Press Release | July 23, 2021

Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Countryman, A.)

WASHINGTON  –   The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Tech. Sgt. Arthur W. Countryman, 37, of Plainfield, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 14, 2021.

In November 1944, Countryman was assigned to Company F, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hürtgen, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest, when he was reported killed in action on Nov. 20. His body was not recovered.

Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Countryman’s remains. He was declared non-recoverable in September 1951.

While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-5430 Neuville, originally discovered by a German woodcutter and recovered by the AGRC in 1947, possibly belonged to Countryman. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery in 1950, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for identification.

To identify Countryman’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.

Countryman’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margarten, 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.

Countryman will be buried Aug. 6, 2021, in his hometown.

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.

Press Release | July 23, 2021

USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Doernenburg, K.)

WASHINGTON  –   The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fireman 1st Class Kenneth E. Doernenburg, 23, of Antigo, Wisconsin, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 25, 2021.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Doernenburg 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 Doernenburg.

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 Doernenburg.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Doernenburg’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.

Doernenburg’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.

Doernenburg will be buried on Sept. 25, 2021, in his hometown.

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.

Press Release | July 23, 2021

USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Dill, L.)

WASHINGTON  –   The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Leaman R. Dill, 25, of Huron, South Dakota, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Jan. 4, 2021.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Dill 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 Dill.

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 Dill.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Dill’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.

Dill’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.

Dill will be buried on Aug. 23, 2021, in Sturgis, South Dakota.

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.

Press Release | July 20, 2021

Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War (Krogman, A.)

WASHINGTON  –   The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Alva R. “Ray” Krogman, 25, of Worland, Wyoming, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for July 7, 2020.

On Jan. 17, 1967, Krogman was a pilot assigned to the 504th Tactical Air Support Group, 7th Air Force, on temporary duty with the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron operating out of Nakhon Royal Phanom Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. That morning, he was flying an O1-F Birddog aircraft as part of a flight of two planes conducting a visual reconnaissance mission in Savannakhet Province, Laos. At approximately 8:55 a.m. local time, Krogman’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire in the left wing and went down. Search and rescue operations began immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the search and rescue aircraft was also shot down. Krogman was never recovered and was declared killed in action on Jan. 31.

Between 1993 and 2019, several investigation and recovery efforts were made to find Krogman’s crash site. Between December 2018 and February 2019, Milsearch, a DPAA-contracted explosive ordnance disposal company, cleared a site believed to be where Krogman’s aircraft crashed, and reported the recovery of Krogman’s ID tag and human remains as well as other material evidence, which was turned over to DPAA. In October and November 2019 during a DPAA Joint Field Activity archaeological survey and excavation of the same area, another of Krogman’s ID tags was recovered along with more human remains, possible aircraft life support equipment, and other possible material evidence.

To identify Krogman’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the government of Laos for their partnership in this mission.

Krogman’s name is recorded on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Krogman will be buried July 21, 2021, in his hometown.

For family and funeral information, contact the Air Force Casualty Office at (800) 531-5803.

Press Release | July 8, 2021

Soldier Accounted For From World War II (DeVault, W.)

WASHINGTON  –   The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pvt. Warren G.H. DeVault, 24, of Rhea, Tennessee, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 14, 2020.

In November 1944, DeVault was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hürtgen, Germany, when he was reportedly killed in action on Nov. 20. DeVault could not be recovered because of the on-going fighting, and his remains were not recovered or identified.

Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify DeVault’s remains. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1952.

While studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area, a DPAA historian determined that one set of unidentified remains, designated X-5429 Neuville, recovered from the Hürtgen Forest in 1947 possibly belonged to DeVault. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery in 1951, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for identification.

To identify DeVault’ 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) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

DeVault’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margarten, 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.

DeVault will be buried Aug. 14, 2021, in Dayton, Tennessee.

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.