The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of seven U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Capt. Joseph M. Olbinski, Chicago, Ill.; 1st Lt. Joseph J. Auld, Floral Park, N.Y.; 1st Lt. Robert M. Anderson, Millen, Ga.; Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Frantz, Tyrone, Penn.; Pfc. Richard M. Dawson, Haynesville, Va.; Pvt. Robert L. Crane, Sacramento, Calif.; and Pvt. Fred G. Fagan, Piedmont, Ala.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. The remains representing the entire crew will be buried as a group in a single casket. Two of the men, Anderson and Auld, were individually identified. Anderson’s remains will be interred with the group. Auld will be buried nearby. All are to be buried July 15 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 23, 1944, the men were aboard a C-47A Skytrain that departed Dinjan, India, on an airdrop mission to resupply Allied forces near Myitkyina, Burma. When the crew failed to return, air and ground searches found no evidence of the aircraft along the intended flight path.
In late 2002, a missionary provided U.S. officials a data plate from a C-47 crash site approximately 31 miles northwest of Myitkyina. In 2003, a Burmese citizen turned over human remains and an identification tag or bracelet for three of the crew members.
A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team excavated the crash site in 2003 and 2004, recovering additional remains and crew-related equipment—including an identification tag for Dawson.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
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.
Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified (Langwell)
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, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Ensign Robert W. Langwell, U.S. Navy, of Columbus, Ind. His funeral will be held July 12 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.
In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding ROK soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.
The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) for analysis.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.
With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 servicemembers still remain missing 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.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:49:032025-03-30 17:49:04Ensign Robert W. Langwell
Marine Missing In Action From WW I Identified (Humphrey)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is First Sergeant George H. Humphrey, U.S. Marine Corps, of Utica, N.Y. He will be buried on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.
On Sept. 15, 1918, Humphrey participated in the first U.S.-led offensive of the war, under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing, near St. Mihiel, France. The battle with the Germans became known as the St. Mihiel Offensive. There were 7,000 Allied losses during this offensive and it was the first use of the American use of the term “D-Day” and the first use of tanks by American units.
Humphrey, a member of the U.S. 6th Marine Regiment, attached to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, was killed in action during the battle and his remains were buried by fellow Marines the next day. In October 1919, a Marine who witnessed the death wrote a letter to Humphrey’s brother recounting the attack near the village of Rembercourt. He included a map of his recollection of the burial site.
Attempts to locate Humphrey’s remains by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel following the war were unsuccessful. In September 2009, French nationals hunting for war relics found artifacts near Rembercourt-sur-Mad they believed to be those of a World War I American soldier. A month later, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated the area, recovering human remains and military-related items including a marksman’s badge with Humphrey’s name engraved on the back.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
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.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:48:262025-03-30 17:48:27First Sergeant George H. Humphrey
U.S. Soldier MIA From Korean WAar Identified (Higdon)
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, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Pfc. Charles H. Higdon, U.S. Army. He will be buried Tuesday in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
In early November 1950, Higdon was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan by the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head.” Two enemy elements attacked the U.S. forces, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Higdon’s unit was involved in fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around the 3rd Battalion’s command post. Almost 400 men were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.
In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported, during his debriefing, that he and nine American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. He provided detailed information on the incident location and the identities of the other soldiers.
Following the armistice in 1953 and the release of POWs, the other surviving soldier confirmed the details provided in 1950.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a mass grave near the “Camel’s Head.” An elderly North Korean national reported he had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.
The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Higdon’s sister—in the identification.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the conflict.
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) 699-1169.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:47:552025-03-30 17:47:57Pfc. Charles H. Higdon
Airmen MIA From Vietnam War Identified (Brauner, Castillo, Ramsower, Stephenson, Miller, Young, Halpin, Wanzel, Pearce, Caniford, Simmons, Smith, Paulson, Todd)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 14 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Lt. Col. Henry P. Brauner, Franklin Park, N.J.; Lt. Col. Richard Castillo, Corpus Christi, Texas; Lt. Col. Irving B. Ramsower II, Mathis, Texas; Lt. Col. Howard D. Stephenson, Bolton, Mass.; Maj. Curtis D. Miller, Palacios, Texas; Maj. Barclay B. Young, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Capt. Richard C. Halpin, San Diego, Calif.; Capt. Charles J. Wanzel III, New York, N.Y.; Chief Master Sgt. Edwin J. Pearce, Milford, Penn.; Senior Master Sgt. James K. Caniford, Brunswick, Md.; Senior Master Sgt. Robert E. Simmons, DeRuyter, N.Y.; Senior Master Sgt. Edward D. Smith, Jr., Red Creek, N.Y.; Master Sgt. Merlyn L. Paulson, Fargo, N.D.; and Master Sgt. William A. Todd, Mahopac, N.Y. All were U.S. Air Force. Remains that could not be individually identified are included in a group which will be buried together Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individually-identified remains of several of the airmen were previously returned to their families for burial.
On March 29, 1972, the men were aboard an AC-130A Spectre gunship that took off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. The aircraft was struck by an enemy surface-to-air missile and crashed. Search and rescue efforts were stopped after a few days due to heavy enemy activity in the area.
In 1986, joint U.S.- Lao People’s Democratic Republic teams, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed and excavated the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human remains and other evidence including two identification tags, life support items and aircraft wreckage. From 1986 to 1988, the remains were identified as those of nine men from this crew. Between 2005 and 2006, joint teams resurveyed the site and excavated it twice. They found more human remains, personal effects and crew-related equipment, leading to the identification of the rest of the aircrew.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
Since late 1973, the remains of 931 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families with 1,715 service members still missing.
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) 699-1169.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich., U.S. Navy. He will be buried Saturday in Hancock.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket and discovered that it contained Lehman’s remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his sister and nieces — in the identification of Lehman’s remains.
More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. They include those buried with honor as unknowns, those lost at sea, and those missing in action. That number also includes the 1,100 sailors entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted-for from WW II.
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.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:46:482025-03-30 17:46:49Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman
Airmen Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Mason, Chambers, McPhail, Mitchell, Adam, Glover, Knebel, Rash, Pate)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of nine U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Col. William H. Mason, Camden, Ark.; Lt. Col. Jerry L. Chambers, Muskogee, Okla.; Maj. William T. McPhail, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Maj. Thomas B. Mitchell, Littleton, Colo.; Chief Master Sgt. John Q. Adam, Bethel, Kan.; Chief Master Sgt. Calvin C. Glover, Steubenville, Ohio; Chief Master Sgt. Thomas E. Knebel, Midway, Ark.; Chief Master Sgt. Melvin D. Rash, Yorktown, Va.; and Senior Master Sgt. Gary Pate, Brooks, Ga., all U.S. Air Force. These men will be buried as a group Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individually-identified remains of each airman were previously returned to their families for burial.
On May 22, 1968, these men were aboard a C-130A Hercules on a nighttime flare mission over northern Salavan Province, Laos. Fifteen minutes after the aircraft made a radio call, the crew of another U.S. aircraft observed a large ground fire near the last known location of Mason’s aircraft. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 40 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, several locations in Laos and South Vietnam were pinpointed as potential crash sites.
Between 1989 and 2008, teams from Laos People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R) and Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.), led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), pursued leads, interviewed villagers, conducted 10 field investigations and four excavations in Quang Tri Province, S.R.V. The teams recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
Since late 1973, the remains of 927 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families. With the accounting of these airmen, 1,719 servicemembers still remain missing 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.
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, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Master Sgt. Roy E. Head, U.S. Army, of Clinchport, Va. His funeral will be held Saturday in Duffield, Va.
He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 49th Field Artillery Battalion. After the 1953 armistice, it was learned from surviving POWs that he had been captured in February 1951, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition just a few months later.
Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the contained remains were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with the sergeant’s last known location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of two of his brothers — in the identification of the remains.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,025 servicemembers still remain missing 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.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:45:382025-03-30 17:45:40Master Sgt. Roy E. Head
Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Perrine)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Col. Elton L. Perrine, U.S. Air Force, of Pittsford, N.Y. He was buried last week at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 22, 1967, Perrine and Capt. Kenneth F. Backus completed a nighttime strike against the Cao Nung Railroad Yard near the town of Kep in North Vietnam. Seconds after the bomb run, a nearby aircrew reported seeing an isolated explosion approximately three miles east of the target, thought to be Perrine’s F-4C Phantom aircraft crashing. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 28 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, four locations in Lang Son Province were pinpointed as potential crash sites, separated by as many as 10 miles.
Between 1999 and 2008, U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), further analyzed leads, interviewed villagers, conducted two surveys and four excavations. The teams recovered small pieces of aircraft wreckage, human remains, personal effects and life-support equipment from the four locations.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his mother — in the identification of Perrine’s remains. No remains that can be connected to Backus were recovered at the locations.
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.jpgadmin2025-03-30 17:42:282025-03-30 17:42:29Col. Elton L. Perrine
U.S. Airmen MIA From WWII Are Identified (Arnett, Arhar, Simpson, Goulding, Stinson, Doyle, Price, Yoh)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of eight U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are 2nd Lt. Jack S. M. Arnett, Charleston, W.V.; 2nd Lt. Frank J. Arhar, Lloydell, Pa.; Flight Officer William B. Simpson, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Tech. Sgt. Charles T. Goulding, Marlboro, N.Y.; Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Stinson, San Bernardino, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Jimmie Doyle, Lamesa, Texas; Staff Sgt. Leland D. Price, Oakwood, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Earl E. Yoh, Scott, Ohio, all U.S. Army Air Forces.
Remains representing of the group and the individual remains of Arhar are to be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individual remains of Arnett, Yoh, Doyle and Stinson were buried earlier by their families.
On Sept. 1, 1944, their B-24J Liberator bomber was shot down while on a bombing mission of enemy targets near the town of Koror, Republic of Palau. Crewmen on other aircraft reported seeing Arnett’s aircraft come apart in the air and crash into the sea between Babelthuap and Koror islands. Two parachutes were spotted, but none of the 11-man crew ever returned to friendly territory. An aerial search proved unsuccessful, and more thorough recovery operations could not be conducted due to Japanese control of the area.
Post-war Japanese documents established that three other members of the crew had parachuted successfully but died while prisoners of the Japanese. In 1949, the American Graves Registration Service declared the remains of all 11 crew members to be non-recoverable.
A team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) mounted several investigations on Babelthaup island beginning in October 2000 to attempt to locate several reported mass burial sites. A team returned in November 2001, then again in January 2004, but their excavation did not recover any material or biological evidence indicating a mass burial. Shortly before the team completed their excavation, they were contacted by a private wreckage hunting group called the “Bent Prop Project” which had discovered the wreckage of a B-24 on the ocean floor four miles northeast of where a diagram from U.S. records indicated a crash site. The JPAC team examined the wreckage then and recovered remains.
Divers from JPAC and the U.S. Navy examined the underwater site again in 2005 where they recovered more remains and material evidence. After stabilizing the underwater site for safety reasons, the joint JPAC-U.S. Navy team dived on the site again in early 2007 and recovered additional remains. The joint team returned again in 2008 and recovered more remains and evidence.
In addition to the use of mitochondrial DNA analysis from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, the biological profile of the remains, dental records, material evidence including machine gun serial numbers and identification tags of Arnett, Doyle and Yoh, enabled JPAC scientists to establish the identifications.
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) 699-1169.
Olbinski, Auld, Anderson, Frantz, Dawson, Crane, Fagan
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | July 1, 2010
Seven Missing WWII Airmen Identified (Olbinski, Auld, Anderson, Frantz, Dawson, Crane, Fagan)
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of seven U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Capt. Joseph M. Olbinski, Chicago, Ill.; 1st Lt. Joseph J. Auld, Floral Park, N.Y.; 1st Lt. Robert M. Anderson, Millen, Ga.; Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Frantz, Tyrone, Penn.; Pfc. Richard M. Dawson, Haynesville, Va.; Pvt. Robert L. Crane, Sacramento, Calif.; and Pvt. Fred G. Fagan, Piedmont, Ala.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. The remains representing the entire crew will be buried as a group in a single casket. Two of the men, Anderson and Auld, were individually identified. Anderson’s remains will be interred with the group. Auld will be buried nearby. All are to be buried July 15 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 23, 1944, the men were aboard a C-47A Skytrain that departed Dinjan, India, on an airdrop mission to resupply Allied forces near Myitkyina, Burma. When the crew failed to return, air and ground searches found no evidence of the aircraft along the intended flight path.
In late 2002, a missionary provided U.S. officials a data plate from a C-47 crash site approximately 31 miles northwest of Myitkyina. In 2003, a Burmese citizen turned over human remains and an identification tag or bracelet for three of the crew members.
A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team excavated the crash site in 2003 and 2004, recovering additional remains and crew-related equipment—including an identification tag for Dawson.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
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.
Ensign Robert W. Langwell
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 29, 2010
Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified (Langwell)
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, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Ensign Robert W. Langwell, U.S. Navy, of Columbus, Ind. His funeral will be held July 12 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.
In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding ROK soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.
The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) for analysis.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.
With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 servicemembers still remain missing 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.
First Sergeant George H. Humphrey
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 22, 2010
Marine Missing In Action From WW I Identified (Humphrey)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is First Sergeant George H. Humphrey, U.S. Marine Corps, of Utica, N.Y. He will be buried on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.
On Sept. 15, 1918, Humphrey participated in the first U.S.-led offensive of the war, under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing, near St. Mihiel, France. The battle with the Germans became known as the St. Mihiel Offensive. There were 7,000 Allied losses during this offensive and it was the first use of the American use of the term “D-Day” and the first use of tanks by American units.
Humphrey, a member of the U.S. 6th Marine Regiment, attached to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, was killed in action during the battle and his remains were buried by fellow Marines the next day. In October 1919, a Marine who witnessed the death wrote a letter to Humphrey’s brother recounting the attack near the village of Rembercourt. He included a map of his recollection of the burial site.
Attempts to locate Humphrey’s remains by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel following the war were unsuccessful. In September 2009, French nationals hunting for war relics found artifacts near Rembercourt-sur-Mad they believed to be those of a World War I American soldier. A month later, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated the area, recovering human remains and military-related items including a marksman’s badge with Humphrey’s name engraved on the back.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
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. Charles H. Higdon
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 18, 2010
U.S. Soldier MIA From Korean WAar Identified (Higdon)
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, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Pfc. Charles H. Higdon, U.S. Army. He will be buried Tuesday in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
In early November 1950, Higdon was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan by the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head.” Two enemy elements attacked the U.S. forces, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Higdon’s unit was involved in fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around the 3rd Battalion’s command post. Almost 400 men were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.
In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported, during his debriefing, that he and nine American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. He provided detailed information on the incident location and the identities of the other soldiers.
Following the armistice in 1953 and the release of POWs, the other surviving soldier confirmed the details provided in 1950.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a mass grave near the “Camel’s Head.” An elderly North Korean national reported he had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.
The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Higdon’s sister—in the identification.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the conflict.
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) 699-1169.
Brauner, Castillo, Ramsower, Stephenson, Miller, Young, Halpin, Wanzel, Pearce, Caniford, Simmons, Smith, Paulson, Todd
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 15, 2010
Airmen MIA From Vietnam War Identified (Brauner, Castillo, Ramsower, Stephenson, Miller, Young, Halpin, Wanzel, Pearce, Caniford, Simmons, Smith, Paulson, Todd)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 14 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Lt. Col. Henry P. Brauner, Franklin Park, N.J.; Lt. Col. Richard Castillo, Corpus Christi, Texas; Lt. Col. Irving B. Ramsower II, Mathis, Texas; Lt. Col. Howard D. Stephenson, Bolton, Mass.; Maj. Curtis D. Miller, Palacios, Texas; Maj. Barclay B. Young, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Capt. Richard C. Halpin, San Diego, Calif.; Capt. Charles J. Wanzel III, New York, N.Y.; Chief Master Sgt. Edwin J. Pearce, Milford, Penn.; Senior Master Sgt. James K. Caniford, Brunswick, Md.; Senior Master Sgt. Robert E. Simmons, DeRuyter, N.Y.; Senior Master Sgt. Edward D. Smith, Jr., Red Creek, N.Y.; Master Sgt. Merlyn L. Paulson, Fargo, N.D.; and Master Sgt. William A. Todd, Mahopac, N.Y. All were U.S. Air Force. Remains that could not be individually identified are included in a group which will be buried together Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individually-identified remains of several of the airmen were previously returned to their families for burial.
On March 29, 1972, the men were aboard an AC-130A Spectre gunship that took off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. The aircraft was struck by an enemy surface-to-air missile and crashed. Search and rescue efforts were stopped after a few days due to heavy enemy activity in the area.
In 1986, joint U.S.- Lao People’s Democratic Republic teams, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed and excavated the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human remains and other evidence including two identification tags, life support items and aircraft wreckage. From 1986 to 1988, the remains were identified as those of nine men from this crew. Between 2005 and 2006, joint teams resurveyed the site and excavated it twice. They found more human remains, personal effects and crew-related equipment, leading to the identification of the rest of the aircrew.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
Since late 1973, the remains of 931 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families with 1,715 service members still missing.
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) 699-1169.
Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 10, 2010
WWII Pearl Harbor Sailor Identified (Lehman)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich., U.S. Navy. He will be buried Saturday in Hancock.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket and discovered that it contained Lehman’s remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his sister and nieces — in the identification of Lehman’s remains.
More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. They include those buried with honor as unknowns, those lost at sea, and those missing in action. That number also includes the 1,100 sailors entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted-for from WW II.
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.
Mason, Chambers, McPhail, Mitchell, Adam, Glover, Knebel, Rash, Pate
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 8, 2010
Airmen Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Mason, Chambers, McPhail, Mitchell, Adam, Glover, Knebel, Rash, Pate)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of nine U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Col. William H. Mason, Camden, Ark.; Lt. Col. Jerry L. Chambers, Muskogee, Okla.; Maj. William T. McPhail, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Maj. Thomas B. Mitchell, Littleton, Colo.; Chief Master Sgt. John Q. Adam, Bethel, Kan.; Chief Master Sgt. Calvin C. Glover, Steubenville, Ohio; Chief Master Sgt. Thomas E. Knebel, Midway, Ark.; Chief Master Sgt. Melvin D. Rash, Yorktown, Va.; and Senior Master Sgt. Gary Pate, Brooks, Ga., all U.S. Air Force. These men will be buried as a group Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individually-identified remains of each airman were previously returned to their families for burial.
On May 22, 1968, these men were aboard a C-130A Hercules on a nighttime flare mission over northern Salavan Province, Laos. Fifteen minutes after the aircraft made a radio call, the crew of another U.S. aircraft observed a large ground fire near the last known location of Mason’s aircraft. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 40 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, several locations in Laos and South Vietnam were pinpointed as potential crash sites.
Between 1989 and 2008, teams from Laos People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R) and Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.), led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), pursued leads, interviewed villagers, conducted 10 field investigations and four excavations in Quang Tri Province, S.R.V. The teams recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
Since late 1973, the remains of 927 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families. With the accounting of these airmen, 1,719 servicemembers still remain missing 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.
Master Sgt. Roy E. Head
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 4, 2010
Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Head)
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, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Master Sgt. Roy E. Head, U.S. Army, of Clinchport, Va. His funeral will be held Saturday in Duffield, Va.
He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 49th Field Artillery Battalion. After the 1953 armistice, it was learned from surviving POWs that he had been captured in February 1951, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition just a few months later.
Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the contained remains were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with the sergeant’s last known location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of two of his brothers — in the identification of the remains.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,025 servicemembers still remain missing 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.
Col. Elton L. Perrine
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | June 2, 2010
Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified (Perrine)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Col. Elton L. Perrine, U.S. Air Force, of Pittsford, N.Y. He was buried last week at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 22, 1967, Perrine and Capt. Kenneth F. Backus completed a nighttime strike against the Cao Nung Railroad Yard near the town of Kep in North Vietnam. Seconds after the bomb run, a nearby aircrew reported seeing an isolated explosion approximately three miles east of the target, thought to be Perrine’s F-4C Phantom aircraft crashing. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 28 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, four locations in Lang Son Province were pinpointed as potential crash sites, separated by as many as 10 miles.
Between 1999 and 2008, U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), further analyzed leads, interviewed villagers, conducted two surveys and four excavations. The teams recovered small pieces of aircraft wreckage, human remains, personal effects and life-support equipment from the four locations.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his mother — in the identification of Perrine’s remains. No remains that can be connected to Backus were recovered at the locations.
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.
Arnett, Arhar, Simpson, Goulding, Stinson, Doyle, Price, Yoh
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 28, 2010
U.S. Airmen MIA From WWII Are Identified (Arnett, Arhar, Simpson, Goulding, Stinson, Doyle, Price, Yoh)
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of eight U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are 2nd Lt. Jack S. M. Arnett, Charleston, W.V.; 2nd Lt. Frank J. Arhar, Lloydell, Pa.; Flight Officer William B. Simpson, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Tech. Sgt. Charles T. Goulding, Marlboro, N.Y.; Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Stinson, San Bernardino, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Jimmie Doyle, Lamesa, Texas; Staff Sgt. Leland D. Price, Oakwood, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Earl E. Yoh, Scott, Ohio, all U.S. Army Air Forces.
Remains representing of the group and the individual remains of Arhar are to be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The individual remains of Arnett, Yoh, Doyle and Stinson were buried earlier by their families.
On Sept. 1, 1944, their B-24J Liberator bomber was shot down while on a bombing mission of enemy targets near the town of Koror, Republic of Palau. Crewmen on other aircraft reported seeing Arnett’s aircraft come apart in the air and crash into the sea between Babelthuap and Koror islands. Two parachutes were spotted, but none of the 11-man crew ever returned to friendly territory. An aerial search proved unsuccessful, and more thorough recovery operations could not be conducted due to Japanese control of the area.
Post-war Japanese documents established that three other members of the crew had parachuted successfully but died while prisoners of the Japanese. In 1949, the American Graves Registration Service declared the remains of all 11 crew members to be non-recoverable.
A team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) mounted several investigations on Babelthaup island beginning in October 2000 to attempt to locate several reported mass burial sites. A team returned in November 2001, then again in January 2004, but their excavation did not recover any material or biological evidence indicating a mass burial. Shortly before the team completed their excavation, they were contacted by a private wreckage hunting group called the “Bent Prop Project” which had discovered the wreckage of a B-24 on the ocean floor four miles northeast of where a diagram from U.S. records indicated a crash site. The JPAC team examined the wreckage then and recovered remains.
Divers from JPAC and the U.S. Navy examined the underwater site again in 2005 where they recovered more remains and material evidence. After stabilizing the underwater site for safety reasons, the joint JPAC-U.S. Navy team dived on the site again in early 2007 and recovered additional remains. The joint team returned again in 2008 and recovered more remains and evidence.
In addition to the use of mitochondrial DNA analysis from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, the biological profile of the remains, dental records, material evidence including machine gun serial numbers and identification tags of Arnett, Doyle and Yoh, enabled JPAC scientists to establish the identifications.
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) 699-1169.