Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s Post

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (#DPAA)   recently announced that U.S. Army Pvt. Kwack K. Woo, 31, of #LosAngeles, California, who was killed during #WWII, was #AccountedFor on March 13, 2024. Woo, serving in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division, was reported killed in action by small arms fire on Feb. 9, 1945, near Biesdorf, #Germany. His body could not be recovered due to intense combat against heavily reinforced German forces on an elevated position. Despite multiple recovery attempts after the war, his remains were not accounted for until 1951 when remnants of military clothing, an American helmet, and ammunition were found in a wooded area southeast of Biesdorf. These remains, designated as X-8517 Neuville, were interred at the North Africa American Cemetery. In September 2022, Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission personnel exhumed X-8517 for forensic analysis at the #DPAALab. To identify Woo’s remains, scientists from #DPAALab used anthropological and dental analysis  , as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, #Scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (#AFMES) used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. Learn more about Woo in his full press release here: https://lnkd.in/ejk92uqr #NeverForget #OurPromise #Research   #Recover   #Identify 

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (#DPAA) recently announced that U.S. Army Pvt. Robert L. Skaar, 18, of La Crosse, #Wisconsin, who was killed during #WWII, was #AccountedFor on Jun. 7, 2024.    In early 1945, Pvt. Skaar was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division. He was killed in action on Mar. 10 while on patrol near Wildenguth, France. The Germans never reported him as a POW, and his remains were not recovered. In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command searched the area but found no leads. Skaar was declared non-recoverable in 1951. In ongoing research, DPAA identified remains designated X-5726, buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, as potentially belonging to Skaar. The remains were disinterred in August 2022 and sent to the DPAA lab for analysis. 🔍    To identify Skaar, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System utilized mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Mitochondrial Genome DNA (mtG), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. 🧬    Read Skaar's full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eRmd_3JD 📄    #NeverForget #OurPromise  #Research 🔍 #Recover ⛏️ #Identify 🆔 

On Aug. 23, 2024, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Aaron McCarthy (left), #DPAA Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician (STIA); Master Sgt. Caleb Jones (center), DPAA team sergeant and EOD technician; and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Dylan Gross (right), DPAA recovery team member (STIA), saluted the U.S. flag and possible osseous material during a repatriation ceremony on #Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. During the ceremony, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paolo DiGirolamo, DPAA recovery team member (STIA), delivered an introductory speech, and Anthony Calegari, U.S. Embassy Solomon Islands Chargé d’Affaires, also addressed the attendees. The ceremony saw DPAA team members and Solomon Islands officials transfer potential remains to the #DPAALab at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for identification. There are approximately 72,000 U.S. personnel unaccounted for from WWII, including 374 from Guadalcanal. This solemn event symbolizes our commitment to the mission of recovery and identification. 🇺🇸🕊️ (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Ariel Owings) #NeverForget #OurPromise #Research 🔍 #Recover ⛏️ #Identify 🆔

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (#DPAA) recently announced that U.S. Army Air Forces Sergeant Henry H. Packard, 34, of Plymouth, #NewHampshire, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during #WWII, was #AccountedFor on Nov. 30, 2023. In summer 1942, Sgt. Packard, a member of the Chemical Warfare Service, was captured by Japanese forces during the fall of Bataan and endured the 65-mile #BataanDeathMarch before being interned at the Cabanatuan POW camp. He died on Sept. 17, 1942, and was buried in Common Grave 445. Post-war efforts to identify him were unsuccessful, and his remains were interred as an Unknown at the Manila American Cemetery. In 2019, remains from Common Grave 445 were disinterred for analysis by DPAA. To identify Packard's remains, scientists from #DPAALab used dental and anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System scientists used mitochondrial #DNA (mtDNA). DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the United States Army for their partnership in this mission. Full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eRvZd3XT #NeverForget #OurPromise #Research #Recover #Identify

Something important is happening soon… Are you ready to connect, learn, and gain insights into our nation’s ongoing P.O.W./M.I.A. recovery efforts? Mark your calendars! The 2024 Korean/Cold War Annual Government Briefings are just around the corner, scheduled for August 15-16 in Arlington, Virginia. This event offers: Direct Interaction: Families speak face-to-face, while our viewers can partake in the chat online (Q&A) thought, with DPAA officials, scientists, and historians. Personalized Briefings: Families in attendance get specific updates about their loved ones, including new findings. Emotional Support: Families get to connect with DPAA personnel directly, and meet others who share similar experiences in the recovery effort. Detailed Presentations: Families learn about recovery operations, DNA breakthroughs, and more. To watch the stream, tune in here on Facebook or visit our website for live coverage and more details: https://lnkd.in/ejABZyTK . If you miss it, don’t worry—the event will be available on demand on our website. #NeverForget #OurPromise #Research #Recover #Identify

If you have a spare five minutes, check out this Task and Purpose article on our most recent recovery from the Vietnam War. #NeverForget

🎙️ New Episode Alert: “Missing and Not Forgotten” 🎙️ In the latest episode of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's official podcast, we continue our series on Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun, a Medal of Honor recipient who was lost as a POW during the Korean War and accounted for on March 2, 2021. Join Dr. Veronica Keyes, the outgoing #KoreanWar Identification Project lead, and Kristen Grow, the incoming #KWIP lead, as they delve into the science and dedication behind identifying this heroic chaplain. Discover the vital role of the #DPAALab and the meticulous process involved in bringing our missing service members home. Tune in to learn more about our mission to find, recover, and identify American personnel still missing from past conflicts and to return them to their families. 🎧 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/efGwrn2v #NeverForget #OurPromise #Research 🔍 #Recover ⛏️ #Identify 🆔

We have had a great few days talking to members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) at their annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on our mission to #locate, #recover and #identify missing personnel from past conflicts.