Airman Accounted For From World War II (Olenik, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Adolph “Leonard” Olenik, 19, of Detroit, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 26, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Olenik was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Olenik was serving as a gunner crashed as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Olenik’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Olenik’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Olenik will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Holm, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Merl W. Holm, 22, of Lake City, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 15, 2022.
In November 1942, Holm was assigned to the Company K, 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. As part of an attempt to neutralize the Japanese threat to Port Moresby, the Allied center of communications in the area, Holm’s unit attempted to flank the enemy defensive lines stretched across the Sanananda Track in northern Papua. Holm was reported as killed in action on Nov. 26. Holm was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. A number of remains were found in the area where Holm was killed, but none could be positively identified as him. He was declared non-recoverable Dec. 19, 1949.
The unidentified remains from Papua New Guinea were eventually interred as Unknowns at Fort McKinley Cemetery, now Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines.
DPAA predecessor organizations began researching and recovering service members from Papua New Guinea in 1995. Years of investigation led to disinterments of two sets of remains from Manila American Cemetery, X-71 Finschhafen #2 in January 2017 and X-53 Finschhafen #2 in May 2017. Both sets of remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis. After an initial assessment, remains from the two sets were consolidated into one case.
To identify Holm’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Holm’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Holm will be buried on July 9, 2022, in his hometown.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:20:252025-04-04 00:20:27Pfc. Merl W. Holm
USS West Virginia Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Melton, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class John R. Melton, 23, of Liberty, Mississippi, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Feb. 1, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Melton was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Melton.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Melton, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, DPAA, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia from the Punchbowl and transferred the remains to the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Melton’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Melton’s name is recorded in the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Melton will be buried July 9, 2022, in Gloster, Mississippi.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:19:532025-04-04 00:19:54Seaman 1st Class John R. Melton
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown, 21, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Feb. 14, 2022.
In late 1950, Brown was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces on Nov. 26, 1950, in the vicinity of Kujang, North Korea, when his unit was attacked. Following the war, returning American prisoners of war reported that Brown died at Prisoner of War Camp #5. His exact date of death could not be confirmed, and was recorded as being March 31, 1951, the last day he could have still been alive based on POW testimonies.
In September 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from Pyoktong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp 5, to the United Nations Command. One set of remains, Unknown X-14725, could not be identified and was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Nov. 18, 2019, the DPAA disinterred Unknown X-14725 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Brown’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, 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.
Brown will be buried in Prairieville, Louisiana. The date has 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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:19:032025-04-04 00:19:04Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Wildman, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, 20, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 26, 2022.
In November 1944, Wildman was assigned to Company M, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was part of the Hürtgen Forest offensive when he was reported killed in action on Nov. 13. Because of the fighting, his body was unable to be recovered.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Wildman’s remains. He was declared non-recoverable in December 1951.
While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-5441 Neuville, originally discovered by a German demining team and recovered by the AGRC in 1947, possibly belonged to Wildman. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Wildman’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Wildman’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wildman will be buried on May 23, 2022, in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:18:162025-04-04 00:18:17Pvt. Walter G. Wildman
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Newell F. Mills, Jr., 21, of St. Petersburg, Florida, killed during World War II, was accounted for March 7, 2022.
In the spring of 1945, Mills was assigned to the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group. On April 7, he was piloting a P-51D Mustang fighter on a mission escorting a formation of B-24 Liberator bombers to a target in Geesthacht, Germany. Prior to reaching their target, the formation encountered German fighters near Bremen. Mills and the other escort pilots turned away from the bombers to engage the Germans. Following the mission, Mills and his wingman never returned to base, and were never reported as a prisoner of war. The War Department issued an administrative Finding of Death on April 8, 1946.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched for Mills and, by 1949, believed he had been buried as Unknown X-5904 in what is now Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) site in Neuville, Belgium. Based off circumstantial evidence, X-5904 was determined to be Mills, and his family had him permanently buried at Ardennes.
Between 2004 and 2010, the investigation into another unaccounted-for pilot led to the discovery that the remains buried as Mills had been misidentified in the 1940s. This returned Mills to an unaccounted-for status.
In 2012, German researchers were investigating a plane crash near Bothmer, Germany, near where Mills’ wingman had been found in 1946. According to witnesses, there was a large air battle in the area in April 1945. An American airman parachuted into the Leine River, but was already dead from a gunshot wound when the locals recovered him. One of the witnesses was shown a picture of Mills and believed he was the man pulled from the river. Stefan Ilsemann, one of the German researchers, contacted DPAA in December 2019 and suggested a link between the two. DPAA historians investigated the case and discovered an Unknown buried at Ardennes American Cemetery, X-632 Neuville, was the strongest historical candidate for Mills. DPAA and ABMC disinterred X-632 in July 2021 and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Mills’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Mills’ name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mills will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has 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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:17:382025-04-04 00:17:401st Lt. Newell F. Mills, Jr.
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Chauncey (William) J. Sharp, 18, of Osborn, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Dec. 22, 2020.
In July 1950, Sharp was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on July 24 after his unit sustained heavy casualties while defending against the North Korean army’s advance near Hwanggon, South Korea. His body was not recovered because his unit was forced to retreat, nor were any remains found that could be identified as Sharp. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
A graves registration team from Sharp’s unit investigated the area where he was lost on Oct. 12, 1950, and found several sets of remains, including one later designated Unknown X-8 Taejon. However, X-8 could not be identified despite several attempts over the next four years. The remains were later transported with all of the unidentified Korean War remains and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In March 2017, after extensive research into casualties from the Hwanggon area, DPAA historians and anthropologists requested Unknown X-8 be disinterred in order to undergo DNA analysis. X-8 was disinterred Aug. 17, 2017, and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Sharp’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Sharp’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.
Sharp will be buried May 21, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:17:082025-04-04 00:17:10Pfc. Chauncey J. Sharp
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Lilley, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Jack E. Lilley, 19, of Waldworth, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 5, 2021.
In July 1950, Lilley was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 20 after his unit was forced to retreat from the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Lilley. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
Seven sets of remains were recovered from a common grave a few miles east of Taejon in March 1951. Six of the sets were able to be identified. The lone unidentified set was designated Unknown X-769 Tanggok and were later transported with all of the unidentified Korean War remains and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, DPAA historians and anthropologists proposed a plan to disinter and identify the 652 Korean War unknown burials from the Punchbowl. X-769 was disinterred July 15, 2019, as part of Phase 2 of the Korean War Identification Project and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Lilley’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Lilley’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monument Commission’s 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.
Lilley will be buried June 14, 2022, in Westerville, Ohio.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:16:372025-04-04 00:16:38Pfc. Jack E. Lilley
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nigg, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 2nd Class Laverne A. Nigg, 23, of Browns Valley, Minnesota, killed during World War II, was accounted for on April 22, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nigg was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Nigg.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nigg.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nigg’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auDNA) analysis.
Nigg’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Nigg will be buried on June 4, 2022, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:16:092025-04-04 00:16:10Seaman 2nd Class Laverne A. Nigg
Medal of Honor Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Baker, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker, 36, of Chicago, killed during World War II and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, was accounted for April 8, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Baker was the commander of the 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, Baker was piloting a B-24 Liberator bomber during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest World War II bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. During its bombing run, his plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed, but not before he dropped his bombs on the target and avoided crashing into the other B-24s in his formation. Baker’s remains were not identified following the crash. Remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Baker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Baker’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
The date and location of Baker’s funeral have yet to be decided.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-04 00:15:372025-04-04 00:15:39Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker
Staff Sgt. Adolph “Leonard” Olenik
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 19, 2022
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Olenik, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Adolph “Leonard” Olenik, 19, of Detroit, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 26, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Olenik was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Olenik was serving as a gunner crashed as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Olenik’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Olenik’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Olenik will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pfc. Merl W. Holm
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 13, 2022
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Holm, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Merl W. Holm, 22, of Lake City, Iowa, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 15, 2022.
In November 1942, Holm was assigned to the Company K, 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. As part of an attempt to neutralize the Japanese threat to Port Moresby, the Allied center of communications in the area, Holm’s unit attempted to flank the enemy defensive lines stretched across the Sanananda Track in northern Papua. Holm was reported as killed in action on Nov. 26. Holm was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. A number of remains were found in the area where Holm was killed, but none could be positively identified as him. He was declared non-recoverable Dec. 19, 1949.
The unidentified remains from Papua New Guinea were eventually interred as Unknowns at Fort McKinley Cemetery, now Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in the Philippines.
DPAA predecessor organizations began researching and recovering service members from Papua New Guinea in 1995. Years of investigation led to disinterments of two sets of remains from Manila American Cemetery, X-71 Finschhafen #2 in January 2017 and X-53 Finschhafen #2 in May 2017. Both sets of remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis. After an initial assessment, remains from the two sets were consolidated into one case.
To identify Holm’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Holm’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Holm will be buried on July 9, 2022, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Seaman 1st Class John R. Melton
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 11, 2022
USS West Virginia Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Melton, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class John R. Melton, 23, of Liberty, Mississippi, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Feb. 1, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Melton was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing, and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 106 crewmen, including Melton.
During efforts to salvage the USS West Virginia, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crewmen, representing at least 66 individuals. Those who could not be identified, including Melton, were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
From June through October 2017, DPAA, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred 35 caskets, reported to be associated with the USS West Virginia from the Punchbowl and transferred the remains to the DPAA laboratory.
To identify Melton’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Melton’s name is recorded in the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Melton will be buried July 9, 2022, in Gloster, Mississippi.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 10, 2022
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Brown, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown, 21, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Feb. 14, 2022.
In late 1950, Brown was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces on Nov. 26, 1950, in the vicinity of Kujang, North Korea, when his unit was attacked. Following the war, returning American prisoners of war reported that Brown died at Prisoner of War Camp #5. His exact date of death could not be confirmed, and was recorded as being March 31, 1951, the last day he could have still been alive based on POW testimonies.
In September 1954, during Operation Glory, North Korea returned remains reportedly recovered from Pyoktong, also known as Prisoner of War Camp 5, to the United Nations Command. One set of remains, Unknown X-14725, could not be identified and was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl. On Nov. 18, 2019, the DPAA disinterred Unknown X-14725 as part of Phase Two of the Korean War Disinterment Plan and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.
To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Brown’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, 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.
Brown will be buried in Prairieville, Louisiana. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pvt. Walter G. Wildman
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 5, 2022
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Wildman, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, 20, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 26, 2022.
In November 1944, Wildman was assigned to Company M, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was part of the Hürtgen Forest offensive when he was reported killed in action on Nov. 13. Because of the fighting, his body was unable to be recovered.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Wildman’s remains. He was declared non-recoverable in December 1951.
While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-5441 Neuville, originally discovered by a German demining team and recovered by the AGRC in 1947, possibly belonged to Wildman. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Wildman’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Wildman’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Wildman will be buried on May 23, 2022, in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
1st Lt. Newell F. Mills, Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 4, 2022
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Mills, N.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Newell F. Mills, Jr., 21, of St. Petersburg, Florida, killed during World War II, was accounted for March 7, 2022.
In the spring of 1945, Mills was assigned to the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group. On April 7, he was piloting a P-51D Mustang fighter on a mission escorting a formation of B-24 Liberator bombers to a target in Geesthacht, Germany. Prior to reaching their target, the formation encountered German fighters near Bremen. Mills and the other escort pilots turned away from the bombers to engage the Germans. Following the mission, Mills and his wingman never returned to base, and were never reported as a prisoner of war. The War Department issued an administrative Finding of Death on April 8, 1946.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched for Mills and, by 1949, believed he had been buried as Unknown X-5904 in what is now Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) site in Neuville, Belgium. Based off circumstantial evidence, X-5904 was determined to be Mills, and his family had him permanently buried at Ardennes.
Between 2004 and 2010, the investigation into another unaccounted-for pilot led to the discovery that the remains buried as Mills had been misidentified in the 1940s. This returned Mills to an unaccounted-for status.
In 2012, German researchers were investigating a plane crash near Bothmer, Germany, near where Mills’ wingman had been found in 1946. According to witnesses, there was a large air battle in the area in April 1945. An American airman parachuted into the Leine River, but was already dead from a gunshot wound when the locals recovered him. One of the witnesses was shown a picture of Mills and believed he was the man pulled from the river. Stefan Ilsemann, one of the German researchers, contacted DPAA in December 2019 and suggested a link between the two. DPAA historians investigated the case and discovered an Unknown buried at Ardennes American Cemetery, X-632 Neuville, was the strongest historical candidate for Mills. DPAA and ABMC disinterred X-632 in July 2021 and transferred them to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Mills’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Mills’ name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mills will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pfc. Chauncey J. Sharp
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 2, 2022
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Sharp, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Chauncey (William) J. Sharp, 18, of Osborn, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Dec. 22, 2020.
In July 1950, Sharp was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on July 24 after his unit sustained heavy casualties while defending against the North Korean army’s advance near Hwanggon, South Korea. His body was not recovered because his unit was forced to retreat, nor were any remains found that could be identified as Sharp. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
A graves registration team from Sharp’s unit investigated the area where he was lost on Oct. 12, 1950, and found several sets of remains, including one later designated Unknown X-8 Taejon. However, X-8 could not be identified despite several attempts over the next four years. The remains were later transported with all of the unidentified Korean War remains and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In March 2017, after extensive research into casualties from the Hwanggon area, DPAA historians and anthropologists requested Unknown X-8 be disinterred in order to undergo DNA analysis. X-8 was disinterred Aug. 17, 2017, and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Sharp’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Sharp’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.
Sharp will be buried May 21, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pfc. Jack E. Lilley
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | May 2, 2022
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Lilley, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Jack E. Lilley, 19, of Waldworth, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 5, 2021.
In July 1950, Lilley was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 20 after his unit was forced to retreat from the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Lilley. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
Seven sets of remains were recovered from a common grave a few miles east of Taejon in March 1951. Six of the sets were able to be identified. The lone unidentified set was designated Unknown X-769 Tanggok and were later transported with all of the unidentified Korean War remains and buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In July 2018, DPAA historians and anthropologists proposed a plan to disinter and identify the 652 Korean War unknown burials from the Punchbowl. X-769 was disinterred July 15, 2019, as part of Phase 2 of the Korean War Identification Project and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Lilley’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Lilley’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monument Commission’s 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.
Lilley will be buried June 14, 2022, in Westerville, Ohio.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Seaman 2nd Class Laverne A. Nigg
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 28, 2022
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nigg, L.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 2nd Class Laverne A. Nigg, 23, of Browns Valley, Minnesota, killed during World War II, was accounted for on April 22, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nigg was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Nigg.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nigg.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nigg’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auDNA) analysis.
Nigg’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Nigg will be buried on June 4, 2022, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | April 28, 2022
Medal of Honor Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Baker, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker, 36, of Chicago, killed during World War II and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, was accounted for April 8, 2022.
In the summer of 1943, Baker was the commander of the 328th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, Baker was piloting a B-24 Liberator bomber during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest World War II bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. During its bombing run, his plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed, but not before he dropped his bombs on the target and avoided crashing into the other B-24s in his formation. Baker’s remains were not identified following the crash. Remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Baker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Baker’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
The date and location of Baker’s funeral have yet to be decided.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.