USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Finnegan, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessemer, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for on April 18, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Finnegan 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 Finnegan.
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 Finnegan.
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 Finnegan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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. Finnegan’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 23:00:422025-04-02 23:00:44Ensign William M. Finnegan
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Roesch, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch, 25, of Rockford, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 6, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Roesch 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 Roesch.
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 Roesch.
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 Roesch’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. Roesch’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 23:00:142025-04-02 23:00:15Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Geller, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Navy Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller, 21, of Garber, Oklahoma. Geller was accounted for on Jan. 9, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Geller 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 Geller.
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 Geller.
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 Geller remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA, Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence and anthropological analysis, which matched his records.
DPAA is appreciative 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Geller’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 contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Geller will be buried July 16, 2019, at the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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 22:59:332025-04-02 22:59:34Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Taylor, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from the Korean War, are those of Army Pfc. John A. Taylor, 22, of Winnsboro, Louisiana. Taylor was accounted for on May 9, 2018.
In August 1950, Taylor was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in South Korea. On Aug. 11, his regiment encountered a Korean People’s Army unit near the village of Haman. Taylor’s company was ordered to move southwest, where they were ambushed and forced to disperse. In the days following, the battalions of 24th Infantry Regiment consolidated their positions, reorganized and began accounting for their Soldiers. After several days of checking adjoining units, aid stations and field hospitals, Taylor was reported as killed in action on Aug. 12, 1950, but his remains were not recovered.
On Jan. 6, 1951, an Army Graves Registration Service search and recovery team recovered a set of unidentified remains near the village of Haman. The remains, which could not be identified, were interred in United States Military Cemetery Masan in South Korea, as Unknown X-213 Masan.
In February 1954, the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, examined Unknown X-213 Masan. Unable to make an identification, the remains were declared unidentifiable in April 1955 and buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2016, research into unresolved losses and unknowns remains from the Korean War led researchers to conclude that Unknown X-213 could likely be identified. The unknown had been recovered in the area where Taylor went missing. DPAA disinterred Unknown X-213 in June 2017 and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Taylor’s remains, scientists from DPAA used as dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial 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. Taylor’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP 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.
Taylor will be buried July 30, 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 22:59:022025-04-02 22:59:03Pfc. John A. Taylor
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Cornwell, O.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell, 22, of Houston. Cornwell was accounted for on July 25, 2018.
On January 27, 1944, Cornwell was a member of the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, Twelfth (XII) Air Force, piloting a Supermarine Spitfire aircraft, which was shot down over Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. Cornwell was engaged in battle with a German Messerschmitt 109 (Me-109). Another pilot also engaged in battle witnessed two unidentified aircraft crash into the side of a mountain several miles northeast of Grande Bastide. Cornwell could not be reached through radio contact. Because southern France was occupied by enemy forces, an immediate search could not be conducted. After Allied forces liberated the area, they were unable to locate Cornwell’s remains.
In October 2016, French researcher Mr. Steve Leleu contacted DPAA about a possible aircraft crash site near his home in the village of Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. In a February 3, 1944 document provided by Leleu, the Prefecture of Var reported that two American airplanes were shot down near the aerodrome at Cuers, France. A French report from Jan. 3, 1944, also from the Prefecture of Var, discussed the burials of two American aviators.
Leleu reported recovery of a large amount of evidence, including aircraft parts, personnel equipment and possible remains.
In June 2017, DPAA’s Europe-Mediterranean Regional Directorate Investigation Team conducted a field investigation, confirmed the evidence from Leleu, and took possession of the remains.
To identify Cornwell’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the French government and Mr. Steve Leleu for their assistance 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 72,772 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cornwell’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For funeral 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 22:58:322025-04-02 22:58:331st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Mason, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II, are those of Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason, 48, of Corwith, Iowa. Mason was accounted for on March 26, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Mason 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 Mason.
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 Mason.
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 Mason’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,772 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Mason’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, 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 Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Mason will be buried May 28, 2019, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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 22:57:592025-04-02 22:58:00Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Goldwater, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II, are those of Navy Radioman 3rd Class Jack R. Goldwater, 19, of San Francisco. Goldwater was accounted for on March 19, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Goldwater 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 Goldwater.
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 Goldwater.
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 Goldwater’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Goldwater’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 contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Goldwater will be buried June 7, 2019, in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
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 22:57:292025-04-02 22:57:31Radioman 3rd Class Jack R. Goldwater
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Donald, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II are those of Navy Shopfitter 3rd Class John M. Donald, 28, of Ball Ground, Georgia. Donald was accounted for on April 11, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Donald 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 Donald.
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 Donald.
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 identification.
To identify Donald’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Donald’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 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 22:56:552025-04-02 22:56:56Shopfitter 3rd Class John M. Donald
Soldier Accounted-For From The Korean War (Lindquist, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from the Korean War, are those of Army Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist, 32, of Willmar, Minnesota. Lindquist was accounted for on June 4, 2018.
In late November 1950, Lindquist was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. The unit, designated the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), engaged with forces of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in a battle on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Lindquist was reported missing in action during the battle, on Nov. 29, 1950.
In 1954, United Nations and communist forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army’s Central Identification Unit for analysis. None of the recovered remains could be associated with Lindquist and he was declared non-recoverable.
One set of remains returned during Operation Glory were reportedly recovered from an isolated grave on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. The remains, designated X-15902, were determined to be unidentifiable and were interred as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2013, following thorough historical analysis and research, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-15902 from the Punchbowl and sent the remains to the lab for identification.
To identify Lindquist’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 circumstantial 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. Lindquist’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP, along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2498.
Lindquist will be buried Aug. 5, 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 22:56:252025-04-02 22:56:27Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist
Tuskegee Airman Accounted For From World War II (Dickson, L.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Army Air Forces Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson, 24, of New York, New York. Dickson was accounted for on July 26, 2018.
In December 1944, Dickson was a pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, in the European Theater. On Dec.23, 1944, Dickson departed Ramitelli Air Base, Italy on an aerial reconnaissance mission toward Praha, Czechoslovakia. On his return, Dickson’s P-51D aircraft suffered engine failure and was seen to crash along the borders of Italy and Austria, reportedly between Malborghetto and Tarviso, Italy. According to witnesses, Dickson’s plane had rolled over with the canopy jettisoned. He was not observed ejecting from the plane. Dickson’s remains were not recovered and he was subsequently declared missing in action.
After combat operations in the area ceased, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) and American Graves Registration Service- Mediterranean Zone U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps searched for and disinterred remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe, as part of the global effort to identify and return fallen servicemen.
On April 6, 1946, a search team investigated Dickson’s case, and spoke to municipal officials, locals and priests in a number of towns along the Italy-Austria border. While the team received information on several crashes, none correlated to Dickson’s loss.
On May 12, 1948, an investigation, conducted by the Austrian Detachment, First Field Command, American Graves Registration Command spoke with the Burgermeister, a local magistrate, of Arnoldstein, Austria, as well as with current and former police chiefs of Maglern, Austria. One witness stated the plane exploded when it crashed. The wreckage and remains found were allegedly taken to Klagenfurt, Austria, by German military.
With no further leads on Dickson’s case, a Board of Officers declared him non-recoverable on Sept. 29, 1949.
In January 2012 researchers with the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (a predecessor to DPAA) contacted Mr. Roland Domanig, an Austrian researcher who had recently reported the discovery of a separate crash site in northern Italy.
In April 2012, historians and analysts from DPMO and Joint Personnel Accounting Command (JPAC, also a predecessor to DPAA) met with Mr. Domanig and additional witnesses who had seen the crash and been to the crash site. The team subsequently visited the crash site, finding wreckage matching Dickson’s aircraft type in Austria.
From July 11 through Aug. 8, 2017, partnered with DPAA, the University of New Orleans and University of Innsbruck conducted an excavation of the crash site. Recovered remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis, and circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Austria, the University of New Orleans, which implemented the field school that conducted the recovery effort, the University of Innsbruck, which greatly assisted with the field school, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which provided key support to the field school, to include financial fellowships for participating students, and Mr. Roland Domanig, for their support 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 72,776 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 Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, 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) 892-2498.
Dickson will be buried March 22, 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 22:55:502025-04-02 22:55:52Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson
Ensign William M. Finnegan
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 10, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Finnegan, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessemer, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for on April 18, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Finnegan 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 Finnegan.
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 Finnegan.
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 Finnegan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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. Finnegan’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.
Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 10, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Roesch, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch, 25, of Rockford, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Dec. 6, 2016.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Roesch 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 Roesch.
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 Roesch.
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.
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To identify Roesch’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. Roesch’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.
Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 3, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Geller, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Navy Fireman 1st Class Leonard R. Geller, 21, of Garber, Oklahoma. Geller was accounted for on Jan. 9, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Geller 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 Geller.
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 Geller.
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 Geller remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA, Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, which matched his family, as well as circumstantial evidence and anthropological analysis, which matched his records.
DPAA is appreciative 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Geller’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 contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Geller will be buried July 16, 2019, at the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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. John A. Taylor
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 3, 2018
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Taylor, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from the Korean War, are those of Army Pfc. John A. Taylor, 22, of Winnsboro, Louisiana. Taylor was accounted for on May 9, 2018.
In August 1950, Taylor was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in South Korea. On Aug. 11, his regiment encountered a Korean People’s Army unit near the village of Haman. Taylor’s company was ordered to move southwest, where they were ambushed and forced to disperse. In the days following, the battalions of 24th Infantry Regiment consolidated their positions, reorganized and began accounting for their Soldiers. After several days of checking adjoining units, aid stations and field hospitals, Taylor was reported as killed in action on Aug. 12, 1950, but his remains were not recovered.
On Jan. 6, 1951, an Army Graves Registration Service search and recovery team recovered a set of unidentified remains near the village of Haman. The remains, which could not be identified, were interred in United States Military Cemetery Masan in South Korea, as Unknown X-213 Masan.
In February 1954, the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, examined Unknown X-213 Masan. Unable to make an identification, the remains were declared unidentifiable in April 1955 and buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2016, research into unresolved losses and unknowns remains from the Korean War led researchers to conclude that Unknown X-213 could likely be identified. The unknown had been recovered in the area where Taylor went missing. DPAA disinterred Unknown X-213 in June 2017 and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Taylor’s remains, scientists from DPAA used as dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial 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. Taylor’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP 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.
Taylor will be buried July 30, 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.
1st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 3, 2018
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Cornwell, O.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Ottaway B. Cornwell, 22, of Houston. Cornwell was accounted for on July 25, 2018.
On January 27, 1944, Cornwell was a member of the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, Twelfth (XII) Air Force, piloting a Supermarine Spitfire aircraft, which was shot down over Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. Cornwell was engaged in battle with a German Messerschmitt 109 (Me-109). Another pilot also engaged in battle witnessed two unidentified aircraft crash into the side of a mountain several miles northeast of Grande Bastide. Cornwell could not be reached through radio contact. Because southern France was occupied by enemy forces, an immediate search could not be conducted. After Allied forces liberated the area, they were unable to locate Cornwell’s remains.
In October 2016, French researcher Mr. Steve Leleu contacted DPAA about a possible aircraft crash site near his home in the village of Pierrefeu-du-Var, France. In a February 3, 1944 document provided by Leleu, the Prefecture of Var reported that two American airplanes were shot down near the aerodrome at Cuers, France. A French report from Jan. 3, 1944, also from the Prefecture of Var, discussed the burials of two American aviators.
Leleu reported recovery of a large amount of evidence, including aircraft parts, personnel equipment and possible remains.
In June 2017, DPAA’s Europe-Mediterranean Regional Directorate Investigation Team conducted a field investigation, confirmed the evidence from Leleu, and took possession of the remains.
To identify Cornwell’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the French government and Mr. Steve Leleu for their assistance 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 72,772 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Cornwell’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For funeral 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.
Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 3, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Mason, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II, are those of Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri C. Mason, 48, of Corwith, Iowa. Mason was accounted for on March 26, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Mason 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 Mason.
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 Mason.
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 Mason’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,772 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Mason’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, 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 Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Mason will be buried May 28, 2019, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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.
Radioman 3rd Class Jack R. Goldwater
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 30, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Goldwater, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II, are those of Navy Radioman 3rd Class Jack R. Goldwater, 19, of San Francisco. Goldwater was accounted for on March 19, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Goldwater 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 Goldwater.
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 Goldwater.
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 Goldwater’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, as well as circumstantial and material 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Goldwater’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 contact information, contact the Navy Casualty Office at (800) 443-9298.
Goldwater will be buried June 7, 2019, in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
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.
Shopfitter 3rd Class John M. Donald
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 30, 2018
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Donald, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted for from World War II are those of Navy Shopfitter 3rd Class John M. Donald, 28, of Ball Ground, Georgia. Donald was accounted for on April 11, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Donald 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 Donald.
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 Donald.
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 identification.
To identify Donald’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA 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 72,776 (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Donald’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 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.
Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 30, 2018
Soldier Accounted-For From The Korean War (Lindquist, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from the Korean War, are those of Army Master Sgt. Carl H. Lindquist, 32, of Willmar, Minnesota. Lindquist was accounted for on June 4, 2018.
In late November 1950, Lindquist was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. The unit, designated the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), engaged with forces of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in a battle on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Lindquist was reported missing in action during the battle, on Nov. 29, 1950.
In 1954, United Nations and communist forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army’s Central Identification Unit for analysis. None of the recovered remains could be associated with Lindquist and he was declared non-recoverable.
One set of remains returned during Operation Glory were reportedly recovered from an isolated grave on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. The remains, designated X-15902, were determined to be unidentifiable and were interred as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2013, following thorough historical analysis and research, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-15902 from the Punchbowl and sent the remains to the lab for identification.
To identify Lindquist’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 circumstantial 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. Lindquist’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP, along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2498.
Lindquist will be buried Aug. 5, 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.
Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 29, 2018
Tuskegee Airman Accounted For From World War II (Dickson, L.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are those of Army Air Forces Capt. Lawrence E. Dickson, 24, of New York, New York. Dickson was accounted for on July 26, 2018.
In December 1944, Dickson was a pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, in the European Theater. On Dec.23, 1944, Dickson departed Ramitelli Air Base, Italy on an aerial reconnaissance mission toward Praha, Czechoslovakia. On his return, Dickson’s P-51D aircraft suffered engine failure and was seen to crash along the borders of Italy and Austria, reportedly between Malborghetto and Tarviso, Italy. According to witnesses, Dickson’s plane had rolled over with the canopy jettisoned. He was not observed ejecting from the plane. Dickson’s remains were not recovered and he was subsequently declared missing in action.
After combat operations in the area ceased, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) and American Graves Registration Service- Mediterranean Zone U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps searched for and disinterred remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe, as part of the global effort to identify and return fallen servicemen.
On April 6, 1946, a search team investigated Dickson’s case, and spoke to municipal officials, locals and priests in a number of towns along the Italy-Austria border. While the team received information on several crashes, none correlated to Dickson’s loss.
On May 12, 1948, an investigation, conducted by the Austrian Detachment, First Field Command, American Graves Registration Command spoke with the Burgermeister, a local magistrate, of Arnoldstein, Austria, as well as with current and former police chiefs of Maglern, Austria. One witness stated the plane exploded when it crashed. The wreckage and remains found were allegedly taken to Klagenfurt, Austria, by German military.
With no further leads on Dickson’s case, a Board of Officers declared him non-recoverable on Sept. 29, 1949.
In January 2012 researchers with the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (a predecessor to DPAA) contacted Mr. Roland Domanig, an Austrian researcher who had recently reported the discovery of a separate crash site in northern Italy.
In April 2012, historians and analysts from DPMO and Joint Personnel Accounting Command (JPAC, also a predecessor to DPAA) met with Mr. Domanig and additional witnesses who had seen the crash and been to the crash site. The team subsequently visited the crash site, finding wreckage matching Dickson’s aircraft type in Austria.
From July 11 through Aug. 8, 2017, partnered with DPAA, the University of New Orleans and University of Innsbruck conducted an excavation of the crash site. Recovered remains were sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
To identify Dickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA), Y-chromosome (Y-STR) and autosomal (auSTR) DNA analysis, as well as anthropological analysis, and circumstantial and material evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the government and people of Austria, the University of New Orleans, which implemented the field school that conducted the recovery effort, the University of Innsbruck, which greatly assisted with the field school, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which provided key support to the field school, to include financial fellowships for participating students, and Mr. Roland Domanig, for their support 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 72,776 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 Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, 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) 892-2498.
Dickson will be buried March 22, 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.