Coast Guardsman Accounted For From World War II (Crotty, T.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty, 30, of Buffalo, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 10, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Sept. 17, 2019.)
In 1942, Crotty served aboard the USS Quail in the Philippines as part of the 16th Naval District-in-Shore Patrol Headquarters, in Cavite Navy Yard on the Philippine Islands.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were taken prisoner and sent to prisoner of war camps. Crotty was among those reported captured after the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war. According to prison camp and other historical records, Crotty died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with fellow prisoners in the Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in grave number 312.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the circumstances of the deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In January 2018, the “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one set, designated X-2858 Manila #2.
To identify Crotty’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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the United States Coast Guard for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable. Crotty’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with others missing from WWII. Although interred as an “unknown” in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Crotty’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Coast Guard Service Casualty Office at (202) 795-6637.
Crotty will be buried Nov. 2, 2019, in Buffalo, New York.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 16:17:512025-04-03 16:17:52Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty
Marine Accounted For From World War II (Burke, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. John T. Burke, 18, of Newton, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for on May 15, 2019.
(This identification was initially published May 28, 2019.)
In November 1943, Burke was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Burke reportedly died on the second day of the battle, Nov. 21, 1943.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown X-98.
On Jan. 23, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-98 from the NMCP for identification.
To identify Burke’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Burke’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, call the Marine Corps Service Casualty Office at 800-847-1597.
Burke will be buried Oct. 26, 2019, in Hickory, North Carolina.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:58:172025-04-03 15:58:18Pfc. John T. Burke
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Garrison, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Jerry M. Garrison, 21, of Lamar, Arkansas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 7, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 14, 2019.)
In late 1950, Garrison was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
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 Garrison’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Garrison’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Garrison will be buried Oct. 22, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:57:482025-04-03 15:57:49Cpl. Jerry M. Garrison
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Wilkes, D.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. David C. Wilkes, 20, of Saline, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on June 24, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 1, 2019.)
In late 1950, Wilkes was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south. The U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Wilkes was initially reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when he could not be accounted for after the withdrawal, but his status was later amended to killed in action.
On Sept. 14, 1951, a set of remains, designated Unknown X-15682 was reportedly recovered from an isolated grave in the vicinity of the Pungnyrui Inlet on the Chosin Reservoir. The remains were processed for identification at the Central Identification Unit at Kokura, Japan. When identification attempts failed, they were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as Unknown.
On July 10, 2014, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-15682 and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Wilkes’ 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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Wilkes’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Wilkes will be buried Oct. 19, 2019, in Lakewood, Washington.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420.
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 15:57:152025-04-03 15:57:16Pfc. David C. Wilkes
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Raeymacker, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. Gerald B. Raeymacker, 21, of Dunkirk, New York, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 9, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 22, 2019.)
In late 1950, Raeymacker was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. 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 Raeymacker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Raeymacker’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Raeymacker will be buried Oct. 19, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:56:212025-04-03 15:56:22Sgt. Gerald B. Raeymacker
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Kellett, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Walter J. Kellett, 22, of Ironwood, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 23, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 1, 2019.)
In 1942, Kellett was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. 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 prisoner of war camps. Kellett was among those reported captured after the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Kellett died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in grave number 312.
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 late 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the circumstances of the POW deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be individually identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In May 2018, 23 “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one set, designated X-2843 Manila Cemetery #2.
To identify Kellett’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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Department of the Army for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable. Kellett’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site, along with others missing from WWII. Although interred as an “unknown” in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Kellett’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Kellett will be buried Oct. 5, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:55:532025-04-03 15:55:55Cpl. Walter J. Kellett
USS Colorado Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Martinez, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Navy Reserve Seaman 2nd Class Moyses A. Martinez, 19, of Dulce, New Mexico, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 10, 2019.
(This identification was initially published June 17, 2019.)
On July 24, 1944, Martinez was aboard the battleship USS Colorado, which was moored approximately 3,200 yards from the shore of Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Early in the morning, the USS Colorado, along with the light cruiser Cleveland and destroyers Remey and Norman Scott, commenced firing toward the island. Within two hours, a concealed Japanese shore battery opened fire on the USS Colorado and the USS Norman Scott. The first hit on the USS Colorado resulted in a heavy explosion, and the ship sustained extensive fragmentation damage. From the attack, four crewmen were declared missing in action, and 39 personnel were killed, including Martinez. Martinez and the other casualties were subsequently interred in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan.
In February 1948, under the direction of the American Graves Registration Service’s 9105th Technical Service Unit, three battlefield cemeteries, including the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, were disinterred. While the majority of identifications that had been tentatively made following the attack were upheld, nine sets were reclassified as “unknown.” Of those, five were eventually identified and four were declared as unknown and were interred at the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery in the Philippines.
On Oct. 18, 2017, personnel from DPAA, in partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission, exhumed Unknown X-74 from the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Martinez’ 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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from WWII, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Martinez’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Martinez’ grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Martinez will be buried Oct. 8, 2019, in Las Vegas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:55:152025-04-03 15:55:16Seaman 2nd Class Moyses A. Martinez
USS Arizona Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Wells, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells, 24, of Cavalier, North Dakota, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 17, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 8, 2019.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wells was assigned to the battleship USS Arizona, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Arizona was struck by as many as eight aerial bombs, which caused a cataclysmic explosion, and ignited a fire that burned for two days. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 1,177 crewmen. The majority of these remains were never recovered from the wreckage and are entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial.
For several years following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased from other ships that were hit by the attack, including the USS Oklahoma, on which 429 crewmen perished. Unable to be identified, most of these remains were interred as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. After Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work approved the disinterment, between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
A casket that was originally designated as X-97 and buried at Nu’uanu Naval Cemetery was among those disinterred for DPAA’s USS Oklahoma Project. When identification analysis of the remains in that casket did not match any of the missing personnel associated with the USS Oklahoma, the DPAA staff widened the scope of the analysis to include all personnel missing from the Pearl Harbor attack.
Using a variety of information, the DPAA was able to determine that in the chaotic days just after the attack the remains had been recovered, but erroneously labelled as being collected from the USS Oklahoma. Subsequent attempts to identify the remains immediately after the war were unsuccessful and the remains were buried at the Punchbowl with the other Unknowns from the USS Oklahoma.
To identify Wells’ remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis to aid in the identification.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,660 still unaccounted-for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Wells’ 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.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Wells will be buried Oct. 1, 2019, in Mandan, North Dakota.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:54:412025-04-03 15:54:43Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Galvan, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. Willie V. Galvan, 24, of Bexar County, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for July 30, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 7, 2019.)
In late 1950, Galvan was a member of Medical Company, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit 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 Galvan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,612 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Galvan’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Galvan will be buried Sept. 26, 2019, in San Antonio.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:54:092025-04-03 15:54:11Sgt. Willie V. Galvan
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Pearce, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that Army Cpl. Harold Pearce, 25, of Dillon, South Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for July 20, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 31, 2019.)
July 1950, Pearce was a member of 1st Platoon, 24th Military Police Company, 24th Infantry Division. He was killed July 10, 1950, when his unit was withdrawing from the city of Taejon, South Korea. Because of the unit’s hasty withdrawal, his remains were not recovered.
In October 1950, three sets of unidentified remains from the vicinity of where Pearce was killed were turned over to the U.S. Military Cemetery-Taejon for burial. The American Graves Registration Service Group (AGRSG) identified two sets of remains, however the third set could not be identified and they were buried at U.S. Military Cemetery-Taejon as Unknown X-210 Taejon. In 1956, the U.S. Army declared Unknown X-210 Taejon again unidentifiable.
In an effort to support identification attempts, remains recovered throughout South Korea were sent to the Central Identification Command in Kokura, Japan, for identification. X-210 could not be associated with any missing service members and the remains were subsequently transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and buried as a Korean Unknown.
On August 2018, DPAA disinterred “X-210 Taejon” from the Punchbowl and sent the remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Pearce’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, along with circumstantial evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,612 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from American cemeteries. Pearce’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army service casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Pearce will be buried Sept. 26, 2019, in Latta, South Carolina.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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 15:53:432025-04-03 15:53:45Cpl. Harold Pearce
Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Oct. 4, 2019
Coast Guardsman Accounted For From World War II (Crotty, T.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty, 30, of Buffalo, New York, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 10, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Sept. 17, 2019.)
In 1942, Crotty served aboard the USS Quail in the Philippines as part of the 16th Naval District-in-Shore Patrol Headquarters, in Cavite Navy Yard on the Philippine Islands.
Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were taken prisoner and sent to prisoner of war camps. Crotty was among those reported captured after the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war. According to prison camp and other historical records, Crotty died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with fellow prisoners in the Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in grave number 312.
Following the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan cemetery and examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the circumstances of the deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In January 2018, the “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one set, designated X-2858 Manila #2.
To identify Crotty’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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the United States Coast Guard for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable. Crotty’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with others missing from WWII. Although interred as an “unknown” in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Crotty’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Coast Guard Service Casualty Office at (202) 795-6637.
Crotty will be buried Nov. 2, 2019, in Buffalo, New York.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Pfc. John T. Burke
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Oct. 1, 2019
Marine Accounted For From World War II (Burke, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. John T. Burke, 18, of Newton, North Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for on May 15, 2019.
(This identification was initially published May 28, 2019.)
In November 1943, Burke was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Burke reportedly died on the second day of the battle, Nov. 21, 1943.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. By 1949, the remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa Unknown X-98.
On Jan. 23, 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-98 from the NMCP for identification.
To identify Burke’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Burke’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the NMCP, along with the others missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, call the Marine Corps Service Casualty Office at 800-847-1597.
Burke will be buried Oct. 26, 2019, in Hickory, North Carolina.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Cpl. Jerry M. Garrison
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Oct. 1, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Garrison, J.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Cpl. Jerry M. Garrison, 21, of Lamar, Arkansas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 7, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 14, 2019.)
In late 1950, Garrison was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
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 Garrison’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Garrison’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Garrison will be buried Oct. 22, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Pfc. David C. Wilkes
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Oct. 1, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Wilkes, D.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. David C. Wilkes, 20, of Saline, Missouri, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for on June 24, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 1, 2019.)
In late 1950, Wilkes was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south. The U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Wilkes was initially reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when he could not be accounted for after the withdrawal, but his status was later amended to killed in action.
On Sept. 14, 1951, a set of remains, designated Unknown X-15682 was reportedly recovered from an isolated grave in the vicinity of the Pungnyrui Inlet on the Chosin Reservoir. The remains were processed for identification at the Central Identification Unit at Kokura, Japan. When identification attempts failed, they were transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and were interred as Unknown.
On July 10, 2014, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-15682 and sent the remains to the laboratory for analysis.
To identify Wilkes’ 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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Wilkes’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl along with others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family contact information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Wilkes will be buried Oct. 19, 2019, in Lakewood, Washington.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420.
Sgt. Gerald B. Raeymacker
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Oct. 1, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Raeymacker, G.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. Gerald B. Raeymacker, 21, of Dunkirk, New York, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 9, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 22, 2019.)
In late 1950, Raeymacker was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. 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 Raeymacker’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,609 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Raeymacker’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Raeymacker will be buried Oct. 19, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Cpl. Walter J. Kellett
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 30, 2019
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Kellett, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Walter J. Kellett, 22, of Ironwood, Michigan, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 23, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 1, 2019.)
In 1942, Kellett was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. 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 prisoner of war camps. Kellett was among those reported captured after the surrender of Corregidor and held at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Kellett died July 19, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, in grave number 312.
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 late 1947, the AGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. Due to the circumstances of the POW deaths and burials, the extensive commingling, and the limited identification technologies of the time, all of the remains could not be individually identified. The unidentified remains were interred as “unknowns” in the present-day Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
In May 2018, 23 “unknown” remains associated with Common Grave 312 were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, including one set, designated X-2843 Manila Cemetery #2.
To identify Kellett’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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Department of the Army for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable. Kellett’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, an American Battle Monuments Commission site, along with others missing from WWII. Although interred as an “unknown” in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Kellett’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Service Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.
Kellett will be buried Oct. 5, 2019, in his hometown.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Seaman 2nd Class Moyses A. Martinez
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 30, 2019
USS Colorado Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Martinez, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today Navy Reserve Seaman 2nd Class Moyses A. Martinez, 19, of Dulce, New Mexico, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 10, 2019.
(This identification was initially published June 17, 2019.)
On July 24, 1944, Martinez was aboard the battleship USS Colorado, which was moored approximately 3,200 yards from the shore of Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Early in the morning, the USS Colorado, along with the light cruiser Cleveland and destroyers Remey and Norman Scott, commenced firing toward the island. Within two hours, a concealed Japanese shore battery opened fire on the USS Colorado and the USS Norman Scott. The first hit on the USS Colorado resulted in a heavy explosion, and the ship sustained extensive fragmentation damage. From the attack, four crewmen were declared missing in action, and 39 personnel were killed, including Martinez. Martinez and the other casualties were subsequently interred in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan.
In February 1948, under the direction of the American Graves Registration Service’s 9105th Technical Service Unit, three battlefield cemeteries, including the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, were disinterred. While the majority of identifications that had been tentatively made following the attack were upheld, nine sets were reclassified as “unknown.” Of those, five were eventually identified and four were declared as unknown and were interred at the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery in the Philippines.
On Oct. 18, 2017, personnel from DPAA, in partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission, exhumed Unknown X-74 from the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Martinez’ 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) analysis.
DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,657 service members still unaccounted for from WWII, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Martinez’ name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, along with the others missing from WWII. Although interred as an Unknown, Martinez’ grave was meticulously cared for by ABMC for 70 years. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Martinez will be buried Oct. 8, 2019, in Las Vegas.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 24, 2019
USS Arizona Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Wells, F.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells, 24, of Cavalier, North Dakota, killed during World War II, was accounted for June 17, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 8, 2019.)
On Dec. 7, 1941, Wells was assigned to the battleship USS Arizona, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Arizona was struck by as many as eight aerial bombs, which caused a cataclysmic explosion, and ignited a fire that burned for two days. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 1,177 crewmen. The majority of these remains were never recovered from the wreckage and are entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial.
For several years following the attack, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased from other ships that were hit by the attack, including the USS Oklahoma, on which 429 crewmen perished. Unable to be identified, most of these remains were interred as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. After Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work approved the disinterment, between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.
A casket that was originally designated as X-97 and buried at Nu’uanu Naval Cemetery was among those disinterred for DPAA’s USS Oklahoma Project. When identification analysis of the remains in that casket did not match any of the missing personnel associated with the USS Oklahoma, the DPAA staff widened the scope of the analysis to include all personnel missing from the Pearl Harbor attack.
Using a variety of information, the DPAA was able to determine that in the chaotic days just after the attack the remains had been recovered, but erroneously labelled as being collected from the USS Oklahoma. Subsequent attempts to identify the remains immediately after the war were unsuccessful and the remains were buried at the Punchbowl with the other Unknowns from the USS Oklahoma.
To identify Wells’ remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis to aid in the identification.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,660 still unaccounted-for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly recoverable. Wells’ 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.
For family information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (800) 443-9298.
Wells will be buried Oct. 1, 2019, in Mandan, North Dakota.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Sgt. Willie V. Galvan
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 20, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Galvan, W.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Sgt. Willie V. Galvan, 24, of Bexar County, Texas, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for July 30, 2019.
(This identification was initially published Aug. 7, 2019.)
In late 1950, Galvan was a member of Medical Company, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit 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 Galvan’s remains, scientists from DPAA used 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.
Today, 7,612 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from unknown graves. Galvan’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Galvan will be buried Sept. 26, 2019, in San Antonio.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
Cpl. Harold Pearce
Recently IdentifiedPress Release | Sept. 20, 2019
Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Pearce, H.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that Army Cpl. Harold Pearce, 25, of Dillon, South Carolina, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for July 20, 2019.
(This identification was initially published July 31, 2019.)
July 1950, Pearce was a member of 1st Platoon, 24th Military Police Company, 24th Infantry Division. He was killed July 10, 1950, when his unit was withdrawing from the city of Taejon, South Korea. Because of the unit’s hasty withdrawal, his remains were not recovered.
In October 1950, three sets of unidentified remains from the vicinity of where Pearce was killed were turned over to the U.S. Military Cemetery-Taejon for burial. The American Graves Registration Service Group (AGRSG) identified two sets of remains, however the third set could not be identified and they were buried at U.S. Military Cemetery-Taejon as Unknown X-210 Taejon. In 1956, the U.S. Army declared Unknown X-210 Taejon again unidentifiable.
In an effort to support identification attempts, remains recovered throughout South Korea were sent to the Central Identification Command in Kokura, Japan, for identification. X-210 could not be associated with any missing service members and the remains were subsequently transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu and buried as a Korean Unknown.
On August 2018, DPAA disinterred “X-210 Taejon” from the Punchbowl and sent the remains to the laboratory for identification.
To identify Pearce’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental, anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis, along with circumstantial evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their partnership in this mission.
Today, 7,612 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously returned by Korean officials, recovered from Korea by American recovery teams or disinterred from American cemeteries. Pearce’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 missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For family information, contact the Army service casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
Pearce will be buried Sept. 26, 2019, in Latta, South Carolina.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.