USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nightingale, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale, 20, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 29, 2019.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nightingale 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 Nightingale.
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, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nightingale.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nightingale remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Nightingale’s name is recorded on 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.
Nightingale will be buried Dec. 7, 2021, in Augusta, Michigan.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy 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 22:57:082025-04-03 22:57:10Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Mason, S.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. Stephen C. Mason, 21, of Jersey City, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 9, 2021.
In the fall of 1944, Mason was assigned to Headquarters Co., 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He was reported missing in action during Operation MARKET GARDEN after his patrol failed to return from a mission to the enemy lines near Beek, Netherlands on Nov. 3. His body was unable to be recovered. Mason posthumously received the Silver Star for his actions.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, conducted several searches of the area, but by 1950, none of the remains found around Beek could be identified as Mason. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1951.
In 2015, DPAA historians began working on a comprehensive research and recovery project focused on those missing from Operation MARKET GARDEN. During that work, they analyzed information about X-3323 Neuville, an unknown set of remains recovered from the Beek area in 1946 and buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery in the United Kingdom. Following a multidisciplinary analysis from DPAA historians, forensic anthropologists, and odontologists, it was determined X-3323 could possibly be Mason. These remains were disinterred in April 2017 and sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Mason’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.
Mason’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margarten, Netherlands, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mason will be buried in North Arlington, New Jersey. 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 22:56:312025-04-03 22:56:32Pvt. Stephen C. Mason
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Rouse, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Joseph C. Rouse, 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 1, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Rouse 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 Rouse.
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 22:55:592025-04-03 22:56:00Seaman 1st Class Joseph C. Rouse
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Hiltibran, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Charles E. Hiltibran, 19, of Cable, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 20, 2020.
In late 1950, Hiltibran was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 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 Hiltibran’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) analysis.
Hiltibran’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.
Hiltibran will be buried in Urbana, Ohio. 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 22:55:272025-04-03 22:55:29Cpl. Charles E. Hiltibran
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Thinnes, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 2nd Class Arthur R. Thinnes, 17, of Milwaukee, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 24, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Thinnes 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 Thinnes.
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 Thinnes.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Thinnes’ 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.
Thinnes’ 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.
Thinnes will be buried on Oct. 15, 2021, 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.jpgadmin2025-04-03 22:54:552025-04-03 22:54:57Seaman 2nd Class Arthur R. Thinnes
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Mitchell, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Henry D. Mitchell, 22, of Elm Springs, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 3, 2021.
In July 1944, Mitchell was assigned to the 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force in the European Theater. On July 8, he was piloting a P-38 Lightning fighter on a mission outside of Vienna, Austria. As his squadron was returning from the target, they encountered enemy aircraft. After combat, Mitchell responded he was OK about 10-15 kilometers northeast of Vienna, but was never heard from or seen again. Neither the Red Cross nor German forces reported him as a prisoner of war. With no evidence that Mitchell had survived his disappearance, the War Department issued an administrative Finding of Death on July 9, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. However, Mitchell’s circumstances of loss behind enemy lines precluded any possibility of recovery at the time. Search opportunities in the area did not improve after the war, when Austria was divided into four occupation zones. Eastern Austria, which included the area surrounding Vienna, was in the Soviet Zone of Occupation.
Although the AGRC did not have access to the area, they did conduct research into the captured German records detailing known shoot-downs of American aircraft. German records reported the crash of a P-38 Lightning near Waldegg, Austria, on July 8, 1944, and indicated the fate of the pilot as unknown. Mitchell was declared non-recoverable on Dec. 11, 1953.
In the summer of 2013, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), a predecessor of DPAA, sent an investigation mission to the reported crash site near Waldegg. The investigation found evidence that possibly linked the site with Mitchell’s P-38. It took several years before DPAA was given permission to excavate the site. In spring of 2021, a recovery team found possible evidence which was subsequently sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for scientific analysis.
To identify Mitchell’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Mitchell’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinoze, France, 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.
Mitchell will be buried in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 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 Austrian government and Mr. Robert Schmid, the owner of the land on which Mitchell’s crash site was found, for their assistance 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 22:54:052025-04-03 22:54:062nd Lt. Henry D. Mitchell
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Montgomery, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Radioman 3rd Class Charles A. Montgomery, 21, of Folcroft, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Montgomery 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 Montgomery.
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 Montgomery.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Montgomery’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Montgomery’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.
Montgomery will be buried in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy 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 22:53:312025-04-03 22:53:33Radioman 3rd Class Charles A. Montgomery
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Garcia, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Steward’s Mate 2nd Class Jesus F. Garcia, 21, of Agana, Guam, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Garcia 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 Garcia.
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 Garcia.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Garcia’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Garcia’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Garcia will be buried Oct. 6, 2021, in San Diego.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy 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 22:52:592025-04-03 22:53:01Steward’s Mate 2nd Class Jesus F. Garcia
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Belt, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr., 25, of Cleveland, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Belt 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 Belt.
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 Belt.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Belt’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.
Belt’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.
Belt will be buried on Oct. 9, 2021, in Ellsworth, Kansas.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy 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 22:52:292025-04-03 22:52:30Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr.
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Vienneau, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Ernest N. Vienneau, 25, of Millinocket, Maine, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 16, 2021.
In the fall of 1944, Vienneau was a pilot assigned to the 340th Bombardment Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, based out of Amendola, Italy. On Nov. 6, the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber on which he was serving as co-pilot came under heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a mission over Maribor, Yugoslavia, in present-day Slovenia. During the barrage, a piece of flak penetrated the cockpit and struck Vienneau in the head, mortally wounding him. While the crew treated Vienneau, the pilot attempted to fly the damaged B-17 back to base. However, the aircraft could not make it and the pilot was forced to ditch off the coast of Vis Island, Croatia. The surviving 10 crew made it out of the aircraft, but Vienneau’s body could not be recovered from the rapidly sinking B-17. Following the war, his remains could not be found and recovered.
In 2005, an analyst from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), a predecessor to DPAA, received information concerning the wreck of a B-17, and later met with an official from the Croatian Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, who gave them information on the wreckage. However, definitive proof that this was Vienneau’s aircraft could not be obtained at that time.
In June 2017, DPAA partnered with Lone Wolf Productions to document the underwater excavation of a B-24 Liberator aircraft wreckage off the coast of Vis Island, Croatia. The film became an episode of the PBS Nova program entitled “The Last B-24,” which can be viewed at https://www.pbs.org/video/last-b-24-pequsf/. When the excavation was hampered by inclement weather, the team relocated the Croatian Navy ship to conduct a brief investigative dive on other wreckage believed to be Vienneau’s B-17. This efforts is also featured in “The Last B-24” along with an interview with Vienneau’s niece. Enough evidence was collected from that dive to enable an underwater recovery to be planned. In the fall of 2020, personnel from DPAA, Lund University, University of Zadar, the Croatian Conservation Institute, and the Croatian military recovered possible remains, which were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Vienneau’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Vienneau’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.
Vienneau will be buried in Oct. 9, 2021, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
DPAA is grateful to the Croatian divers who discovered the underwater crash site, as well as the Croatian Ministries of Veterans Affairs, Culture, and Defense, the Croatian Conservation Institute, the University of Zadar, and the team from Lund University whose divers operated at a depth of 72 meters during the recovery, for their steadfast partnership in this successful 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 22:51:542025-04-03 22:51:552nd Lt. Ernest N. Vienneau
Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 7, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Nightingale, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Joe R. Nightingale, 20, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 29, 2019.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Nightingale 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 Nightingale.
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, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Nightingale.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Nightingale remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Nightingale’s name is recorded on 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.
Nightingale will be buried Dec. 7, 2021, in Augusta, Michigan.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Pvt. Stephen C. Mason
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 1, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Mason, S.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. Stephen C. Mason, 21, of Jersey City, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 9, 2021.
In the fall of 1944, Mason was assigned to Headquarters Co., 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He was reported missing in action during Operation MARKET GARDEN after his patrol failed to return from a mission to the enemy lines near Beek, Netherlands on Nov. 3. His body was unable to be recovered. Mason posthumously received the Silver Star for his actions.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, conducted several searches of the area, but by 1950, none of the remains found around Beek could be identified as Mason. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1951.
In 2015, DPAA historians began working on a comprehensive research and recovery project focused on those missing from Operation MARKET GARDEN. During that work, they analyzed information about X-3323 Neuville, an unknown set of remains recovered from the Beek area in 1946 and buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery in the United Kingdom. Following a multidisciplinary analysis from DPAA historians, forensic anthropologists, and odontologists, it was determined X-3323 could possibly be Mason. These remains were disinterred in April 2017 and sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and identification.
To identify Mason’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.
Mason’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margarten, Netherlands, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mason will be buried in North Arlington, New Jersey. 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.
Seaman 1st Class Joseph C. Rouse
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 30, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Rouse, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 1st Class Joseph C. Rouse, 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 1, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Rouse 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 Rouse.
Cpl. Charles E. Hiltibran
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 30, 2021
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Hiltibran, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Charles E. Hiltibran, 19, of Cable, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for April 20, 2020.
In late 1950, Hiltibran was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 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 Hiltibran’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) analysis.
Hiltibran’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.
Hiltibran will be buried in Urbana, Ohio. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Seaman 2nd Class Arthur R. Thinnes
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 30, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Thinnes, A.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Seaman 2nd Class Arthur R. Thinnes, 17, of Milwaukee, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 24, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Thinnes 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 Thinnes.
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 Thinnes.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Thinnes’ 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.
Thinnes’ 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.
Thinnes will be buried on Oct. 15, 2021, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
2nd Lt. Henry D. Mitchell
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 30, 2021
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Mitchell, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Henry D. Mitchell, 22, of Elm Springs, Arkansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 3, 2021.
In July 1944, Mitchell was assigned to the 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force in the European Theater. On July 8, he was piloting a P-38 Lightning fighter on a mission outside of Vienna, Austria. As his squadron was returning from the target, they encountered enemy aircraft. After combat, Mitchell responded he was OK about 10-15 kilometers northeast of Vienna, but was never heard from or seen again. Neither the Red Cross nor German forces reported him as a prisoner of war. With no evidence that Mitchell had survived his disappearance, the War Department issued an administrative Finding of Death on July 9, 1945.
Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. However, Mitchell’s circumstances of loss behind enemy lines precluded any possibility of recovery at the time. Search opportunities in the area did not improve after the war, when Austria was divided into four occupation zones. Eastern Austria, which included the area surrounding Vienna, was in the Soviet Zone of Occupation.
Although the AGRC did not have access to the area, they did conduct research into the captured German records detailing known shoot-downs of American aircraft. German records reported the crash of a P-38 Lightning near Waldegg, Austria, on July 8, 1944, and indicated the fate of the pilot as unknown. Mitchell was declared non-recoverable on Dec. 11, 1953.
In the summer of 2013, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), a predecessor of DPAA, sent an investigation mission to the reported crash site near Waldegg. The investigation found evidence that possibly linked the site with Mitchell’s P-38. It took several years before DPAA was given permission to excavate the site. In spring of 2021, a recovery team found possible evidence which was subsequently sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for scientific analysis.
To identify Mitchell’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Mitchell’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Dinoze, France, 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.
Mitchell will be buried in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 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 Austrian government and Mr. Robert Schmid, the owner of the land on which Mitchell’s crash site was found, for their assistance in this mission.
Radioman 3rd Class Charles A. Montgomery
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 27, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Montgomery, C.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Radioman 3rd Class Charles A. Montgomery, 21, of Folcroft, Pennsylvania, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Montgomery 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 Montgomery.
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 Montgomery.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Montgomery’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Montgomery’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.
Montgomery will be buried in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The date has yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Steward’s Mate 2nd Class Jesus F. Garcia
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 27, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Garcia, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Steward’s Mate 2nd Class Jesus F. Garcia, 21, of Agana, Guam, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2018.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Garcia 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 Garcia.
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 Garcia.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Garcia’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.
Garcia’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Garcia will be buried Oct. 6, 2021, in San Diego.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 26, 2021
USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Belt, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr., 25, of Cleveland, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Belt 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 Belt.
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 Belt.
Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.
To identify Belt’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.
Belt’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.
Belt will be buried on Oct. 9, 2021, in Ellsworth, Kansas.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
2nd Lt. Ernest N. Vienneau
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Aug. 26, 2021
Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Vienneau, E.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Ernest N. Vienneau, 25, of Millinocket, Maine, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 16, 2021.
In the fall of 1944, Vienneau was a pilot assigned to the 340th Bombardment Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, based out of Amendola, Italy. On Nov. 6, the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber on which he was serving as co-pilot came under heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a mission over Maribor, Yugoslavia, in present-day Slovenia. During the barrage, a piece of flak penetrated the cockpit and struck Vienneau in the head, mortally wounding him. While the crew treated Vienneau, the pilot attempted to fly the damaged B-17 back to base. However, the aircraft could not make it and the pilot was forced to ditch off the coast of Vis Island, Croatia. The surviving 10 crew made it out of the aircraft, but Vienneau’s body could not be recovered from the rapidly sinking B-17. Following the war, his remains could not be found and recovered.
In 2005, an analyst from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), a predecessor to DPAA, received information concerning the wreck of a B-17, and later met with an official from the Croatian Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, who gave them information on the wreckage. However, definitive proof that this was Vienneau’s aircraft could not be obtained at that time.
In June 2017, DPAA partnered with Lone Wolf Productions to document the underwater excavation of a B-24 Liberator aircraft wreckage off the coast of Vis Island, Croatia. The film became an episode of the PBS Nova program entitled “The Last B-24,” which can be viewed at https://www.pbs.org/video/last-b-24-pequsf/. When the excavation was hampered by inclement weather, the team relocated the Croatian Navy ship to conduct a brief investigative dive on other wreckage believed to be Vienneau’s B-17. This efforts is also featured in “The Last B-24” along with an interview with Vienneau’s niece. Enough evidence was collected from that dive to enable an underwater recovery to be planned. In the fall of 2020, personnel from DPAA, Lund University, University of Zadar, the Croatian Conservation Institute, and the Croatian military recovered possible remains, which were sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for analysis.
To identify Vienneau’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Vienneau’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.
Vienneau will be buried in Oct. 9, 2021, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
DPAA is grateful to the Croatian divers who discovered the underwater crash site, as well as the Croatian Ministries of Veterans Affairs, Culture, and Defense, the Croatian Conservation Institute, the University of Zadar, and the team from Lund University whose divers operated at a depth of 72 meters during the recovery, for their steadfast partnership in this successful mission.