Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Robinson)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. 1st Class William Robinson, 26, of Denison, Texas, will be buried Aug. 7, in Indiantown Gap, Pa. In late Nov. 1950 Robinson and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. On Nov. 29, 1950, remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position near the Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. It was during this withdrawal, Robinson was reported missing.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Robinson was last seen.
In the identification of Robinson, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Robinson’s brother.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:49:052025-03-31 14:49:06Sgt. 1st Class William Robinson
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Steinberg)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. 1st Class Joseph D. Steinberg, 31, of San Francisco, Calif. will be buried Aug. 1, in San Bruno, Calif. In Feb. 1951 Steinberg and Battery C, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, were a part of the Support Force 21 in a major offensive near Hoengsong, South Korea when they were overrun and suffered over 200 casualties. Steinberg and over 100 men were taken as prisoners. Following the war, Steinberg’s remains were not accounted for.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Steinberg was last seen.
In the identification of Steinberg, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, bone samples, and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Steinberg’s sister, niece, and nephew.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:48:302025-03-31 14:48:31Sgt. 1st Class Joseph D. Steinberg
Soldier Missing From Korean War Ideentified (Thibodeaux)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Clement Thibodeaux Jr., 18, of Baton Rouge, La., will be buried Sept. 10, in Church Point, La. In late Nov. 1950 elements of the 25th Infantry Division (ID) and 35th Infantry Regiment (IR) were fighting with units of the Chinese army north of the Ch’ongch’on River in North Korea. In the course of the fighting, and the subsequent withdrawal by U.S. forces, the 25th ID suffered extensive casualties, with numerous men being taken captive by the Chinese. It was during this withdrawal, Thibodeaux was captured by enemy forces.
In 1953, returning U. S. personnel told debriefers that Thibodeaux had been captured and taken by enemy forces to a POW camp known as “Death Valley.” Soldiers also stated that in Jan. 1951 Thibodeaux died from malnutrition and pneumonia. His remains were not among those returned by communist forces in 1954.
In 2005, a joint U.S. and Democratic People’s Republic Korea (D.P.R.K.) team excavated a site in Unsan County in North Korea and found multiple remains. The remains subsequently were repatriated to the U.S. and were sent for scientific identification.
In the identification of Thibodeaux, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Thibodeaux’s brother.
Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Identifications continue to be made from the remains that were returned to the United States, using forensic and DNA technology.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:46:172025-03-31 14:46:19Sgt. Clement Thibodeaux Jr.
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Moyer)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. Glyndon E. Moyer, 18, of Luray, Va., will be buried July 25, in his hometown. In late November 1950, Moyer and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. On Dec. 1, 1950 remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position near the Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir when he was reported missing Dec. 2, 1950.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Moyer was last seen.
In the identification of Moyer, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, mitochondrial DNA – which matched Moyer’s sister and brother.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:45:332025-03-31 14:47:04Cpl. Glyndon E. Moyer
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Jerome E. Kiger, of Mannington, W.V., will be buried on July 21, in Fairmont, W.V. On July 21, 1944, a B-24H Liberator aircraft, which carried nine crew members, was shot down by enemy fire and crashed while on a bombing raid to Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Of the nine crew members, six were able to parachute to safety and a seventh crewman’s remains were recovered near Hadorf. Kiger and another crewman were not recovered. Attempts to recover their remains after the war were unsuccessful.
In 2009, a German national turned over human remains to a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigating team who was operating in southern Germany. The German national recovered the remains and aircraft wreckage from a crash site southwest of Munich.
In 2012, a JPAC recovery team excavated the suspected crash site southwest of Munich, locating additional human remains and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Kiger’s remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Kiger’s sister and niece.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 73,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:42:432025-03-31 14:42:44Sgt. Jerome E. Kiger
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Fisher)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. Bernard J. Fisher, 21, of Wilkes Barre, Pa., will be buried July 16, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. In January 1951, Fisher and elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed northeast of Seoul, South Korea, where they were attacked by enemy forces. During the 19th IR attempt to delay the enemy forces from advancing, Fisher and his unit moved towards a more defensible position, when the unit suffered heavy losses. It was during this attack, that Fisher was reported missing.
In July 1951, the U.S. Army Graves Registration recovered the remains of four men north of Shaha-dong, near Seoul, South Korea. The remains were buried in the United Nation Cemetery at Tanggok, South Korea, and were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for laboratory analysis.
During the analysis the remains of three men could not be positively identified. In March 1955, a military review board declared the remains of the fourth to be unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred as “unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, U.S. officials reevaluated Fisher’s records and determined that with advances in technology, the unknown remains could likely be identified. Following the reevaluation, the decision was made to exhume the remains for scientific analysis identification.
In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparison and chest radiograph – which matched Fisher’s records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:42:072025-03-31 14:42:08Sgt. Bernard J. Fisher
Airman Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Hanley)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Air Force Maj. Larry J. Hanley, 26, of Walla Walla, Wash., will be buried on July 13, in his hometown. On Nov. 4, 1969, Hanley, an F-105D Thunderchief pilot, was attacking an enemy anti-aircraft position, when his aircraft crashed in Khammouan Province, Laos. Neither Hanley’s wingman, in a separate aircraft, nor the forward air controller directing the attack, witnessed the impact, and the location of the crash site was unknown. As a result of this incident Hanley was declared missing in action.
In 1979, a military review board reevaluated Hanley’s case, and amended Hanley’s status to killed in action.
In 1994 and 1998, joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams investigated the case in Khammouan Province but were unable to correlate a crash site with the loss of Hanley’s aircraft.
On Feb. 24, 2012, the Joint Prisoner of War Accounting Command (JPAC) received human remains from the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) Stony Beach division. The remains were obtained from an indigenous source, who found the remains at a crash site in Khammouan Province.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic tools, such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Hanley’s mother and sister.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:41:242025-03-31 14:41:25Maj. Larry J. Hanley
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd, 21, of Cleveland, will be buried on July 15, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On June 30, 1967, Judd was aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that was attempting to insert a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance team into hostile territory in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. As the helicopter approached the landing zone, it was struck by enemy fire from the surrounding tree line, causing the aircraft to catch fire and crash. Although most of the reconnaissance team survived, Judd and four other crew members, died in the crash.
In 1993, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case in Thua Thien-Hue Province. The team interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in the nearby forest while searching for firewood in 1991. The team surveyed the location finding aircraft wreckage that could not be associated with a CH-46A.
During the 1990s, joint U.S./ S.R.V. teams continued to investigate the loss in Thua Thien-Hue Province. In 1999, the team re-interviewed local villagers who provided relevant case information and the joint team re-surveyed the crash site again, this time uncovering aircraft wreckage consistent with a U.S. military helicopter.
In 2012, joint U.S./ S.R.V. recovery teams began excavating the crash site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage from the CH-46A helicopter that Judd was aboard.
Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, including dental comparisons, in the identification of Judd’s remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:40:262025-03-31 14:40:27Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd
Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Burgess)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that an Army soldier, missing from the Vietnam War, has been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors along with two of his crew members.
Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, 21, of Sutton Bay, Mich., was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter that crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam. Also, killed in the crash were 1st Lt. Leslie F. Douglas Jr., of Verona, Miss.; lst Lt. Richard Dyer, of Central Falls, R.I.; and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Colon-Diaz, of Comerio, Puerto Rico. Another crew member, Pfc. John Goosman, survived the crash and was rescued. Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, will be buried as a group in a single casket, on July 2, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On June 30, 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer. The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors. At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.
From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.
Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:39:492025-03-31 14:39:50Spc. 5 John L. Burgess
Marine Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Allen)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen, 20, of Madison, Wis., will be buried on June 29, in Washburn, Wis. On June 30, 1967, Allen was aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter attempting to insert a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance team into hostile territory in Thua Thien- Hue Province, Vietnam. As the aircraft approached the landing zone, it was struck by enemy fire, causing the aircraft to catch fire and crash land. Most of the reconnaissance team survived; however, Allen, and four others died in the crash.
In 1993 and 1994, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case in Thua Thien-Hue Province. The teams interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in the nearby forest while searching for firewood in 1991. The team surveyed the area finding aircraft wreckage; however, the wreckage could not be associated with a CH-46A.
Throughout the 1990s, joint U.S./ S.R.V. teams continued to investigate the loss in Thua Thien-Hue Province. In 1999, the team re-interviewed the local villagers from the 1993 and 1994 investigation. The joint team surveyed the crash site again, this time uncovering aircraft wreckage consistent with a CH-46A helicopter.
In 2012, a joint U.S./ S.R.V. recovery teams began excavating the crash site and recovered human remains, aircraft wreckage, and military equipment that correlated the CH-46A helicopter Allen was on.
To identify the remains, scientists from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and dental comparisons.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo 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 14:38:022025-03-31 14:38:04Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen
Sgt. 1st Class William Robinson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 2, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Robinson)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. 1st Class William Robinson, 26, of Denison, Texas, will be buried Aug. 7, in Indiantown Gap, Pa. In late Nov. 1950 Robinson and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. On Nov. 29, 1950, remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position near the Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. It was during this withdrawal, Robinson was reported missing.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Robinson was last seen.
In the identification of Robinson, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Robinson’s brother.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph D. Steinberg
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 26, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Steinberg)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. 1st Class Joseph D. Steinberg, 31, of San Francisco, Calif. will be buried Aug. 1, in San Bruno, Calif. In Feb. 1951 Steinberg and Battery C, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, were a part of the Support Force 21 in a major offensive near Hoengsong, South Korea when they were overrun and suffered over 200 casualties. Steinberg and over 100 men were taken as prisoners. Following the war, Steinberg’s remains were not accounted for.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Steinberg was last seen.
In the identification of Steinberg, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, bone samples, and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Steinberg’s sister, niece, and nephew.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Sgt. Clement Thibodeaux Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 23, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Ideentified (Thibodeaux)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Clement Thibodeaux Jr., 18, of Baton Rouge, La., will be buried Sept. 10, in Church Point, La. In late Nov. 1950 elements of the 25th Infantry Division (ID) and 35th Infantry Regiment (IR) were fighting with units of the Chinese army north of the Ch’ongch’on River in North Korea. In the course of the fighting, and the subsequent withdrawal by U.S. forces, the 25th ID suffered extensive casualties, with numerous men being taken captive by the Chinese. It was during this withdrawal, Thibodeaux was captured by enemy forces.
In 1953, returning U. S. personnel told debriefers that Thibodeaux had been captured and taken by enemy forces to a POW camp known as “Death Valley.” Soldiers also stated that in Jan. 1951 Thibodeaux died from malnutrition and pneumonia. His remains were not among those returned by communist forces in 1954.
In 2005, a joint U.S. and Democratic People’s Republic Korea (D.P.R.K.) team excavated a site in Unsan County in North Korea and found multiple remains. The remains subsequently were repatriated to the U.S. and were sent for scientific identification.
In the identification of Thibodeaux, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Thibodeaux’s brother.
Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Identifications continue to be made from the remains that were returned to the United States, using forensic and DNA technology.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Cpl. Glyndon E. Moyer
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 22, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Moyer)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. Glyndon E. Moyer, 18, of Luray, Va., will be buried July 25, in his hometown. In late November 1950, Moyer and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. On Dec. 1, 1950 remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position near the Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir when he was reported missing Dec. 2, 1950.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Moyer was last seen.
In the identification of Moyer, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, mitochondrial DNA – which matched Moyer’s sister and brother.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Sgt. Jerome E. Kiger
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 16, 2013
WWII Soldier Identified (Kiger)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Sgt. Jerome E. Kiger, of Mannington, W.V., will be buried on July 21, in Fairmont, W.V. On July 21, 1944, a B-24H Liberator aircraft, which carried nine crew members, was shot down by enemy fire and crashed while on a bombing raid to Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Of the nine crew members, six were able to parachute to safety and a seventh crewman’s remains were recovered near Hadorf. Kiger and another crewman were not recovered. Attempts to recover their remains after the war were unsuccessful.
In 2009, a German national turned over human remains to a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigating team who was operating in southern Germany. The German national recovered the remains and aircraft wreckage from a crash site southwest of Munich.
In 2012, a JPAC recovery team excavated the suspected crash site southwest of Munich, locating additional human remains and aircraft wreckage.
To identify Kiger’s remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Kiger’s sister and niece.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 73,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Sgt. Bernard J. Fisher
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 12, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Fisher)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) 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. Bernard J. Fisher, 21, of Wilkes Barre, Pa., will be buried July 16, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. In January 1951, Fisher and elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed northeast of Seoul, South Korea, where they were attacked by enemy forces. During the 19th IR attempt to delay the enemy forces from advancing, Fisher and his unit moved towards a more defensible position, when the unit suffered heavy losses. It was during this attack, that Fisher was reported missing.
In July 1951, the U.S. Army Graves Registration recovered the remains of four men north of Shaha-dong, near Seoul, South Korea. The remains were buried in the United Nation Cemetery at Tanggok, South Korea, and were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for laboratory analysis.
During the analysis the remains of three men could not be positively identified. In March 1955, a military review board declared the remains of the fourth to be unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred as “unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, U.S. officials reevaluated Fisher’s records and determined that with advances in technology, the unknown remains could likely be identified. Following the reevaluation, the decision was made to exhume the remains for scientific analysis identification.
In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparison and chest radiograph – which matched Fisher’s records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.
Maj. Larry J. Hanley
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 8, 2013
Airman Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Hanley)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Air Force Maj. Larry J. Hanley, 26, of Walla Walla, Wash., will be buried on July 13, in his hometown. On Nov. 4, 1969, Hanley, an F-105D Thunderchief pilot, was attacking an enemy anti-aircraft position, when his aircraft crashed in Khammouan Province, Laos. Neither Hanley’s wingman, in a separate aircraft, nor the forward air controller directing the attack, witnessed the impact, and the location of the crash site was unknown. As a result of this incident Hanley was declared missing in action.
In 1979, a military review board reevaluated Hanley’s case, and amended Hanley’s status to killed in action.
In 1994 and 1998, joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams investigated the case in Khammouan Province but were unable to correlate a crash site with the loss of Hanley’s aircraft.
On Feb. 24, 2012, the Joint Prisoner of War Accounting Command (JPAC) received human remains from the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) Stony Beach division. The remains were obtained from an indigenous source, who found the remains at a crash site in Khammouan Province.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic tools, such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Hanley’s mother and sister.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 8, 2013
Sailor Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Judd)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd, 21, of Cleveland, will be buried on July 15, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On June 30, 1967, Judd was aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that was attempting to insert a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance team into hostile territory in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. As the helicopter approached the landing zone, it was struck by enemy fire from the surrounding tree line, causing the aircraft to catch fire and crash. Although most of the reconnaissance team survived, Judd and four other crew members, died in the crash.
In 1993, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case in Thua Thien-Hue Province. The team interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in the nearby forest while searching for firewood in 1991. The team surveyed the location finding aircraft wreckage that could not be associated with a CH-46A.
During the 1990s, joint U.S./ S.R.V. teams continued to investigate the loss in Thua Thien-Hue Province. In 1999, the team re-interviewed local villagers who provided relevant case information and the joint team re-surveyed the crash site again, this time uncovering aircraft wreckage consistent with a U.S. military helicopter.
In 2012, joint U.S./ S.R.V. recovery teams began excavating the crash site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage from the CH-46A helicopter that Judd was aboard.
Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, including dental comparisons, in the identification of Judd’s remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.
Spc. 5 John L. Burgess
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 26, 2013
Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Burgess)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that an Army soldier, missing from the Vietnam War, has been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors along with two of his crew members.
Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, 21, of Sutton Bay, Mich., was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter that crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam. Also, killed in the crash were 1st Lt. Leslie F. Douglas Jr., of Verona, Miss.; lst Lt. Richard Dyer, of Central Falls, R.I.; and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Colon-Diaz, of Comerio, Puerto Rico. Another crew member, Pfc. John Goosman, survived the crash and was rescued. Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, will be buried as a group in a single casket, on July 2, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On June 30, 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer. The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors. At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.
From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.
Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.
Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 24, 2013
Marine Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Allen)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen, 20, of Madison, Wis., will be buried on June 29, in Washburn, Wis. On June 30, 1967, Allen was aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter attempting to insert a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance team into hostile territory in Thua Thien- Hue Province, Vietnam. As the aircraft approached the landing zone, it was struck by enemy fire, causing the aircraft to catch fire and crash land. Most of the reconnaissance team survived; however, Allen, and four others died in the crash.
In 1993 and 1994, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case in Thua Thien-Hue Province. The teams interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in the nearby forest while searching for firewood in 1991. The team surveyed the area finding aircraft wreckage; however, the wreckage could not be associated with a CH-46A.
Throughout the 1990s, joint U.S./ S.R.V. teams continued to investigate the loss in Thua Thien-Hue Province. In 1999, the team re-interviewed the local villagers from the 1993 and 1994 investigation. The joint team surveyed the crash site again, this time uncovering aircraft wreckage consistent with a CH-46A helicopter.
In 2012, a joint U.S./ S.R.V. recovery teams began excavating the crash site and recovered human remains, aircraft wreckage, and military equipment that correlated the CH-46A helicopter Allen was on.
To identify the remains, scientists from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and dental comparisons.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.