Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Dowler, D.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Don D. Dowler, Jr., 18, of Clarinda, Iowa, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 23, 2021.
In late 1950, Dowler was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Dowler’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Dowler’s name is recorded on the 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.
Dowler will be buried Santa Maria, California, on Feb. 23, 2022.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:49:062025-04-03 23:49:07Pfc. Don D. Dowler, Jr.
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Cavalieri, N.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Capt. Nando A. Cavalieri, 24, of Eveleth, Minnesota, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 27, 2021.
In February 1945, Cavalieri was assigned to 324th Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb. 3, the B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on which he was serving as bombardier was flying a mission over Berlin when it was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire. The plane broke into two pieces in the air and crashed. Cavalieri’s bomber was one of 21 bombers to be lost during the mission. German forces reportedly recovered his body and ID tags after the crash and buried him in Döberitz, Germany, on Feb. 7.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They recovered all of the American remains buried in Döberitz, but were unable to identify Cavalieri. He was declared non-recoverable on Oct. 23, 1951.
Between 2016 and 2018, DPAA historians completed a comprehensive research project focused on the eight sets of unknown remains recovered from Döberitz. As a result, one set of remains, designated X-4983 Neuville, was determined to be a strong candidate for association with Cavalieri. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery in Belgium, were disinterred in June 2018 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Cavalieri’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.
Cavalieri’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.
Cavalieri 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.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S. Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa for their partnership in this mission.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:48:322025-04-03 23:48:34Capt. Nando A. Cavalieri
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Rowland, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Jimmy Rowland, 19, of Baldwyn, Mississippi, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 5, 2021.
In July 1950, Rowland was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 16 while fighting North Korean forces along the Kum River north of Taejon, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Rowland. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
In February 1951, four sets of remains were recovered at the foot of a bridge west of the Seoul-Taejon main supply route and south of Taepyong-ni. Three of the individuals were identified as casualties from the 19th Inf. Reg., but the fourth was unable to be identified. Those remains were designated Unknown X-418 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-418 was disinterred March 4, 2019, as part of Phase 1 of the Korean War Identification Project and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Rowland’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.
Rowland’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.
Rowland will be buried Jan. 15, 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:33:342025-04-03 23:33:35Pfc. Jimmy Rowland
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Alexander, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Lt. Cmdr. Hugh R. Alexander, 43, of Potters Mills, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Feb. 17, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Alexander 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 Alexander. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in saving the lives of several fellow crew members.
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 Alexander.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Alexander’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Alexander’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s 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.
Alexander will be buried in San Diego. The date has yet to be determined.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:32:572025-04-03 23:32:58Lt. Cmdr. Hugh R. Alexander
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Actkinson, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Marvin D. Actkinson, 18, of Sudan, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Oct. 1, 2021.
In late 1950, Actkinson was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Actkinson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Actkinson’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.
Actkinson will be buried in Colorado City, Texas. 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:32:282025-04-03 23:32:29Cpl. Marvin D. Actkinson
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Anel B. Shay, Jr., 26, of Seattle, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 28, 2021.
In the summer of 1943, Shay 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 Shay was serving as a bombardier 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 Shay’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Shay’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.
Shay will be buried in his hometown. 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:31:592025-04-03 23:32:012nd Lt. Anel B. Shay, Jr.
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Mendonca, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Anthony F. Mendonca, 28, of Waipahu, Hawaii, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 9, 2020.
In June 1944, Mendonca was a member of Company A, 106th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, when American forces participated in the battle for Saipan, part of a larger operation to secure the Mariana Islands. Mendonca was killed during fighting on June 28. His remains were reportedly not recovered.
Remains identified as Unknown X-10 were first reported as buried in Army Cemetery #1 on Saipan July 10, 1944. The remains were disinterred sometime later and interred in the Fort William McKinley Cemetery, now the American Battle Monuments Commission’s (ABMC) Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, in the Philippines on Feb. 5, 1952.
After thorough historical research, it was determined that X-10 could likely be identified. On Jan. 20, 2019, Unknown X-10 was disinterred and sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.
To identify Mendonca’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.
Mendonca’s name is recorded on the ABMC’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mendonca will be buried Dec. 16, 2021, at the NMCP in Honolulu.
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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:31:122025-04-03 23:31:13Pfc. Anthony F. Mendonca
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Bazzell, B.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Benjamin R. Bazzell, 18, of Seymour, Connecticut, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 16, 2020.
In late 1950, Bazzell was a member of Headquarters Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on Nov. 30, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Bazzell’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), Y chromosome (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Bazzell’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.
Bazzell will be buried in Kent, Washington. The date has 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:30:412025-04-03 23:30:42Cpl. Benjamin R. Bazzell
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Swackhammer, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Morris E. Swackhammer, 20, of Binghamton, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 28, 2021.
In the latter half of 1944, Swackhammer was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. In August, his unit landed on the southern coast of France as part of Operation DRAGOON. After securing the coastal ports, the 36th ID drove north, meeting with the D-Day invasion force before turning towards Germany. On Nov. 22, Swackhammer’s unit engaged in a heavy firefight with enemy troops in a wooded area northwest of Fraize, a village in the Alsace region. He was hit by a spray of bullets from a German machine gun. His squad recovered his body, but had to leave it behind due to the strength of the enemy attack. After Fraize was liberated, Swackhammer’s body could not be found, and it is likely either German troops or residents of Fraize removed it.
The American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was charged with recovering the remains of fallen service members in the European Theater following the war. Sometime in 1945, U.S. personnel recovered an unidentified body, designated X-756 Epinal, from a cemetery in Fraize. Though the AGRC thought that X-756 could possibly be Swackhammer, they could not confirm because of lack of identifying information in his records. X-756 was interred in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupré, Belgium.
Following exhaustive historical research and correlation of various U.S. military and French civilian sources, DPAA officials concluded the remains designated as X-756 were strongly associated with Swackhammer. X-756 was exhumed in July 2019 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Swackhammer’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Swackhammer’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinozé, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Swackhammer will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 23:30:102025-04-03 23:30:12Pfc. Morris E. Swackhammer
USS Oklahoma Sailors Accounted For From World War II (Group ID)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that 33 Sailors from the USS Oklahoma killed during World War II were accounted for on Oct. 18, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, these Sailors were 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.
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.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Through all identification efforts, including historical and modern day, DPAA and its predecessors individually identified 396 USS Oklahoma Sailors and Marines. Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence have established that the remains unable to be matched with individual Sailors have been designated as group remains and are attributed to all USS Oklahoma casualties. The Sailors who have not been previously identified are accounted for in this group and are listed at the end of this article.
The names of these Sailors are recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII.
These group remains will be buried at the NMCP in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 2021, the 80th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
The Sailors included in this group accounting are:
Yeoman 3rd Class Harding Coolidge Blackburn, U.S. Navy
Mess Attendant 1st Class Randall Walter Brewer, U.S. Navy
Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class James Rufus Buchanan, U.S. Naval Reserve
Electrician’s Mate 1st Class William McKnight Curry, U.S. Navy
Storekeeper 3rd Class George Perry Foote, U.S. Navy
Fireman 2nd Class George Edward Giesa, U.S. Navy
Chief Electrician’s Mate William Ike Gurganus, U.S. Navy
Seaman 1st Class Robert Emile Halterman, U.S. Navy
Musician 2nd Class Louis Edward Harris, Jr., U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class Jimmie Lee Henrichsen, U.S. Navy
Radioman 3rd Class Frank Samuel Hoag, Jr., U.S. Navy
Storekeeper 3rd Class Chester George Hord, U.S. Navy
Officer’s Cook 1st Class Willie Jackson, U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class Charles Homer Johannes, U.S. Navy
Mess Attendant 3rd Class Jerry Jones, U.S. Navy
Radioman 3rd Class Warren Joseph Kempf, U.S. Navy
Shipfitter 2nd Class Algeo Victor Malfante, U.S. Navy
Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Walter Benjamin Manning, U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class Lloyd Elden McLaughlin, U.S. Navy
Yeoman 3rd Class Sam Douglas Nevill, U.S. Navy
Musician 2nd Class James Junior Palides, U.S. Navy
Storekeeper 3rd Class Eldon Casper Ray, U.S. Navy
Water Tender 1st Class Leo Basil Regan, U.S. Navy
Radioman 3rd Class Clyde Ridenour, Jr., U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class William Lawrence Sellon, U.S. Navy
Musician 1st Class Rowland Hampton Smith, U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class Rangner Faber Tanner, Jr., U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd Class Charles Edward Walters, U.S. Navy
Seaman 1st Class Jack Dewey White, U.S. Navy
Musician 2nd Class Albert Luther Williams, U.S. Navy
Officer’s Steward 3rd Class Wilbur Slade Williams, U.S. Navy
Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class John Layman Wortham, U.S. Navy
Chief Signalman Thomas Zvansky, U.S. Naval Reserve
Pfc. Don D. Dowler, Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 21, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Dowler, D.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Don D. Dowler, Jr., 18, of Clarinda, Iowa, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 23, 2021.
In late 1950, Dowler was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Dowler’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Dowler’s name is recorded on the 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.
Dowler will be buried Santa Maria, California, on Feb. 23, 2022.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Capt. Nando A. Cavalieri
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 20, 2021
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Cavalieri, N.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Capt. Nando A. Cavalieri, 24, of Eveleth, Minnesota, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 27, 2021.
In February 1945, Cavalieri was assigned to 324th Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb. 3, the B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on which he was serving as bombardier was flying a mission over Berlin when it was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire. The plane broke into two pieces in the air and crashed. Cavalieri’s bomber was one of 21 bombers to be lost during the mission. German forces reportedly recovered his body and ID tags after the crash and buried him in Döberitz, Germany, on Feb. 7.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They recovered all of the American remains buried in Döberitz, but were unable to identify Cavalieri. He was declared non-recoverable on Oct. 23, 1951.
Between 2016 and 2018, DPAA historians completed a comprehensive research project focused on the eight sets of unknown remains recovered from Döberitz. As a result, one set of remains, designated X-4983 Neuville, was determined to be a strong candidate for association with Cavalieri. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery in Belgium, were disinterred in June 2018 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Cavalieri’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.
Cavalieri’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.
Cavalieri 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.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S. Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa for their partnership in this mission.
Pfc. Jimmy Rowland
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 15, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Rowland, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Jimmy Rowland, 19, of Baldwyn, Mississippi, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 5, 2021.
In July 1950, Rowland was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 16 while fighting North Korean forces along the Kum River north of Taejon, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Rowland. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.
In February 1951, four sets of remains were recovered at the foot of a bridge west of the Seoul-Taejon main supply route and south of Taepyong-ni. Three of the individuals were identified as casualties from the 19th Inf. Reg., but the fourth was unable to be identified. Those remains were designated Unknown X-418 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-418 was disinterred March 4, 2019, as part of Phase 1 of the Korean War Identification Project and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
To identify Rowland’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.
Rowland’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.
Rowland will be buried Jan. 15, 2022, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Lt. Cmdr. Hugh R. Alexander
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 14, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Alexander, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Lt. Cmdr. Hugh R. Alexander, 43, of Potters Mills, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Feb. 17, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Alexander 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 Alexander. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in saving the lives of several fellow crew members.
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 Alexander.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Alexander’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Alexander’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s 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.
Alexander will be buried in San Diego. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Cpl. Marvin D. Actkinson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 10, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Actkinson, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Marvin D. Actkinson, 18, of Sudan, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Oct. 1, 2021.
In late 1950, Actkinson was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Actkinson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and isotope analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Actkinson’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.
Actkinson will be buried in Colorado City, Texas. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
2nd Lt. Anel B. Shay, Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 9, 2021
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Shay, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Anel B. Shay, Jr., 26, of Seattle, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 28, 2021.
In the summer of 1943, Shay 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 Shay was serving as a bombardier 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 Shay’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Shay’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.
Shay will be buried in his hometown. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pfc. Anthony F. Mendonca
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 8, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Mendonca, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Anthony F. Mendonca, 28, of Waipahu, Hawaii, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 9, 2020.
In June 1944, Mendonca was a member of Company A, 106th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, when American forces participated in the battle for Saipan, part of a larger operation to secure the Mariana Islands. Mendonca was killed during fighting on June 28. His remains were reportedly not recovered.
Remains identified as Unknown X-10 were first reported as buried in Army Cemetery #1 on Saipan July 10, 1944. The remains were disinterred sometime later and interred in the Fort William McKinley Cemetery, now the American Battle Monuments Commission’s (ABMC) Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, in the Philippines on Feb. 5, 1952.
After thorough historical research, it was determined that X-10 could likely be identified. On Jan. 20, 2019, Unknown X-10 was disinterred and sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.
To identify Mendonca’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.
Mendonca’s name is recorded on the ABMC’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, along with the others who are still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mendonca will be buried Dec. 16, 2021, at the NMCP in Honolulu.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Cpl. Benjamin R. Bazzell
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 7, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Bazzell, B.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Benjamin R. Bazzell, 18, of Seymour, Connecticut, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 16, 2020.
In late 1950, Bazzell was a member of Headquarters Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on Nov. 30, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Bazzell’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), Y chromosome (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Bazzell’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.
Bazzell will be buried in Kent, Washington. The date has yet to be decided.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pfc. Morris E. Swackhammer
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 3, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Swackhammer, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pfc. Morris E. Swackhammer, 20, of Binghamton, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 28, 2021.
In the latter half of 1944, Swackhammer was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. In August, his unit landed on the southern coast of France as part of Operation DRAGOON. After securing the coastal ports, the 36th ID drove north, meeting with the D-Day invasion force before turning towards Germany. On Nov. 22, Swackhammer’s unit engaged in a heavy firefight with enemy troops in a wooded area northwest of Fraize, a village in the Alsace region. He was hit by a spray of bullets from a German machine gun. His squad recovered his body, but had to leave it behind due to the strength of the enemy attack. After Fraize was liberated, Swackhammer’s body could not be found, and it is likely either German troops or residents of Fraize removed it.
The American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was charged with recovering the remains of fallen service members in the European Theater following the war. Sometime in 1945, U.S. personnel recovered an unidentified body, designated X-756 Epinal, from a cemetery in Fraize. Though the AGRC thought that X-756 could possibly be Swackhammer, they could not confirm because of lack of identifying information in his records. X-756 was interred in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupré, Belgium.
Following exhaustive historical research and correlation of various U.S. military and French civilian sources, DPAA officials concluded the remains designated as X-756 were strongly associated with Swackhammer. X-756 was exhumed in July 2019 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Swackhammer’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Swackhammer’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinozé, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Swackhammer will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be decided.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Group Identification
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Dec. 2, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailors Accounted For From World War II (Group ID)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that 33 Sailors from the USS Oklahoma killed during World War II were accounted for on Oct. 18, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, these Sailors were 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.
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.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
Through all identification efforts, including historical and modern day, DPAA and its predecessors individually identified 396 USS Oklahoma Sailors and Marines. Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence have established that the remains unable to be matched with individual Sailors have been designated as group remains and are attributed to all USS Oklahoma casualties. The Sailors who have not been previously identified are accounted for in this group and are listed at the end of this article.
The names of these Sailors are recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII.
These group remains will be buried at the NMCP in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 2021, the 80th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
The Sailors included in this group accounting are: