The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) previously announced U.S. Army Air Force Technical Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham, 20, of Phoenix, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 31, 2024.
Farnham’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1944, Farnham was assigned to the 346th Bombardment Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb. 25, Farnham, the flight engineer onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress,” was killed in action when his plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Regensburg, Germany. Eight of the ten crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft which crash outside of Langquaid, Germany. They reported seeing Farnham and another crewman dead near the co-pilots seat. Farnham’s body was not immediately recovered, and a report of death was finally issued on Aug. 10, 1945.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating the numerous bomber losses in the area around Langquaid, Germany. An investigation team disinterred a set of unidentified remains, Unknown X-6271 St. Avold (X-6271), from a cemetery in the nearby village of Paring. At the time, investigators were unable to completely identify the recovered remains, which were transferred to St. Avold, France for identification, and the Lorraine American Cemetery for interment.
In 2013, a DPAA investigation team went to Langquaid, Germany, and found wreckage consistent with an aircraft at the site. Returning in March 2019, another DPAA team conducted a site survey and met with local residents, including the town priest. Historical church records obtained document the X-6271 remains were recovered from a bomber crash on Feb. 25, 1944, and buried in the Paring cemetery.
In June 2023, Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) personnel exhumed Unknown X-6271 from Lorraine American Cemetery, France. X-6271 was then transferred to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Farnham’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and circumstantial analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Farnham’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Farnham will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:21:092025-04-04 21:21:10Technical Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham
Soldier Accounted for from Korean War (Miller, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) previously announced U.S. Army Cpl. John B. Miller, 22, of Mullins, South Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 4, 2024.
Miller’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In November 1950, Miller was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st 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.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15743. Those remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be positivity identified as Miller. Those unidentified remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In April 2021, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-15743 as part of the Korean War disinterment project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Miller’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Miller’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Miller will be buried in Florence, South Carolina, on Dec. 6, 2024.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:20:342025-04-04 21:20:36Cpl. John B. Miller
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Paul E. Hoots, 25, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 15, 2024.
In July 1950, Hoots was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit engaged in intensive combat actions in the vicinity of Ch’onan, South Korea, on July 7. At the time, the circumstances for his loss were not immediately recorded, and there was never any evidence that he was a prisoner of war. The Army issued a finding of Missing In Action on July 8, 1950.
In 1952, the American Graves Registration Service Group (AGRSG), the unit tasked with finding and identifying those missing during the war, searched the area where Hoots went missing and was unable to locate remains that could be identified as him. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Hoots on Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial ID Announcement. The complete accounting of Hoots’ case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:19:582025-04-04 21:20:00Cpl. Paul E. Hoots
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Scott, W.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William Scott, 21, of Passaic, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for Nov. 28, 2022.
DPAA recently received notification of the Scott family’s full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Scott was assigned to the 68th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Scott was serving as the navigator was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed 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 Scott’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Scott’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.
Scott will be buried in Wrightstown, New Jersey, on Dec. 9, 2024.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:19:292025-04-04 21:19:312nd Lt. William Scott
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Private Jacob Gutterman, 24, of New York City, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Mar. 26, 2024.
Gutterman’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In summer 1942, Gutterman was a member of the 803rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Gutterman was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Gutterman died July 16, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 316.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Eleven of the sets of remains from Common Grave 316 were identified, while the remaining 17 were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In April 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 316 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Gutterman’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.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Gutterman’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Pvt. Gutterman is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Pvt. Gutterman will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:18:522025-04-04 21:18:54Private Jacob Gutterman
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Private James S. Mitchell, 25, of Chico, California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2024.
Mitchell’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Mitchell was a member of Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Mitchell was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Mitchell died Jan. 7, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 816.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. One set of remains from Common Grave 816 was identified, while the remaining three were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 816 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Mitchell’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) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Mitchell’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Mitchell is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mitchell’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:18:232025-04-04 21:18:24Private James S. Mitchell
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Yuen Hop, 20, of Sebastopol, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 18, 2024.
Hop’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Hop was assigned to the 368th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On December 29, Hop, a waist gunner onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” became missing in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Bingen, Germany. All crewmembers were able to bail out of the stricken aircraft, and only one airman was found dead by German forces near the crash site. Five men were captured and processed into the German prisoner of war (POW) camp system, ultimately surviving the war. Hop and two other crewmembers were unaccounted for, and there was no record of them being held as POWs.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating several crash sites from downed aircraft of the Bingen air raid. Local German citizens were interviewed, and several accounts were recorded seeing American troops landing by parachutes. One airman was recovered by a local civilian who took him in and provided aid, but the airman was ultimately taken into custody by German military authorities. Hop and the third missing airman were not accounted for. Investigations continued for several years, but by April 1950 AGRC exhausted all efforts to recover these missing men and issued a recommendation they be declared non-recoverable.
In 2013, DPAA researchers working in collaboration with local Germans recovered documents from the state archive at Koblenz, which appeared to contain information on the loss of three captured airmen. These documents referenced a War Crimes case (12-1254) which indicated Hop was captured and killed by German SS troops near the town of Kamp-Bornhofen, and buried in the local cemetery there. Neither Hop, nor his two missing crewmates were ever officially registered as POWs, which explains why American investigators were unable to ascertain their fate during or after the war.
Between May 2021 and August 2022, DPAA teams began excavation of a suspected burial site in the Kamp-Bornhofen Cemetery, where the three airmen are believed to be buried. Under the supervision and direction of two Scientific Recovery Experts, the team recovered possible osseous remains and associated materials. These items were transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Hop’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Hop’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hop’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:17:442025-04-04 21:17:45Staff Sgt. Yuen Hop
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Larson, G.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Gordon N. Larson, 22, of Seattle, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 12, 2024.
Larson’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In late 1942, Larson was a member of Battery B, 59th Coast Artillery Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Larson was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Larson died Nov. 14, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 723.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Four of the sets of remains from Common Grave 723 were identified, while the remaining seven were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In June 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 723 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Larson’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.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Larson’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Sgt. Larson is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Larson’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:17:142025-04-04 21:17:15Pvt. 1st Class Gordon N. Larson
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Worley, H.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. Herber R. Worley, 21, of Bell, California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for September 17, 2024.
Worley’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In late 1941, Worley was a member of 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Worley was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Worley died June 28, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Sixteen of the 25 sets of remains from Common Grave 407 were identified, while the remaining nine were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In Nov. 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 407 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Worley’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) and mitochondrial genome sequence (mtG) analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Worley’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Worley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Worley will be buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:16:442025-04-04 21:16:45Pvt. Herber R. Worley
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Kelly, T.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr., 21, of Livermore, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2024.
Kelly’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In March 1944, Kelly was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Kelly, the bombardier onboard a B-24D “Liberator” Heaven Can Wait departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield, and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea. Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. In March 1950, a board of AGRS officials concluded they were unable to locate any remains of Kelly and the other Heaven Can Wait crew members. They were designated as non-recoverable.
Between 2013 and 2017, the Kelly family undertook a dedicated archival research effort to collect historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the loss of the Heaven Can Wait crew. The family worked with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to complete this effort and provided this documentation. In October 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner organization, located the wreckage of a B-24 aircraft in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a unilateral remote sensing survey effort. In 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team (UIT) conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any unexploded ordnance.
From March 9 through April 13, 2023, an underwater recovery team (RT-U) excavated the crash site, where they recovered possible osseous materials and various material evidence, to include life support equipment and identification tags. The recovered evidence was sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis.
To identify Kelly’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis.
Kelly’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Kelly will be buried on May 26, 2025, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
https://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpg00adminhttps://pow-mia-kia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/logo-300x200.jpgadmin2025-04-04 21:16:122025-04-04 21:16:132nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr.
Technical Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 20, 2024
Airman Accounted for from WWII (Farnham, L.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) previously announced U.S. Army Air Force Technical Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham, 20, of Phoenix, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 31, 2024.
Farnham’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In early 1944, Farnham was assigned to the 346th Bombardment Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force in the European Theater. On Feb. 25, Farnham, the flight engineer onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress,” was killed in action when his plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Regensburg, Germany. Eight of the ten crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft which crash outside of Langquaid, Germany. They reported seeing Farnham and another crewman dead near the co-pilots seat. Farnham’s body was not immediately recovered, and a report of death was finally issued on Aug. 10, 1945.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating the numerous bomber losses in the area around Langquaid, Germany. An investigation team disinterred a set of unidentified remains, Unknown X-6271 St. Avold (X-6271), from a cemetery in the nearby village of Paring. At the time, investigators were unable to completely identify the recovered remains, which were transferred to St. Avold, France for identification, and the Lorraine American Cemetery for interment.
In 2013, a DPAA investigation team went to Langquaid, Germany, and found wreckage consistent with an aircraft at the site. Returning in March 2019, another DPAA team conducted a site survey and met with local residents, including the town priest. Historical church records obtained document the X-6271 remains were recovered from a bomber crash on Feb. 25, 1944, and buried in the Paring cemetery.
In June 2023, Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) personnel exhumed Unknown X-6271 from Lorraine American Cemetery, France. X-6271 was then transferred to the DPAA laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Farnham’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and circumstantial analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Farnham’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Farnham will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Cpl. John B. Miller
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 20, 2024
Soldier Accounted for from Korean War (Miller, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) previously announced U.S. Army Cpl. John B. Miller, 22, of Mullins, South Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Sept. 4, 2024.
Miller’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In November 1950, Miller was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st 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.
In the fall of 1953, during Operation Glory, North Korea unilaterally turned over remains to the United States, including one set, designated Unknown X-15743. Those remains were reportedly recovered from prisoner of war camps, United Nations cemeteries and isolated burial sites. None of the remains could be positivity identified as Miller. Those unidentified remains were subsequently buried as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In April 2021, DPAA personnel disinterred Unknown X-15743 as part of the Korean War disinterment project and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Miller’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
Miller’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Miller will be buried in Florence, South Carolina, on Dec. 6, 2024.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Cpl. Paul E. Hoots
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 20, 2024
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Hoots, P.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Paul E. Hoots, 25, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Nov. 15, 2024.
In July 1950, Hoots was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit engaged in intensive combat actions in the vicinity of Ch’onan, South Korea, on July 7. At the time, the circumstances for his loss were not immediately recorded, and there was never any evidence that he was a prisoner of war. The Army issued a finding of Missing In Action on July 8, 1950.
In 1952, the American Graves Registration Service Group (AGRSG), the unit tasked with finding and identifying those missing during the war, searched the area where Hoots went missing and was unable to locate remains that could be identified as him. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Hoots on Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial ID Announcement. The complete accounting of Hoots’ case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
2nd Lt. William Scott
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 18, 2024
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Scott, W.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William Scott, 21, of Passaic, New Jersey, killed during World War II, was accounted for Nov. 28, 2022.
DPAA recently received notification of the Scott family’s full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Scott was assigned to the 68th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Scott was serving as the navigator was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed 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 Scott’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Scott’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.
Scott will be buried in Wrightstown, New Jersey, on Dec. 9, 2024.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Private Jacob Gutterman
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 18, 2024
Soldier Accounted for from WWII (Gutterman, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Private Jacob Gutterman, 24, of New York City, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Mar. 26, 2024.
Gutterman’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In summer 1942, Gutterman was a member of the 803rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Gutterman was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Gutterman died July 16, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 316.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Eleven of the sets of remains from Common Grave 316 were identified, while the remaining 17 were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In April 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 316 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Gutterman’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.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Gutterman’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Pvt. Gutterman is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Pvt. Gutterman will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Private James S. Mitchell
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 18, 2024
Soldier Accounted for from WWII (Mitchell, J.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Private James S. Mitchell, 25, of Chico, California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2024.
Mitchell’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1941, Mitchell was a member of Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Mitchell was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Mitchell died Jan. 7, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 816.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. One set of remains from Common Grave 816 was identified, while the remaining three were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 816 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Mitchell’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) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Mitchell’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Mitchell is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Mitchell’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Staff Sgt. Yuen Hop
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 15, 2024
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Hop, Y.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Yuen Hop, 20, of Sebastopol, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 18, 2024.
Hop’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1944, Hop was assigned to the 368th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. On December 29, Hop, a waist gunner onboard a B-17G “Flying Fortress” became missing in action when his plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing mission to Bingen, Germany. All crewmembers were able to bail out of the stricken aircraft, and only one airman was found dead by German forces near the crash site. Five men were captured and processed into the German prisoner of war (POW) camp system, ultimately surviving the war. Hop and two other crewmembers were unaccounted for, and there was no record of them being held as POWs.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, began investigating several crash sites from downed aircraft of the Bingen air raid. Local German citizens were interviewed, and several accounts were recorded seeing American troops landing by parachutes. One airman was recovered by a local civilian who took him in and provided aid, but the airman was ultimately taken into custody by German military authorities. Hop and the third missing airman were not accounted for. Investigations continued for several years, but by April 1950 AGRC exhausted all efforts to recover these missing men and issued a recommendation they be declared non-recoverable.
In 2013, DPAA researchers working in collaboration with local Germans recovered documents from the state archive at Koblenz, which appeared to contain information on the loss of three captured airmen. These documents referenced a War Crimes case (12-1254) which indicated Hop was captured and killed by German SS troops near the town of Kamp-Bornhofen, and buried in the local cemetery there. Neither Hop, nor his two missing crewmates were ever officially registered as POWs, which explains why American investigators were unable to ascertain their fate during or after the war.
Between May 2021 and August 2022, DPAA teams began excavation of a suspected burial site in the Kamp-Bornhofen Cemetery, where the three airmen are believed to be buried. Under the supervision and direction of two Scientific Recovery Experts, the team recovered possible osseous remains and associated materials. These items were transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis and identification.
To identify Hop’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis.
Hop’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Hop’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pvt. 1st Class Gordon N. Larson
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 15, 2024
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Larson, G.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Gordon N. Larson, 22, of Seattle, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Aug. 12, 2024.
Larson’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In late 1942, Larson was a member of Battery B, 59th Coast Artillery Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Larson was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Larson died Nov. 14, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 723.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Four of the sets of remains from Common Grave 723 were identified, while the remaining seven were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In June 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 723 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Larson’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.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Larson’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Sgt. Larson is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Larson’s funeral location and date have yet to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Pvt. Herber R. Worley
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 15, 2024
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Worley, H.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Pvt. Herber R. Worley, 21, of Bell, California, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for September 17, 2024.
Worley’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details can be shared.
In late 1941, Worley was a member of 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Worley was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Worley died June 28, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 407.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and relocated the remains to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Sixteen of the 25 sets of remains from Common Grave 407 were identified, while the remaining nine were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.
In Nov. 2019, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 407 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Worley’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) and mitochondrial genome sequence (mtG) analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Worley’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Today, Worley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Worley will be buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on a date to be determined.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr.
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Nov. 15, 2024
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Kelly, T.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr., 21, of Livermore, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2024.
Kelly’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In March 1944, Kelly was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Kelly, the bombardier onboard a B-24D “Liberator” Heaven Can Wait departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield, and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea. Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS), the military unit responsible for investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater, conducted exhaustive searches of battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. In March 1950, a board of AGRS officials concluded they were unable to locate any remains of Kelly and the other Heaven Can Wait crew members. They were designated as non-recoverable.
Between 2013 and 2017, the Kelly family undertook a dedicated archival research effort to collect historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the loss of the Heaven Can Wait crew. The family worked with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to complete this effort and provided this documentation. In October 2017, Project Recover, a DPAA partner organization, located the wreckage of a B-24 aircraft in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a unilateral remote sensing survey effort. In 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team (UIT) conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any unexploded ordnance.
From March 9 through April 13, 2023, an underwater recovery team (RT-U) excavated the crash site, where they recovered possible osseous materials and various material evidence, to include life support equipment and identification tags. The recovered evidence was sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis.
To identify Kelly’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis.
Kelly’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Kelly will be buried on May 26, 2025, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.