three other service members, were crew members of an HH-3E helicopter on a rescue and recovery mission over North Vietnam. After rescuing the pilot of a downed aircraft, Kibbey’s helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire, resulting in an internal explosion and crash. Kibbey was subsequently reported missing in action. His status was later amended to deceased.
In March 2017, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team excavated a crash site associated with Kibbey’s loss, near Bai Dinh Hamlet, Dan Hoa Village, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, and recovered possible osseous remains and material evidence. On March 31, 2017, a Joint Forensic Review team examined the possible remains in Da Nang and recommended them for repatriation to the United States. The remains were sent to DPAA in April 2017. A VNOSMP team continued excavation of the site between February and April 2018, recovering additional remains. These remains were sent to DPAA on April 16, 2018 and consolidated with the remains received in 2017.
To identify Kibbey’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
The support from the government and people of Vietnam, and Stony Beach, was vital to the success of this recovery.
Today there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians who are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Kibbey’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing 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 Air Force Casualty Office at (800) 531-5501.
Kibbey will be buried March 29, 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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:05:432025-04-02 23:05:44Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Dickson, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Marvin E. Dickson, 19, of Indianapolis, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 27, 2018.
In November, 1944, Dickson was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was tasked with facilitating communication among various battle elements by laying telephone wire between headquarters and outposts in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany. Dickson was reportedly killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 1944, when he and other Soldiers moved to the front lines to reestablish broken telephone communications. According to witnesses, one man was killed and three were wounded. However, surviving members could not confirm Dickson’s death, nor provide the exact location to where he was killed. He was subsequently listed as missing in action. In Nov. 14, 1945, his status was amended to killed in action.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest, to locate Dickson’s remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable.
In April 1947, a set of remains was recovered from District #21 of 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-5406, and buried at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5406, a DPAA historian determined that there was a possible association between the remains and Dickson. In April 2017, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-5406 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission 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 72,771 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Dickson’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. Although interred as an Unknown, Dickson’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.
Dickson will be buried June 8, 2019, in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:05:032025-04-02 23:05:05Pfc. Marvin E. Dickson
Naval Aviator Accounted-For From Vietnam War (Bauder, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Capt. James R. Bauder, 35, of San Fernando, California, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Aug. 28, 2017.
On Sept. 21, 1966, Bauder was a member of Fighter Squadron Twenty One, USS Coral Sea, in South East Asia, as the pilot of an F-4B aircraft in a flight of two aircraft on a night reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. During the mission, the other aircraft lost contact with Bauder’s aircraft, and the plane did not return to the ship. No missiles were observed in the target area and no explosions were seen. An extensive search was conducted with negative results. Based on this information, Bauder was declared missing in action.
Between 2010 and 2017, Underwater Recovery Teams (URT) from DPAA conducted excavations of a submerged aircraft crash site in the waters immediately off Quynh Phuong Village, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. During the excavations, numerous pieces of aircraft wreckage, consistent with Bauder’s aircraft, were found, as well as possible osseous material.
To identify Bauder’s remains, 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 government of Vietnam for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Bauder’s 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 Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bauder will be buried Sept. 19, 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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:04:302025-04-02 23:04:31Capt. James R. Bauder
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Jones, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of Otter Lake, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jones 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 Jones.
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 Jones.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Jones’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched a niece and a grand niece, as well as circumstantial evidence and laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis, which matched Jones’ records.
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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Jones’ 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 Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Jones was buried May 20, 2017, in Port Huron, Michigan.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:03:452025-04-02 23:03:46Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Turner, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Allen R. Turner, 25, of Brookline, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 24, 2018.
On July 17, 1945, Turner, a member of the 1330 Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command, was the pilot of a C-109 aircraft, en route from Jorhat, India, to Hsinching, China, over “The Hump,” when the aircraft crashed in a remote area. All four passengers were declared deceased after an extensive search effort failed to identify the crash site.
In late 2007, an independent investigator, Clayton Kuhles, discovered aircraft wreckage in a deep ravine at a high altitude that correlated with Turner’s aircraft. Possible osseous remains were recovered and turned over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (a predecessor to DPAA).
In February 2009, a contracted group traveled to the reported crash site and confirmed the location of the aircraft wreckage. Also in 2009, a local resident in India turned over additional bone fragments he had taken from the crash site.
One set of remains was identified on Feb. 9, 2016 as the co-pilot, 1st Lt. Frederick W. Langhorst, 24, of Yonkers, New York. Langhorst was buried Nov. 26, 2016, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Another set of remains was identified Sept. 24, 2018 as Army Air Forces Pfc. Joseph I. Natvik, 21, of Madison, Wisconsin. Natvik was buried Nov. 25, 2018 in Columbus, Wisconsin.
To identify Turner’s remains, scientists from 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 India and Clayton Kuhles 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 72,771 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Turner’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Taguig City, Philippines, along with others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For funeral details and family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:03:162025-04-02 23:03:181st Lt. Allen R. Turner
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Jayne, K.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne, 26, of Patchogue, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 22, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jayne 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 Jayne.
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 Jayne.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Jayne’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Jayne’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 funeral details and family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:02:442025-04-02 23:02:46Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nix, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix, 26, of Danville, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2017.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nix was assigned to the 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 Nix.
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 Nix.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Nix’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 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Nix’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 Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Nix will be buried Dec. 5, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:01:452025-04-02 23:01:46Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (O’Grady, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady, 19, of Greenleaf, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, O’Grady was assigned to the 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 O’Grady. No single vessel at Pearl Harbor, with the exception of the USS Arizona, suffered as many fatalities.
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 O’Grady.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify O’Grady’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. O’Grady’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 funeral details and family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-02 23:01:162025-04-02 23:01:17Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady
Cpl. Frederick E. Coons
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 14, 2018
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Coons, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Frederick E. Coons, 22, of Fairview Township, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Oct. 29, 2018.
In July 1950, Coons was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1950, Coons was declared missing action in the vicinity of Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, when he couldn’t be accounted for after a unit withdrawal action to set up a roadblock against North Korean Forces.
On Feb. 23, 1952, the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered three sets of remains from a shallow, temporary grave near the village of Apkong-ni, South Korea. The remains, designated X-5272, X-5273 and X-5274, were transferred to the United Nations Military Cemetery in Tanggok for temporary burial. The remains were then sent to the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for identification.
One set of remains, X-5272 was declared unidentifiable and were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu for burial.
On March 12, 2018, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-5272 from the Punchbowl for identification.
To identify Coons’ 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 the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,675 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. Coons’ 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 Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Coons will be buried April 24, 2019, in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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. 1st Class James L. Boyce
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 14, 2018
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Boyce, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. 1st Class James L. Boyce, 21, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on Sept. 26, 2018.
In July 1950, Boyce was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, engaged in combat operations against the North Korean People’s Army south of Chonui, South Korea. Boyce could not be accounted-for and was declared missing in action on July 11, 1950.
In December 1953, based on a lack of information regarding his status, Boyce was declared deceased.
On October 7, 1950, a set of remains was recovered from an isolated grave in the vicinity of Choch’iwon, South Korea. The remains, unable to be identified, were designated as Unknown X-170 and were buried in the Taejon United Nations Military Cemetery. In 1951, the graves at Taejon were exhumed and the unknowns were transferred to the Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan. Again, X-170 could not be identified and the remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On Oct. 16, 2017, Unknown X-170 was disinterred from the Punchbowl and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Boyce’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, 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, 7,675 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. Boyce’s 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 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.
Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 14, 2018
Airman Accounted For From Vietnam War (Kibbey, R.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Air Force Col. Richard A. Kibbey, 32, of Delmar, New York, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Aug. 6, 2018.
On Feb. 6, 1967, Kibbey was a member of Detachment 5, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, when he, along with three other service members, were crew members of an HH-3E helicopter on a rescue and recovery mission over North Vietnam. After rescuing the pilot of a downed aircraft, Kibbey’s helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire, resulting in an internal explosion and crash. Kibbey was subsequently reported missing in action. His status was later amended to deceased.
In March 2017, a Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team excavated a crash site associated with Kibbey’s loss, near Bai Dinh Hamlet, Dan Hoa Village, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, and recovered possible osseous remains and material evidence. On March 31, 2017, a Joint Forensic Review team examined the possible remains in Da Nang and recommended them for repatriation to the United States. The remains were sent to DPAA in April 2017. A VNOSMP team continued excavation of the site between February and April 2018, recovering additional remains. These remains were sent to DPAA on April 16, 2018 and consolidated with the remains received in 2017.
To identify Kibbey’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
The support from the government and people of Vietnam, and Stony Beach, was vital to the success of this recovery.
Today there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians who are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Kibbey’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing 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 Air Force Casualty Office at (800) 531-5501.
Kibbey will be buried March 29, 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.
Pfc. Marvin E. Dickson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 13, 2018
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Dickson, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Marvin E. Dickson, 19, of Indianapolis, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 27, 2018.
In November, 1944, Dickson was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was tasked with facilitating communication among various battle elements by laying telephone wire between headquarters and outposts in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany. Dickson was reportedly killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 1944, when he and other Soldiers moved to the front lines to reestablish broken telephone communications. According to witnesses, one man was killed and three were wounded. However, surviving members could not confirm Dickson’s death, nor provide the exact location to where he was killed. He was subsequently listed as missing in action. In Nov. 14, 1945, his status was amended to killed in action.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command extensively searched the Hürtgen Forest, to locate Dickson’s remains. Unable to make a correlation with any remains found in the area, he was declared non-recoverable.
In April 1947, a set of remains was recovered from District #21 of 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-5406, and buried at Neuville American Cemetery.
Based upon the original recovery location of X-5406, a DPAA historian determined that there was a possible association between the remains and Dickson. In April 2017, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-5406 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful the American Battle Monuments Commission 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 72,771 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Dickson’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. Although interred as an Unknown, Dickson’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.
Dickson will be buried June 8, 2019, in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
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.
Capt. James R. Bauder
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 11, 2018
Naval Aviator Accounted-For From Vietnam War (Bauder, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Capt. James R. Bauder, 35, of San Fernando, California, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on Aug. 28, 2017.
On Sept. 21, 1966, Bauder was a member of Fighter Squadron Twenty One, USS Coral Sea, in South East Asia, as the pilot of an F-4B aircraft in a flight of two aircraft on a night reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. During the mission, the other aircraft lost contact with Bauder’s aircraft, and the plane did not return to the ship. No missiles were observed in the target area and no explosions were seen. An extensive search was conducted with negative results. Based on this information, Bauder was declared missing in action.
Between 2010 and 2017, Underwater Recovery Teams (URT) from DPAA conducted excavations of a submerged aircraft crash site in the waters immediately off Quynh Phuong Village, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. During the excavations, numerous pieces of aircraft wreckage, consistent with Bauder’s aircraft, were found, as well as possible osseous material.
To identify Bauder’s remains, 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 government of Vietnam for their partnership in this mission.
Today, there are 1,592 American servicemen and civilians that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Bauder’s 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 Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Bauder will be buried Sept. 19, 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.
Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 11, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Jones, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of Otter Lake, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jones 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 Jones.
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 Jones.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Jones’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched a niece and a grand niece, as well as circumstantial evidence and laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons and anthropological analysis, which matched Jones’ records.
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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Jones’ 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 Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Jones was buried May 20, 2017, in Port Huron, Michigan.
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 Lt. Allen R. Turner
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 11, 2018
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Turner, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Allen R. Turner, 25, of Brookline, Massachusetts, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 24, 2018.
On July 17, 1945, Turner, a member of the 1330 Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command, was the pilot of a C-109 aircraft, en route from Jorhat, India, to Hsinching, China, over “The Hump,” when the aircraft crashed in a remote area. All four passengers were declared deceased after an extensive search effort failed to identify the crash site.
In late 2007, an independent investigator, Clayton Kuhles, discovered aircraft wreckage in a deep ravine at a high altitude that correlated with Turner’s aircraft. Possible osseous remains were recovered and turned over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (a predecessor to DPAA).
In February 2009, a contracted group traveled to the reported crash site and confirmed the location of the aircraft wreckage. Also in 2009, a local resident in India turned over additional bone fragments he had taken from the crash site.
One set of remains was identified on Feb. 9, 2016 as the co-pilot, 1st Lt. Frederick W. Langhorst, 24, of Yonkers, New York. Langhorst was buried Nov. 26, 2016, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Another set of remains was identified Sept. 24, 2018 as Army Air Forces Pfc. Joseph I. Natvik, 21, of Madison, Wisconsin. Natvik was buried Nov. 25, 2018 in Columbus, Wisconsin.
To identify Turner’s remains, scientists from 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 India and Clayton Kuhles 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 72,771 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Turner’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Taguig City, Philippines, along with others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For funeral details and family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
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 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 11, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Jayne, K.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne, 26, of Patchogue, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 22, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Jayne 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 Jayne.
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 Jayne.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Jayne’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Jayne’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 funeral details and family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
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.
Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 10, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nix, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix, 26, of Danville, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2017.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nix was assigned to the 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 Nix.
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 Nix.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify Nix’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 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Nix’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 Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Nix will be buried Dec. 5, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
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 Camillus M. O’Grady
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 10, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (O’Grady, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady, 19, of Greenleaf, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, O’Grady was assigned to the 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 O’Grady. No single vessel at Pearl Harbor, with the exception of the USS Arizona, suffered as many fatalities.
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 O’Grady.
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 NMCP for analysis.
To identify O’Grady’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,771 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. O’Grady’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 funeral details and family contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
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.