Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Apodaca)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Abilesio L. Apodaca, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., will be buried May 23, in Santa Fe, N.M. In early 1951, Apodaca and elements of Heavy Mortar Company, 9th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were occupying a position in the vicinity of Hoengsong, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the 9th IR to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Apodaca was reported missing after the attack.
In 1953, returning American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war reported that Apodaca had been captured by Chinese forces and died in a prisoner of war camp known as Camp 5 in Pyokdong, North Korea.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over at that time, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where Apodaca was believed to have died.
From June 2-8, 1999, a joint U.S./D.P.R.K. team excavated a secondary burial site in an agricultural field east-northeast of Kujang, North Korea and recovered remains. These remains, and some of the remains turned over between 1991 and 1994, were identified as Apodaca.
In the identification of Apodaca’s remains, scientists from DPAA and Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched his cousins.
Today, 7, 852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American recovery teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 20:14:142025-03-31 20:14:16Cpl. Abilesio L. Apodaca
Marine Missing From World War II Accounted For (Redman)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, unaccounted for during World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Pvt. Jack M. Redman, 20, of Watseka, Ill., will be buried May 16, in his hometown. In November 1943, Redman was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, which landed on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll, in an attempt to secure the island against stiff Japanese resistance. Over several days of intense fighting approximately 1,000 Marines were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded. As a result of these attacks, Redman was reported killed in action on Nov. 23, 1943.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries. During World War II, U.S. Navy Combat Engineers, “SeaBees,” significantly restructured the landscape to convert the island for use by the military. In 1944, it was reported that Redman had been buried along with another service member. In 1947, the Army Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered remains from the island for repatriation, but Redman’s remain were not recovered. The remains that AGRS were unable to identify were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Punch Bowl.
In 2011, researchers were able to determine Redman was not buried in an unknown gravesite at the Punch Bowl and believed his remains may still be on Betio. In 2013, the Department of Defense (DoD) analysts located what was believed to be Redman’s grave. In September 2014, while the DoD team was excavating the suspected burial site, a local villager turned over a fragment of remains recovered nearby. This aided the team in pinpointing the location of Redman’s gravesite.
In the identification of Redman’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including dental and skeletal comparisons, which matched Redman’s records, and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Redman’s brother.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 20:13:172025-03-31 20:13:19Pvt. Jack M. Redman
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Brown)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. soldier, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Ben L. Brown, 17, of Four Mile, Ore., will be buried May 15, in Roseburg, Ore. In early 1951, Brown was assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (ID), which was occupying positions in the vicinity of Hoengsong, South Korea, when their defensive line was attacked by Chinese forces. This attack forced the unit to withdraw south to a more defensible position. After the battle, Brown was reported missing in action. A military review board later reviewed the loss of Brown, declaring him dead and his remains non-recoverable.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where POWs from Brown’s unit were believed to have died.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, dental comparison, which matched his records, and two forms of forensic identification tools, to include mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his sister and brother, and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American recovery teams.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 20:11:382025-03-31 20:11:40Cpl. Ben L. Brown
Airmen Missing From WWII Accounted For (Howard, Kittredge)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that two U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
The two servicemen are Army Air Force Staff Sgts. Robert E. Howard, 21, of Moravia, Iowa, and David R. Kittredge, 22, of Oneida, Wis. The individually identified remains of Howard were buried July 19, 2014, in Moulton, Iowa. The individually identified remains of Kittredge were buried Aug. 13, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. The remains that could not be individually identified will be buried as a group in a single casket, May 27, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On April 16, 1945, three aircraft were flying in a formation on a bombing raid to Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, when the pilots of two other aircraft reported seeing Howard and Kittredge’s aircraft hit by enemy fire. The B-26B descended into a deep dive and exploded upon ground impact.
In 2007, a German aircraft researcher interviewed eyewitnesses, who reported seeing two deceased crew members buried near the crash site under an apple tree. He also reported the crew members as being exhumed in 1947 or 1948, by an allied recovery team.
In June 2012, a German national informed the U.S. government that he found possible human remains in Muhlanger, which he believed to have been associated with an April 1945, B-26B crash, and turned them over to the local police. In July 2012, a Department of Defense (DoD) team began excavating the site recovering human remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage. DoD also took custody of the remains that the local German national had previously recovered.
To identify Howard’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
To identify Kittredge’s remains, scientists from DPAA and AFDIL also used mtDNA and dental comparisons, which matched his records.
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Erickson)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Eugene L. Erickson, 21, of Brainerd, Minn., will be buried May 13, in Santa Fe, N.M. In mid May 1951, Erickson and elements of Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were engaged against enemy forces north of Hougchon, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the 38th IR to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Erickson was reported missing after the attack.
In September 1953, as part of a prisoner of war exchange known as Operation Big Switch, returning American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war, reported that Erickson had been captured by Chinese forces. Reports indicated he died in the summer of 1951from dysentery and malnutrition, while held in a prisoner of war camp in Suan, North Korea. A military review board later amended Erickson’s status to deceased.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over at that time, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where Erickson was believed to have died.
In the identification of Erickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis, mitochondrial DNA, which matched his brother and niece, and Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 19:18:522025-03-31 19:21:44Pfc. Eugene L. Erickson
Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Holt)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Master Sgt. James W. Holt, 26, of Hope, Ark., will be buried May 14, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Feb. 7, 1968, Holt was assigned to Company C, 5th Special Forces Group, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam. Survivors of the attack reported that Holt was manning a 106-mm recoilless rifle in a mortar pit near the camp of Lang Vei, when he depleted his ammunition destroying an enemy tank. The survivors also reported that he was last seen running toward the ammunition bunker. Holt was reported as missing in action following the battle. A military review board later amended his status to presumed killed in action.
On June 21, 1989, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) unilaterally turned over remains that were believed to be those of a U.S. serviceman. Vietnamese officials recovered the remains from a refugee, but lacked necessary documentation for identification. Due to the technology at that time, the remains could not be identified.
In 1995 and 2004, joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated areas within the perimeter of the former Special Forces camp at Lang Vei, and recovered human remains. The remains were identified as Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Hanna, Master Sgt. Charles W. Lindewald, and Sgt. 1st Class James L. Moreland. All three identified servicemen were buried with full military honors in Jan. 15, 2005, Feb. 5, 2005 and May 14, 2011, respectively.
In the identification of Holt, scientists from the DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, from the 1989 unilateral turnover, and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his sister and brothers, and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brothers.
Today there are 1,627 American service members that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 19:17:192025-03-31 19:17:21Master Sgt. James W. Holt
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Stamer)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Master Sgt. Francis H. Stamer, 35, of San Fernando, Calif., will be buried May 6, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Nov. 1, 1950, Stamer was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit was attacked by Chinese forces at Unsan village in North Korea. This attack forced the unit to withdraw five miles southeast to Ipsok village. Stamer was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950. A military board later amended his status to killed in action.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Stamer was believed to have died.
To identify Stamer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his niece and Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his nephew.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 19:16:242025-03-31 19:16:26Master Sgt. Francis H. Stamer
Airmen Missing From World War II Accounted For (Lane)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that of U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been accounted for and their remains are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. William P. Cook, 27, of Alameda, Calif., Staff Sgts. Maurice J. Fevold, 21, of Chicago, and Frank G. Lane Jr., 21, of Cleveland, and Sgt. Eric M. Honeyman, 21, of Alameda, Calif., have been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors. Cook was buried Oct. 18, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Fevold was buried Oct. 20, 2014, in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Lane will be buried May 2, 2015, in Willoughby, Ohio, and Honeyman will be buried at a date and location still to be determined.
On Dec. 23, 1944, Cook along with five other B-26G Marauder crewmembers took off from Saint Quentin, France, on a mission to bomb an enemy-held bridge in Eller, Germany. The aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire near Seffern, Germany, near the Belgium border.
Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Command (AGRC) conducted extensive field investigations and was unable to locate the aircraft and the crew. In May 1949, AGRC concluded the crew members were unrecoverable.
In 2006, a group of aviation researchers located the wreckage of a B-26G near Allmuthen, Belgium and notified the U.S. Army Mortuary Affairs Activity – Europe. In 2007, a Department of Defense (DoD) team investigated the site and recommended it for excavation.
In 2012 and 2013, DoD teams excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and non-biological material evidence.
To identify Cook’s remains, scientists from DoD and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched Cook’s maternal-line cousins.
To identify Honeyman’s remains, scientists from DoD and AFDIL used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools including, partial Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched Honeyman’s paternal-line cousins.
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Dawson)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Wallace J. Dawson, 21, of Santa Barbara, Calif., will be buried May 1, in his hometown. In early February 1951, Dawson and elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were occupying a position in the vicinity of Sang-sok, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the unit to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Dawson was reported missing Feb. 14, 1951.
In 1953, during Operation Big Switch, returning American prisoners reported that Dawson was captured by enemy forces and died in June 1951 from malnutrition. He was reported to have been buried at prisoner of war Camp 1, in Changsong. In 1954, during Operation Glory, United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead. All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for analysis. The unidentified remains were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2014, with advances in technology, the Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory in Hawaii, re-examined the records and concluded that the possibility of identification existed.
In the identification of Dawson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, chest radiography and dental comparison, which matched his records.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 19:11:052025-03-31 19:11:07Sgt. Wallace J. Dawson
Airman Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Whitesides)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Richard L. Whitesides, 27, of Stockton, Calif., will be buried May 1, at West Point, N.Y. On March 26, 1964, Whitesides was assigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 34th Tactical Group, 13th Air Force, as the pilot of an O-1F “Bird Dog” aircraft that crashed while conducting a reconnaissance mission over Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. Whitesides was never seen again
On July 29, 1999, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S. R.V.) team traveled to Quang Tri Province to investigate the loss. The team interviewed several local residents who described an aircraft that crashed during February or March 1964. Based upon information received from the locals, the team surveyed the purported crash site, and found aircraft wreckage consistent with that of an O-1F aircraft.
Between August 2013 and June 2014, two joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated the site recovering human remains and aircraft wreckage consistence with Whitesides’ aircraft.
In the identification of Whitesides, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched Whitesides’ mother.
We appreciate the cooperation we receive from the government and people of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in our continuing efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from the Vietnam War. The success in this case and those before it would not be possible without their support and assistance, and we look forward to expanding progress.
Today there are 1,627 American service members that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-31 19:09:342025-03-31 19:09:35Capt. Richard L. Whitesides
Cpl. Abilesio L. Apodaca
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 13, 2015
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Apodaca)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Abilesio L. Apodaca, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., will be buried May 23, in Santa Fe, N.M. In early 1951, Apodaca and elements of Heavy Mortar Company, 9th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were occupying a position in the vicinity of Hoengsong, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the 9th IR to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Apodaca was reported missing after the attack.
In 1953, returning American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war reported that Apodaca had been captured by Chinese forces and died in a prisoner of war camp known as Camp 5 in Pyokdong, North Korea.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over at that time, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where Apodaca was believed to have died.
From June 2-8, 1999, a joint U.S./D.P.R.K. team excavated a secondary burial site in an agricultural field east-northeast of Kujang, North Korea and recovered remains. These remains, and some of the remains turned over between 1991 and 1994, were identified as Apodaca.
In the identification of Apodaca’s remains, scientists from DPAA and Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched his cousins.
Today, 7, 852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American recovery teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
Pvt. Jack M. Redman
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 8, 2015
Marine Missing From World War II Accounted For (Redman)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, unaccounted for during World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Pvt. Jack M. Redman, 20, of Watseka, Ill., will be buried May 16, in his hometown. In November 1943, Redman was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, which landed on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll, in an attempt to secure the island against stiff Japanese resistance. Over several days of intense fighting approximately 1,000 Marines were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded. As a result of these attacks, Redman was reported killed in action on Nov. 23, 1943.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries. During World War II, U.S. Navy Combat Engineers, “SeaBees,” significantly restructured the landscape to convert the island for use by the military. In 1944, it was reported that Redman had been buried along with another service member. In 1947, the Army Grave Registration Service (AGRS) recovered remains from the island for repatriation, but Redman’s remain were not recovered. The remains that AGRS were unable to identify were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Punch Bowl.
In 2011, researchers were able to determine Redman was not buried in an unknown gravesite at the Punch Bowl and believed his remains may still be on Betio. In 2013, the Department of Defense (DoD) analysts located what was believed to be Redman’s grave. In September 2014, while the DoD team was excavating the suspected burial site, a local villager turned over a fragment of remains recovered nearby. This aided the team in pinpointing the location of Redman’s gravesite.
In the identification of Redman’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including dental and skeletal comparisons, which matched Redman’s records, and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Redman’s brother.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
Cpl. Ben L. Brown
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 8, 2015
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Brown)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. soldier, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. Ben L. Brown, 17, of Four Mile, Ore., will be buried May 15, in Roseburg, Ore. In early 1951, Brown was assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (ID), which was occupying positions in the vicinity of Hoengsong, South Korea, when their defensive line was attacked by Chinese forces. This attack forced the unit to withdraw south to a more defensible position. After the battle, Brown was reported missing in action. A military review board later reviewed the loss of Brown, declaring him dead and his remains non-recoverable.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where POWs from Brown’s unit were believed to have died.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, dental comparison, which matched his records, and two forms of forensic identification tools, to include mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his sister and brother, and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American recovery teams.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1169.
Howard, Kittredge
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 5, 2015
Airmen Missing From WWII Accounted For (Howard, Kittredge)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that two U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
The two servicemen are Army Air Force Staff Sgts. Robert E. Howard, 21, of Moravia, Iowa, and David R. Kittredge, 22, of Oneida, Wis. The individually identified remains of Howard were buried July 19, 2014, in Moulton, Iowa. The individually identified remains of Kittredge were buried Aug. 13, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. The remains that could not be individually identified will be buried as a group in a single casket, May 27, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On April 16, 1945, three aircraft were flying in a formation on a bombing raid to Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, when the pilots of two other aircraft reported seeing Howard and Kittredge’s aircraft hit by enemy fire. The B-26B descended into a deep dive and exploded upon ground impact.
In 2007, a German aircraft researcher interviewed eyewitnesses, who reported seeing two deceased crew members buried near the crash site under an apple tree. He also reported the crew members as being exhumed in 1947 or 1948, by an allied recovery team.
In June 2012, a German national informed the U.S. government that he found possible human remains in Muhlanger, which he believed to have been associated with an April 1945, B-26B crash, and turned them over to the local police. In July 2012, a Department of Defense (DoD) team began excavating the site recovering human remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage. DoD also took custody of the remains that the local German national had previously recovered.
To identify Howard’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
To identify Kittredge’s remains, scientists from DPAA and AFDIL also used mtDNA and dental comparisons, which matched his records.
Pfc. Eugene L. Erickson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 5, 2015
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Erickson)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Eugene L. Erickson, 21, of Brainerd, Minn., will be buried May 13, in Santa Fe, N.M. In mid May 1951, Erickson and elements of Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were engaged against enemy forces north of Hougchon, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the 38th IR to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Erickson was reported missing after the attack.
In September 1953, as part of a prisoner of war exchange known as Operation Big Switch, returning American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war, reported that Erickson had been captured by Chinese forces. Reports indicated he died in the summer of 1951from dysentery and malnutrition, while held in a prisoner of war camp in Suan, North Korea. A military review board later amended Erickson’s status to deceased.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over at that time, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where Erickson was believed to have died.
In the identification of Erickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis, mitochondrial DNA, which matched his brother and niece, and Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
Master Sgt. James W. Holt
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 5, 2015
Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Holt)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Master Sgt. James W. Holt, 26, of Hope, Ark., will be buried May 14, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Feb. 7, 1968, Holt was assigned to Company C, 5th Special Forces Group, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam. Survivors of the attack reported that Holt was manning a 106-mm recoilless rifle in a mortar pit near the camp of Lang Vei, when he depleted his ammunition destroying an enemy tank. The survivors also reported that he was last seen running toward the ammunition bunker. Holt was reported as missing in action following the battle. A military review board later amended his status to presumed killed in action.
On June 21, 1989, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) unilaterally turned over remains that were believed to be those of a U.S. serviceman. Vietnamese officials recovered the remains from a refugee, but lacked necessary documentation for identification. Due to the technology at that time, the remains could not be identified.
In 1995 and 2004, joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated areas within the perimeter of the former Special Forces camp at Lang Vei, and recovered human remains. The remains were identified as Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Hanna, Master Sgt. Charles W. Lindewald, and Sgt. 1st Class James L. Moreland. All three identified servicemen were buried with full military honors in Jan. 15, 2005, Feb. 5, 2005 and May 14, 2011, respectively.
In the identification of Holt, scientists from the DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, from the 1989 unilateral turnover, and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his sister and brothers, and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brothers.
Today there are 1,627 American service members that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or call (703) 699-1169.
Master Sgt. Francis H. Stamer
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 29, 2015
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Stamer)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Master Sgt. Francis H. Stamer, 35, of San Fernando, Calif., will be buried May 6, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Nov. 1, 1950, Stamer was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit was attacked by Chinese forces at Unsan village in North Korea. This attack forced the unit to withdraw five miles southeast to Ipsok village. Stamer was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950. A military board later amended his status to killed in action.
Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Stamer was believed to have died.
To identify Stamer’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his niece and Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his nephew.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
Cook, Fevold, Lane, Honeyman
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 28, 2015
Airmen Missing From World War II Accounted For (Lane)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that of U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been accounted for and their remains are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. William P. Cook, 27, of Alameda, Calif., Staff Sgts. Maurice J. Fevold, 21, of Chicago, and Frank G. Lane Jr., 21, of Cleveland, and Sgt. Eric M. Honeyman, 21, of Alameda, Calif., have been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors. Cook was buried Oct. 18, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Fevold was buried Oct. 20, 2014, in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Lane will be buried May 2, 2015, in Willoughby, Ohio, and Honeyman will be buried at a date and location still to be determined.
On Dec. 23, 1944, Cook along with five other B-26G Marauder crewmembers took off from Saint Quentin, France, on a mission to bomb an enemy-held bridge in Eller, Germany. The aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire near Seffern, Germany, near the Belgium border.
Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Command (AGRC) conducted extensive field investigations and was unable to locate the aircraft and the crew. In May 1949, AGRC concluded the crew members were unrecoverable.
In 2006, a group of aviation researchers located the wreckage of a B-26G near Allmuthen, Belgium and notified the U.S. Army Mortuary Affairs Activity – Europe. In 2007, a Department of Defense (DoD) team investigated the site and recommended it for excavation.
In 2012 and 2013, DoD teams excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and non-biological material evidence.
To identify Cook’s remains, scientists from DoD and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched Cook’s maternal-line cousins.
To identify Honeyman’s remains, scientists from DoD and AFDIL used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools including, partial Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched Honeyman’s paternal-line cousins.
Sgt. Wallace J. Dawson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 22, 2015
Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For (Dawson)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Wallace J. Dawson, 21, of Santa Barbara, Calif., will be buried May 1, in his hometown. In early February 1951, Dawson and elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were occupying a position in the vicinity of Sang-sok, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the unit to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Dawson was reported missing Feb. 14, 1951.
In 1953, during Operation Big Switch, returning American prisoners reported that Dawson was captured by enemy forces and died in June 1951 from malnutrition. He was reported to have been buried at prisoner of war Camp 1, in Changsong. In 1954, during Operation Glory, United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead. All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for analysis. The unidentified remains were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2014, with advances in technology, the Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory in Hawaii, re-examined the records and concluded that the possibility of identification existed.
In the identification of Dawson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, chest radiography and dental comparison, which matched his records.
Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.
Capt. Richard L. Whitesides
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 22, 2015
Airman Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Whitesides)
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Richard L. Whitesides, 27, of Stockton, Calif., will be buried May 1, at West Point, N.Y. On March 26, 1964, Whitesides was assigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 34th Tactical Group, 13th Air Force, as the pilot of an O-1F “Bird Dog” aircraft that crashed while conducting a reconnaissance mission over Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. Whitesides was never seen again
On July 29, 1999, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S. R.V.) team traveled to Quang Tri Province to investigate the loss. The team interviewed several local residents who described an aircraft that crashed during February or March 1964. Based upon information received from the locals, the team surveyed the purported crash site, and found aircraft wreckage consistent with that of an O-1F aircraft.
Between August 2013 and June 2014, two joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated the site recovering human remains and aircraft wreckage consistence with Whitesides’ aircraft.
In the identification of Whitesides, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched Whitesides’ mother.
We appreciate the cooperation we receive from the government and people of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in our continuing efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from the Vietnam War. The success in this case and those before it would not be possible without their support and assistance, and we look forward to expanding progress.
Today there are 1,627 American service members that are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
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 or call (703) 699-1420.