Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Omans)
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. Marvin E. Omans, 20, of Clinton, Mo., will be buried June 24, in Little Rock, Ark. In late November 1950, Omans and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east side of the Chosin Reservoir near P’ungnyuri Inlet, in North Korea, when the unit was attacked by overwhelming enemy forces. 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 Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. On Dec. 3, 1950, enemy forces attacked a defensive perimeter established by the 31st RCT. It was during this attack that Omans was reported missing.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes 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 Omans was last seen.
In the identification of Oman’s remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, compiled by DPMO and JPAC researchers, and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA-which matched Omans’ sister and nephew.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. 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 14:37:252025-03-31 14:37:27Cpl. Marvin E. Omans
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, who was lost during World War II, have been identified and will be burial with full military honors.
Army Staff Sgt. James M. McKain, of Philadelphia, Pa., will be buried on June 20, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On May 7, 1944, McKain was aboard a B-24D Liberator that departed Nadzab, New Guinea, on a bombing mission. Due to mechanical troubles, the B-24D was delayed in departing the airbase and was unable to join the formation after takeoff. Neither McKain, nor the nine other crewmen aboard the plane were seen after takeoff. In 1946, the War Department declared all ten men to be presumed dead.
In 1973, an official from the Papua New Guinea Forest Department reported finding a wartime aircraft in the mountains northwest of the city of Lae. In October 1973, a team from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) responded to the report and visited the site, where they found aircraft wreckage that corresponded to a U.S. military B-24D. The RAAF recovered possible human remains, which were transferred to the U.S. Army Mortuary in Tachikawa, Japan. Given the limited technology at the time, the remains could not be individually identified. In 1974, the remains of the crew were buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery.
In April 2008, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team investigated and surveyed the crash site. The team recovered additional remains and aircraft wreckage, including a radio callsign data plate that matched the crews B-24D.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched McKain’s niece, grand-niece, and grand-nephew.
Today there are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.
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 14:35:592025-03-31 14:36:00Staff Sgt. James M. McKain
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Williams)
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 Master Sgt. Olen B. Williams, 37, of Verbena, Ala., will be buried June 9, in Clanton, Ala. In late 1950, Williams and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were establishing a defensive line south of a bridge across the P’ungnyuri River, near a small village in Sinhung-ni, North Korea, when the 31st RCT was attacked by enemy forces. As a result of the battle, Williams was reported missing in action.
In 1954, the United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” Among the remains that were turned over at that time were remains of servicemen who died and were buried on the eastern bank of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. The remains were transferred to the Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan, for scientific analysis.
In October 1955, a military review board declared the remains within seven boxes unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, analysts from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) reevaluated Williams’ records and determined that, due to the advances in technology, the remains recovered from Operation Glory should be exhumed for identification.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental and radiograph comparison –which matched Williams’ records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously recovered from North and South Korea. 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 14:35:252025-03-31 14:35:26Master Sgt. Olen B. Williams
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, lost in World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Force Sgt. Charles R. Marshall, 19, of Martin, Ky., will be buried on June 8, in Ivel, Ky. On July 21, 1944, a B-24H Liberator aircraft, which carried nine crew members, including Marshall, was shot down and crashed while on a bombing raid against enemy targets in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Of the nine crew members, six parachuted to safety; a seventh crewmen’s remains were recovered near Hadorf. Marshall 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 that was in southern Germany. The German national claimed to have recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage from the 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, including military identification tags bearing Marshall’s name.
To identify the remains of Marshall, 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 Marshall’s uncle.
Today there are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.
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 14:33:542025-03-31 14:33:55Sgt. Charles R. Marshall
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army 1st Lt. Douglas H. Haag, 26, of Louisville, Ky., will be buried June 1, in his hometown. In early July 1950, Haag, and elements of the 21st Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed along the Kum River in western South Korea to maintain their positions long enough for Republic of Korea (R.O.K) forces to retreat to a more defensible position in the south. From July 10-12, 1950, North Korean forces struck and overran the U.S. positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the 21st IR. During this attack, Haag was reported missing near the town of Chochiwon.
When no further information on Haag was received by U.S. forces, and when he failed to return to U.S. control during the prisoner of war exchanges with the Chinese and North Korean forces, a U.S. military review board re-examined his status and concluded that Haag was presumed dead and his remains non-recoverable.
In June 2012, personnel from the R.O.K Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) were canvassing South Korea towns and villages to find information regarding unaccounted-for R.O.K soldiers from the Korean War, when the team located human remains near the town of Chochiwon. The MAKRI returned the remains and military equipment over to U.S. officials. Haag’s remains were among those found and transferred into U.S. custody.
To identify the remains, 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 comparison which matched Grainger’s records. They also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched Haag’s brother and sister.
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 website 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 14:33:072025-03-31 14:33:081st Lt. Douglas H. Haag
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing since World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pvt. William Yawney, 23, of Freemansburg, Pa., will be buried on May 25, in Bethlehem, Pa. On June 15, 1944, as part of an Allied strategic goal to secure the Mariana Islands, U.S. forces were ordered to occupy Saipan. After a month of intense fighting, enemy forces conducted a final attack on the 105th Infantry Regiment (IR), 27th Infantry Division’s (ID) position. During these attacks, elements of the 105th IR sustained heavy losses, killing and injuring more than 900 servicemen. As a result of these attacks Yawney was reported killed in action.
After the battle, Yawney’s family received a letter from his commanding officer stating that he had been buried in a military cemetery on Saipan; however, after the war U.S. Army Graves Registration Services exhumed and relocated all of the cemetery graves on Saipan, but found no grave for Yawney. In December 1948, a military review board investigated Yawney’s loss and concluded his remains were non-recoverable.
On Sept. 3, 2011, a private archaeological company excavated land near Achugao Village, Saipan, and uncovered human remains. The remains were taken into custody by the Division of Historic Preservation, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and handed over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).
To identify the 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 Yawney’s brother.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. 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 14:32:292025-03-31 14:32:31Pvt. William Yawney
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Constant)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action since the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. James L. Constant, 19, of Beach Grove, Ind., will be buried May 25, in Indianapolis, Ind. In late 1950, Constant and elements of 2nd Infantry Division (ID) were defending the Naktong Bulge, near Changnyong, South Korea, when they were attacked by enemy forces. As a result of the battle, Constant and many other service members were reported missing.
In September 1950, the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of a U.S. serviceman from a battlefield near Changnyong, South Korea. The remains were buried in a local 24th ID cemetery in Miryang, South Korea and were later transferred to the United Nations Cemetery in Tanggok. Several months later, the remains were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for laboratory analysis.
In April 1955 a military review board declared the remains unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, analysts from JPAC reevaluated Constant’s records and determined that, due to the advances in technology, the remains recovered from the area near Changnyong should be exhumed for identification.
To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental and radiograph comparison –which matched Constant’s records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously recovered from North and South Korea. 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 14:31:462025-03-31 14:31:47Pfc. James L. Constant
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 14:28:462025-03-31 14:30:19Sgt. Charles Allen
Marine Missing From Vietnam War to be Buried With Crew (Benedett, Maxwell, Rivernburgh)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of one U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, were recently accounted for and will be buried along with the 12 other servicemen who were lost in the same crash.
U.S. Marine Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett, of Seattle, will be buried May 15, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer, of Cleveland; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause, Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning, of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver, of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia, of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing, of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd, of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques, of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell, of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh, of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval, of San Antonio; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner, of St. Louis.
On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. The vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island. U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. After efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission.
Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, six Air Force helicopters were dispatched to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash.
Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for.
On Jan. 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
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.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, killed in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Navy Lt. Richard L. Laws, 26, of West Sacramento, Calif., will be buried May 10, in Annapolis, Md. On April 3, 1966, Laws was strafing enemy targets in Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam, when his F-8E Crusader was struck by enemy ground fire. His mission commander saw his aircraft crash into a nearby hillside and explode. As a result, Laws was declared killed in action.
From 1994 to 2003, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams conducted interviews and excavations of the crash site in Thanh Hoa Province, based on an investigative lead from the Vietnam Central Armed Forces Museum in Hanoi. The teams recovered human remains, U.S. aircraft wreckage, personal effects and life-support equipment; however, no remains could be attributes to Laws given the technology of the time.
In 2006, another U.S./S.R.V. team expanded the excavated site in Thanh Hoa Province. The team recovered additional human remains, aircraft wreckage, life-support equipment, and personal effects from the site.
In the identification of the remains, 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 mitochondrial DNA–which matched Laws’ mother.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call (703) 699-1420 or visit the DPMO website at www.dtic.mil/dpmo.
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 14:26:212025-03-31 14:26:22Lt. Richard L. Laws
Cpl. Marvin E. Omans
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 20, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Omans)
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. Marvin E. Omans, 20, of Clinton, Mo., will be buried June 24, in Little Rock, Ark. In late November 1950, Omans and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the east side of the Chosin Reservoir near P’ungnyuri Inlet, in North Korea, when the unit was attacked by overwhelming enemy forces. 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 Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. On Dec. 3, 1950, enemy forces attacked a defensive perimeter established by the 31st RCT. It was during this attack that Omans was reported missing.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes 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 Omans was last seen.
In the identification of Oman’s remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, compiled by DPMO and JPAC researchers, and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA-which matched Omans’ sister and nephew.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. 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.
Staff Sgt. James M. McKain
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 14, 2013
WWII Soldier Identified (McKain)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, who was lost during World War II, have been identified and will be burial with full military honors.
Army Staff Sgt. James M. McKain, of Philadelphia, Pa., will be buried on June 20, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On May 7, 1944, McKain was aboard a B-24D Liberator that departed Nadzab, New Guinea, on a bombing mission. Due to mechanical troubles, the B-24D was delayed in departing the airbase and was unable to join the formation after takeoff. Neither McKain, nor the nine other crewmen aboard the plane were seen after takeoff. In 1946, the War Department declared all ten men to be presumed dead.
In 1973, an official from the Papua New Guinea Forest Department reported finding a wartime aircraft in the mountains northwest of the city of Lae. In October 1973, a team from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) responded to the report and visited the site, where they found aircraft wreckage that corresponded to a U.S. military B-24D. The RAAF recovered possible human remains, which were transferred to the U.S. Army Mortuary in Tachikawa, Japan. Given the limited technology at the time, the remains could not be individually identified. In 1974, the remains of the crew were buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery.
In April 2008, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team investigated and surveyed the crash site. The team recovered additional remains and aircraft wreckage, including a radio callsign data plate that matched the crews B-24D.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA, which matched McKain’s niece, grand-niece, and grand-nephew.
Today there are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.
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.
Master Sgt. Olen B. Williams
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 5, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Williams)
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 Master Sgt. Olen B. Williams, 37, of Verbena, Ala., will be buried June 9, in Clanton, Ala. In late 1950, Williams and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were establishing a defensive line south of a bridge across the P’ungnyuri River, near a small village in Sinhung-ni, North Korea, when the 31st RCT was attacked by enemy forces. As a result of the battle, Williams was reported missing in action.
In 1954, the United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” Among the remains that were turned over at that time were remains of servicemen who died and were buried on the eastern bank of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. The remains were transferred to the Central Identification Unit (CIU) in Kokura, Japan, for scientific analysis.
In October 1955, a military review board declared the remains within seven boxes unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, analysts from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) reevaluated Williams’ records and determined that, due to the advances in technology, the remains recovered from Operation Glory should be exhumed for identification.
To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental and radiograph comparison –which matched Williams’ records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously recovered from North and South Korea. 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.
Sgt. Charles R. Marshall
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 3, 2013
WWII Soldier Identified (Marshall)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, lost in World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Force Sgt. Charles R. Marshall, 19, of Martin, Ky., will be buried on June 8, in Ivel, Ky. On July 21, 1944, a B-24H Liberator aircraft, which carried nine crew members, including Marshall, was shot down and crashed while on a bombing raid against enemy targets in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Of the nine crew members, six parachuted to safety; a seventh crewmen’s remains were recovered near Hadorf. Marshall 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 that was in southern Germany. The German national claimed to have recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage from the 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, including military identification tags bearing Marshall’s name.
To identify the remains of Marshall, 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 Marshall’s uncle.
Today there are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.
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.
1st Lt. Douglas H. Haag
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 28, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Haag)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army 1st Lt. Douglas H. Haag, 26, of Louisville, Ky., will be buried June 1, in his hometown. In early July 1950, Haag, and elements of the 21st Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed along the Kum River in western South Korea to maintain their positions long enough for Republic of Korea (R.O.K) forces to retreat to a more defensible position in the south. From July 10-12, 1950, North Korean forces struck and overran the U.S. positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the 21st IR. During this attack, Haag was reported missing near the town of Chochiwon.
When no further information on Haag was received by U.S. forces, and when he failed to return to U.S. control during the prisoner of war exchanges with the Chinese and North Korean forces, a U.S. military review board re-examined his status and concluded that Haag was presumed dead and his remains non-recoverable.
In June 2012, personnel from the R.O.K Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) were canvassing South Korea towns and villages to find information regarding unaccounted-for R.O.K soldiers from the Korean War, when the team located human remains near the town of Chochiwon. The MAKRI returned the remains and military equipment over to U.S. officials. Haag’s remains were among those found and transferred into U.S. custody.
To identify the remains, 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 comparison which matched Grainger’s records. They also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched Haag’s brother and sister.
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 website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Pvt. William Yawney
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 20, 2013
Soldier Missing From WWII Identified (Yawney)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing since World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pvt. William Yawney, 23, of Freemansburg, Pa., will be buried on May 25, in Bethlehem, Pa. On June 15, 1944, as part of an Allied strategic goal to secure the Mariana Islands, U.S. forces were ordered to occupy Saipan. After a month of intense fighting, enemy forces conducted a final attack on the 105th Infantry Regiment (IR), 27th Infantry Division’s (ID) position. During these attacks, elements of the 105th IR sustained heavy losses, killing and injuring more than 900 servicemen. As a result of these attacks Yawney was reported killed in action.
After the battle, Yawney’s family received a letter from his commanding officer stating that he had been buried in a military cemetery on Saipan; however, after the war U.S. Army Graves Registration Services exhumed and relocated all of the cemetery graves on Saipan, but found no grave for Yawney. In December 1948, a military review board investigated Yawney’s loss and concluded his remains were non-recoverable.
On Sept. 3, 2011, a private archaeological company excavated land near Achugao Village, Saipan, and uncovered human remains. The remains were taken into custody by the Division of Historic Preservation, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and handed over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).
To identify the 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 Yawney’s brother.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. 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.
Pfc. James L. Constant
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 15, 2013
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Constant)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action since the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. James L. Constant, 19, of Beach Grove, Ind., will be buried May 25, in Indianapolis, Ind. In late 1950, Constant and elements of 2nd Infantry Division (ID) were defending the Naktong Bulge, near Changnyong, South Korea, when they were attacked by enemy forces. As a result of the battle, Constant and many other service members were reported missing.
In September 1950, the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of a U.S. serviceman from a battlefield near Changnyong, South Korea. The remains were buried in a local 24th ID cemetery in Miryang, South Korea and were later transferred to the United Nations Cemetery in Tanggok. Several months later, the remains were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for laboratory analysis.
In April 1955 a military review board declared the remains unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”
In 2012, analysts from JPAC reevaluated Constant’s records and determined that, due to the advances in technology, the remains recovered from the area near Changnyong should be exhumed for identification.
To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental and radiograph comparison –which matched Constant’s records.
Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously recovered from North and South Korea. 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.
Sgt. Charles Allen
Recently IdentifiedBenedett, Maxwell, Rivernburgh
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 10, 2013
Marine Missing From Vietnam War to be Buried With Crew (Benedett, Maxwell, Rivernburgh)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of one U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, were recently accounted for and will be buried along with the 12 other servicemen who were lost in the same crash.
U.S. Marine Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett, of Seattle, will be buried May 15, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer, of Cleveland; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause, Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning, of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver, of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia, of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing, of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd, of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques, of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell, of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh, of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval, of San Antonio; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner, of St. Louis.
On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. The vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island. U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. After efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission.
Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, six Air Force helicopters were dispatched to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash.
Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for.
On Jan. 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
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.
Lt. Richard L. Laws
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 7, 2013
Navy Pilot From Vietnam War Identified (Laws)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, killed in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Navy Lt. Richard L. Laws, 26, of West Sacramento, Calif., will be buried May 10, in Annapolis, Md. On April 3, 1966, Laws was strafing enemy targets in Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam, when his F-8E Crusader was struck by enemy ground fire. His mission commander saw his aircraft crash into a nearby hillside and explode. As a result, Laws was declared killed in action.
From 1994 to 2003, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams conducted interviews and excavations of the crash site in Thanh Hoa Province, based on an investigative lead from the Vietnam Central Armed Forces Museum in Hanoi. The teams recovered human remains, U.S. aircraft wreckage, personal effects and life-support equipment; however, no remains could be attributes to Laws given the technology of the time.
In 2006, another U.S./S.R.V. team expanded the excavated site in Thanh Hoa Province. The team recovered additional human remains, aircraft wreckage, life-support equipment, and personal effects from the site.
In the identification of the remains, 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 mitochondrial DNA–which matched Laws’ mother.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call (703) 699-1420 or visit the DPMO website at www.dtic.mil/dpmo.