The Department of Defense announced today that the remains of a U. S. Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, has been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Air Force Captain Troy “Gordie” Cope of Norfork, Ark., will be buried in Ft Worth, Texas, on May 31.
On Sept. 16, 1952, Cope and his wingman, both flying F-86 Saber Jets from Kimpo Air Base in South Korea, encountered six MiG-15s of the North Korean Air Force. Cope was flying near the Yalu River, separating North Korea from China, on combat air patrol in an area known as “MiG Alley.” In the ensuing aerial dogfight, Cope lost contact with his wingman and was never seen again.
In 1995, an American businessman saw a metal dogtag belonging to Cope in the military museum in Dandong, China. He copied the data and reported it to U.S. authorities, yet inquiries to both the Chinese and North Korean governments yielded no further leads.
Then in 1999, during archival research by analysts of the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), documents about Cope’s shootdown were discovered in Russian archives in Podolsk. These archives held documents that included statements and drawings by the Russian pilots who were flying the MiG-15s for the North Koreans. Also included were detailed reports on the ground search carried out by Russian and Chinese officials in Dandong where the crash site was located.
After DPMO’s discussions with the Chinese government in 2003, a team of specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command excavated the site in May 2004 and found aircraft debris and human remains which were identified in October. Dandong citizens and officials assisted the team throughout the excavation, and were praised by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs Jerry D. Jennings.
“Without the assistance of the people of Dandong, this would not have been possible. The family of Troy Cope and the American people express our appreciation to all those who helped us bring Troy Cope home again,” said Jennings.
Of the 88,000 Americans missing from all conflicts, 8,100 are MIA from the Korean War.
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 04:40:592025-03-30 04:46:26Air Force Captain Troy “Gordie” Cope
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Driver, B.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Billie C. Driver, 18, of Dallas, Texas, killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 9, 2024.
Driver’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Driver was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Eighth U.S. Army Korea. He was killed in action when his unit engaged in combat actions with the North Korean People’s Army in the vicinity of Kumbwa-dong, Republic of Korea, on Sept. 5. Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time. The exact circumstances of his death were unknown.
On Oct. 30, 1950, Unknown Remains X-96 Taegu #2 (X-96) was recovered near the village of Namwon-dong, along with nine other sets of remains. Two sets of remains were initially identified by American Graves Registration Service personnel, and later another six were identified. The two remaining sets could not be identified, and they were subsequently buried as Korean War Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On April 15, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-96 and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify those remains as Driver’s, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial genome DNA sequencing analysis.
Driver’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Driver will be buried in Dallas, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:16Cpl. Billie C. Driver
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that Army Cpt. Charles G. Gibson Jr., 28, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 17, 2025.
In late 1950, Gibson was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 48th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Dec. 11, 1950, in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. The U.S. Army did not receive any information to indicate that he was ever held as a Prisoner of War and on Dec. 31, 1953, issued a presumptive finding of death.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Gibson’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:16Cpt. Charles G. Gibson Jr.
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Skjeie, D.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. David P. Skjeie, 22, of Los Angeles, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 21, 2023.
In early 1944, Skjeie was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb 24, Skjeie, the pilot onboard a B-24J “Liberator”, was killed in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. One of the surviving crewmembers reported seeing the plane on fire and in a steep dive, before eventually exploding on the ground. While two crewmembers survived, the others, including Skjeie, were killed in the incident. German forces garrisoned in the area documented the crash site north of Leimbach Bahnhof, near Bad Salzungen, Germany. After the crash, German troops recovered the remains of the ball turret gunner and buried them in a local cemetery. The other six crewmembers, including Skjeie, were unaccounted for following the war.
In March 1952, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, took custody of comingled unidentified remains recovered from Bad Salzungen Cemetery. These remains, X-9093 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9093), X-9094 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9094), and X-9095 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9095), were believed to be those belonging to 1st Lt. Skjeie’s downed aircraft. At the time, identification of these remains was not possible, and they were interred in the Ardennes America Cemetery, Belgium.
In June 2021, DPAA historians and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel, exhumed X-9093, X-9094, and X-9095 from Ardennes American Cemetery and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Skjeie’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Skjeie’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Skjeie will be buried in Sylmar, California on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:161st Lt. David P. Skjeie
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (O’Donovan, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Maj. James J. O’Donovan, 34, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Feb. 4, 2024.
In late 1942, O’Donovan was a member of 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. O’Donovan was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, O’Donovan died on Oct. 18, 1942, and was buried in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Grave 649.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of O’Donovan’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:16Maj. James J. O’Donovan
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Capt. Paul E. Pearson, 38, killed during World War II, was accounted for March 18, 2025.
In April 1942, Pearson was assigned to II Philippine Corps on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship OryokuMaru. Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the OryokuMaru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Pearson was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. The Japanese reported that Pearson was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Pearson’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:16Capt. Paul E. Pearson
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Johnstone, F.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Frank A. Johnstone, killed during World War II, was accounted for Feb. 6, 2025.
In the winter of 1945, Johnstone was assigned to the 721st Bombardment Squadron, 450th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. On Feb. 25, he served as a navigator aboard a B-24J on a bombardment mission to Linz, Austria. During the mission, his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Groβraming, Austria. Nine of the twelve crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft while the remaining three, including Johnstone, went down with the plane. His remains were not recovered after the war.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Johnstone’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:162nd Lt. Frank A. Johnstone
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Lester William Bauer, 20, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 4, 2025.
In the summer of 1950, Cpl. Bauer was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on July 27 near the Hadong Pass, northwest Jinju, Republic of Korea. He was not reported as a prisoner of war and his remains were not recovered after the war. With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Bauer’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:16Cpl. Lester William Bauer
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Corruth, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Joshua Corruth, 20, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 13, 2025.
In December 1950, Corruth was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. Corruth was reported missing in action on Oct. 8 near Kwang-Ju, Republic of Korea. The Army did not receive any information to indicate Corruth was ever held as a prisoner of war and issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1952. On Jan. 16, 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Corruth’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Airman Accounted For From World War II (McCollum, R.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum, 22, of Cleveland, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for Dec. 10, 2024.
McCollum’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, McCollum was assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On June 20, McCollum, the bombardier onboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber, went missing in action when his plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation. The pilot and co-pilot of McCollum’s aircraft were able to bail out and survived, but all evidence points to the rest of the crew being killed in the crash. The U.S. War Department issued a Finding of Death for McCollum on June 21, 1945.
In early 1948, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, investigated the crash, but were unable to find any of the missing crewmen. Over the next couple of years, the AGRC also assessed unidentified remains that washed ashore in the area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed but were not able to identify any of the crew. McCollum was declared non-recoverable on May 12, 1950.
In 2019, Danish divers alerted the Royal Danish Navy to a WWII-era aircraft wreck in the general area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed. A .50 caliber machine gun with a damaged serial number that partially matched on the guns on McCollum’s aircraft was recovered. In August 2021, after the Royal Danish Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal cleared the site of unexploded ordnance, DPAA partner University of Delaware, along with the Royal Danish Navy, returned to conduct an underwater survey. The survey found possible human remains as well as enough evidence to recommend the site for an archaeological excavation.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 11, 2022, DPAA primary partner Trident Archäologie, along with Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Project Recover, and with stakeholders from the Royal Danish Navy and the Langelands Museum, returned to the site to conduct excavation and recovery operations. They found extensive evidence, including remains, material evidence, and the ID tags of two of the crew members, all of which was turned over to the Danish authorities and then accessioned into the DPAA laboratory. Trident Archäologie, Wessex Archaeology, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Langelands Museum again returned to the site from Sept. 4-23, 2023, and May 18 to June 9, 2024, to conduct further operations, during which they found further material evidence and possible remains. That evidence was also accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify McCollum’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis.
McCollum’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
McCollum will be buried in San Jose, California, on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2003-06-01 08:00:162003-06-01 08:00:162nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum
Air Force Captain Troy “Gordie” Cope
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 25, 2005
Missing Korean War Serviceman Identified (Cope)
The Department of Defense announced today that the remains of a U. S. Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, has been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Air Force Captain Troy “Gordie” Cope of Norfork, Ark., will be buried in Ft Worth, Texas, on May 31.
On Sept. 16, 1952, Cope and his wingman, both flying F-86 Saber Jets from Kimpo Air Base in South Korea, encountered six MiG-15s of the North Korean Air Force. Cope was flying near the Yalu River, separating North Korea from China, on combat air patrol in an area known as “MiG Alley.” In the ensuing aerial dogfight, Cope lost contact with his wingman and was never seen again.
In 1995, an American businessman saw a metal dogtag belonging to Cope in the military museum in Dandong, China. He copied the data and reported it to U.S. authorities, yet inquiries to both the Chinese and North Korean governments yielded no further leads.
Then in 1999, during archival research by analysts of the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), documents about Cope’s shootdown were discovered in Russian archives in Podolsk. These archives held documents that included statements and drawings by the Russian pilots who were flying the MiG-15s for the North Koreans. Also included were detailed reports on the ground search carried out by Russian and Chinese officials in Dandong where the crash site was located.
After DPMO’s discussions with the Chinese government in 2003, a team of specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command excavated the site in May 2004 and found aircraft debris and human remains which were identified in October. Dandong citizens and officials assisted the team throughout the excavation, and were praised by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs Jerry D. Jennings.
“Without the assistance of the people of Dandong, this would not have been possible. The family of Troy Cope and the American people express our appreciation to all those who helped us bring Troy Cope home again,” said Jennings.
Of the 88,000 Americans missing from all conflicts, 8,100 are MIA from the Korean War.
Cpl. Billie C. Driver
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 7, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Driver, B.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Billie C. Driver, 18, of Dallas, Texas, killed in action during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 9, 2024.
Driver’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In September 1950, Driver was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Eighth U.S. Army Korea. He was killed in action when his unit engaged in combat actions with the North Korean People’s Army in the vicinity of Kumbwa-dong, Republic of Korea, on Sept. 5. Due to intense fighting in the area, his body could not be recovered at that time. The exact circumstances of his death were unknown.
On Oct. 30, 1950, Unknown Remains X-96 Taegu #2 (X-96) was recovered near the village of Namwon-dong, along with nine other sets of remains. Two sets of remains were initially identified by American Graves Registration Service personnel, and later another six were identified. The two remaining sets could not be identified, and they were subsequently buried as Korean War Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
On April 15, 2019, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-96 and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify those remains as Driver’s, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial genome DNA sequencing analysis.
Driver’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Driver will be buried in Dallas, Texas on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Cpt. Charles G. Gibson Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 21, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From WWII (Gibson, C.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that Army Cpt. Charles G. Gibson Jr., 28, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 17, 2025.
In late 1950, Gibson was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 48th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Dec. 11, 1950, in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. The U.S. Army did not receive any information to indicate that he was ever held as a Prisoner of War and on Dec. 31, 1953, issued a presumptive finding of death.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Gibson’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
1st Lt. David P. Skjeie
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 24, 2025
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Skjeie, D.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. David P. Skjeie, 22, of Los Angeles, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 21, 2023.
In early 1944, Skjeie was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb 24, Skjeie, the pilot onboard a B-24J “Liberator”, was killed in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. One of the surviving crewmembers reported seeing the plane on fire and in a steep dive, before eventually exploding on the ground. While two crewmembers survived, the others, including Skjeie, were killed in the incident. German forces garrisoned in the area documented the crash site north of Leimbach Bahnhof, near Bad Salzungen, Germany. After the crash, German troops recovered the remains of the ball turret gunner and buried them in a local cemetery. The other six crewmembers, including Skjeie, were unaccounted for following the war.
In March 1952, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, took custody of comingled unidentified remains recovered from Bad Salzungen Cemetery. These remains, X-9093 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9093), X-9094 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9094), and X-9095 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9095), were believed to be those belonging to 1st Lt. Skjeie’s downed aircraft. At the time, identification of these remains was not possible, and they were interred in the Ardennes America Cemetery, Belgium.
In June 2021, DPAA historians and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel, exhumed X-9093, X-9094, and X-9095 from Ardennes American Cemetery and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Skjeie’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Skjeie’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Skjeie will be buried in Sylmar, California on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Maj. James J. O’Donovan
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 7, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (O’Donovan, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Maj. James J. O’Donovan, 34, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Feb. 4, 2024.
In late 1942, O’Donovan was a member of 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. O’Donovan was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, O’Donovan died on Oct. 18, 1942, and was buried in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Grave 649.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of O’Donovan’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Capt. Paul E. Pearson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 21, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From WWII (Pearson, P.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Capt. Paul E. Pearson, 38, killed during World War II, was accounted for March 18, 2025.
In April 1942, Pearson was assigned to II Philippine Corps on the Bataan Peninsula, in the Philippines. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines from 1942 to 1944 when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard the transport ship Oryoku Maru. Unaware the allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier-borne aircraft attacked the Oryoku Maru, which eventually sank in Subic Bay. Pearson was then transported to Takao, Formosa, known today as Taiwan, aboard the Enoura Maru. The Japanese reported that Pearson was killed on Jan. 9, 1945, when U.S. forces sank the Enoura Maru.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Pearson’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
2nd Lt. Frank A. Johnstone
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 25, 2025
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Johnstone, F.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Frank A. Johnstone, killed during World War II, was accounted for Feb. 6, 2025.
In the winter of 1945, Johnstone was assigned to the 721st Bombardment Squadron, 450th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. On Feb. 25, he served as a navigator aboard a B-24J on a bombardment mission to Linz, Austria. During the mission, his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Groβraming, Austria. Nine of the twelve crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft while the remaining three, including Johnstone, went down with the plane. His remains were not recovered after the war.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Johnstone’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Cpl. Lester William Bauer
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 11, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Bauer, L.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Lester William Bauer, 20, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 4, 2025.
In the summer of 1950, Cpl. Bauer was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on July 27 near the Hadong Pass, northwest Jinju, Republic of Korea. He was not reported as a prisoner of war and his remains were not recovered after the war. With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Bauer’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
Cpl. Joshua Corruth
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | March 24, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Corruth, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Joshua Corruth, 20, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 13, 2025.
In December 1950, Corruth was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. Corruth was reported missing in action on Oct. 8 near Kwang-Ju, Republic of Korea. The Army did not receive any information to indicate Corruth was ever held as a prisoner of war and issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1952. On Jan. 16, 1956, he was declared non-recoverable.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Corruth’s case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Feb. 26, 2025
Airman Accounted For From World War II (McCollum, R.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum, 22, of Cleveland, Ohio, killed during World War II, was accounted for Dec. 10, 2024.
McCollum’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In June 1944, McCollum was assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On June 20, McCollum, the bombardier onboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber, went missing in action when his plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation. The pilot and co-pilot of McCollum’s aircraft were able to bail out and survived, but all evidence points to the rest of the crew being killed in the crash. The U.S. War Department issued a Finding of Death for McCollum on June 21, 1945.
In early 1948, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, investigated the crash, but were unable to find any of the missing crewmen. Over the next couple of years, the AGRC also assessed unidentified remains that washed ashore in the area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed but were not able to identify any of the crew. McCollum was declared non-recoverable on May 12, 1950.
In 2019, Danish divers alerted the Royal Danish Navy to a WWII-era aircraft wreck in the general area where McCollum’s aircraft crashed. A .50 caliber machine gun with a damaged serial number that partially matched on the guns on McCollum’s aircraft was recovered. In August 2021, after the Royal Danish Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal cleared the site of unexploded ordnance, DPAA partner University of Delaware, along with the Royal Danish Navy, returned to conduct an underwater survey. The survey found possible human remains as well as enough evidence to recommend the site for an archaeological excavation.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 11, 2022, DPAA primary partner Trident Archäologie, along with Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Project Recover, and with stakeholders from the Royal Danish Navy and the Langelands Museum, returned to the site to conduct excavation and recovery operations. They found extensive evidence, including remains, material evidence, and the ID tags of two of the crew members, all of which was turned over to the Danish authorities and then accessioned into the DPAA laboratory. Trident Archäologie, Wessex Archaeology, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Langelands Museum again returned to the site from Sept. 4-23, 2023, and May 18 to June 9, 2024, to conduct further operations, during which they found further material evidence and possible remains. That evidence was also accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.
To identify McCollum’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis.
McCollum’s name is recorded on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
McCollum will be buried in San Jose, California, on a date yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.