Rao bulletin 15 April 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles
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- U.S. military members pay final respects to what they believe may be the remains of one to two crewmen from WWII downed B-24
- POW/MIA Recoveries ► Reported 01 thru 15 Apr 2016
- Vietnam - None Korea
- Urbana Mae Warfel places a rose on the casket of her brother, U.S. Army Sgt Wilson Meskley, Jr. during burial services at Arlington April 4, 2016
- -o-o-O-o-o- Army Cpl. Robert P. Graham
- -o-o-O-o-o- Army Pfc. Roy A. Henderson
- -o-o-O-o-o- Army Pfc. Aubrey D. Vaughn
- -o-o-O-o-o- Army Cpl. Dennis D. Buckley
- World War II
- -o-o-O-o-o- Marine Corps Sgt. John C. Holladay
- John C. Holladay -o-o-O-o-o- Army Air Forces Flight Officer Dewey L. Gossett
- -o-o-O-o-o- -- Marine Corps Pfc. John F. Price
- Anthony Brozyna , -- Army Air Forces Capt. Arthur E. Halfpapp
POW/MIA Update 71 ► Bone Fragments Returned to U.S. Tiny bone fragments carry a world of significance and perhaps closure for at least one American family who lost a loved one over the mountains of India in World War II. During a solemn ceremony 13 APR, U.S. military members paid final respects to what they believe may be the remains of one to two crew members from a B-24 bomber that crashed on a supply run from India to China over the Himalayan Mountains. Eight people on the plane were killed in the crash. For the first time, the Defense Department's POW/MIA Accounting Agency is bringing home remains of missing military members from India. Two bone fragments — small enough to fit inside a sandwich bag — along with some other artifacts were found during a U.S. excavation in the rugged mountain. Their discovery and return gives hope to families that the remains of the estimated 350 U.S. service members still classified as missing in India may someday find their way home. 
U.S. military members pay final respects to what they believe may be the remains of one to two crewmen from WWII downed B-24 According to Gary Stark, the India desk officer for the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the B-24 — known as Hot As Hell — went missing with its crew of eight in January 1944. The aircraft was one of many that ran supplies from China to India, flying people and parts back and forth over what they called the Hump. After Wednesday's ceremony at the airport in New Delhi, the remains, which were put in ceremonial boxes and then into flag-draped caskets, will be sent to a lab in Hawaii for DNA testing. Only then will officials know if the fragments belong to one or two crew members. The crash site is one of many in the mountains where U.S. aircraft went down as they tried to negotiate the harsh and jagged terrain. Teams have tried to excavate sites before, but in 2008-2009 they found no remains. This time, experts aided by mountaineering adventurers identified four areas to search. Two were in terrain that was too dangerous for crews to work in because of possible landslides. High on the steep mountains of Arunachal Predesh, along India's northeast border, the recovery team climbed more than 9,000 feet. According to Marine Capt. Greg Lynch, the team hiked for three days to set up a base camp, then climbed to the crash site every day, carefully sifting through dirt to find remains. "It was very physically grueling to go to this particular area and to conduct this recovery," said Lynch, a team leader who was not on this project. He said the team included 12 mainly military members, along with another dozen or so contractors. Along with the bone fragments, the team found other items associated with the crash but no personal effects, such as dog tags or watches, that could identify the crew. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has been traveling in India, watched as taps was played and the remains were placed in the caskets and loaded onto a C-17 aircraft for the flight home. The Pentagon has restated its commitment to families of the thousands of servicemen still unaccounted for from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Many of those families have, over the years, complained bitterly of delay and even neglect from the Pentagon agencies charged with finding, recovering and identifying remains from overseas wars. Carter's predecessor at the Pentagon, Chuck Hagel, ordered the MIA accounting bureaucracy to reorganize and consolidate as part of an effort to improve its performance, which also has come under criticism in Congress. Under increased scrutiny, the POW/MIA office has increased the number of remains that were identified last year, to nearly 100, and expects to exceed that number this year. No more excavations in India are planned for the fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30, and officials said they didn't know the schedule for next year. [Source: Associated Press | Lolita C. Baldor | Apr. 13, 2016 ++] ******************************** POW/MIA Recoveries ► Reported 01 thru 15 Apr 2016 "Keeping the Promise", "Fulfill their Trust" and "No one left behind" are several of many mottos that refer to the efforts of the Department of Defense to recover those who became missing while serving our nation. The number of Americans who remain missing from conflicts in this century are: World War II (73,515) Korean War (7,841), Cold War (126), Vietnam War (1,627), 1991 Gulf War (5), and Libya (1). Over 600 Defense Department men and women -- both military and civilian -- work in organizations around the world as part of DoD's personnel recovery and personnel accounting communities. They are all dedicated to the single mission of finding and bringing our missing personnel home. For a listing of all personnel accounted for since 2007 refer to http://www.dpaa.mil/ and click on ‘Our Missing’. If you wish to provide information about an American missing in action from any conflict or have an inquiry about MIAs, contact:
Family members seeking more information about missing loved ones may also call the following Service Casualty Offices: U.S. Air Force (800) 531-5501, U.S. Army (800) 892-2490, U.S. Marine Corps (800) 847-1597, U.S. Navy (800) 443-9298, or U.S. Department of State (202) 647-5470. The remains of the following MIA/POW’s have been recovered, identified, and scheduled for burial since the publication of the last RAO Bulletin: Vietnam - None Korea The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that the remains of the following U.S. servicemen, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors: Army Sgt. Wilson Meckley, Jr., 22, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania was buried 4 APR in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. In November 1950, Meckley was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and was assembled with other soldiers into the 31st Regimental Combat Team, historically known as Task Force Faith. While operating along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir, elements of his unit were overwhelmed by Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces and were forced to withdraw to more defensible positions at Hagaru-ri. During this withdrawal, Meckley was reported missing on 2 DEC.  
Urbana Mae Warfel places a rose on the casket of her brother, U.S. Army Sgt Wilson Meskley, Jr. during burial services at Arlington April 4, 2016 In 1953, during the prisoner of war exchanges historically known as “Operation Little Switch” and “Operation Big Switch,” returning American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war did not have any information concerning Meckley. In 1954, a military review board amended his status to deceased. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned to the United States 208 boxes of commingled human remains, which when combined with remains recovered during joint recovery operations in North Korea, account for the remains of at least 600 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents included in the repatriation indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Meckley was lost. To identify Meckley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and two forms of DNA analysis, including mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat DNA analysis, which matched his brothers. -o-o-O-o-o-_Army_Pfc._Aubrey_D._Vaughn'>-o-o-O-o-o-_Army_Pfc._Roy_A._Henderson'>-o-o-O-o-o-_Army_Cpl._Robert_P._Graham'>-o-o-O-o-o- Army Cpl. Robert P. Graham, 20, of San Francisco, was scheduled for burial April 8 in Colma, California. In February 1951, Graham was assigned to Company A, 13th Engineer Combat Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, which was engaged in a battle near Hoengsong, South Korea. Under heavy enemy attack, his unit was ordered to withdraw south to Wonju. During the withdrawal, they fought continuously with the enemy and encountered numerous roadblocks. Upon arrival at Wonju, Graham was reported missing on Feb. 13, 1951. In 1953, during the prisoner of war exchanges historically known as “Operation Little Switch” and “Operation Big Switch,” repatriated U.S. soldiers told debriefers that Graham had been captured by enemy forces and died in March 1951 at Suan POW Camp. His remains were not among those returned by communist forces in 1954, however. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned to the United States 208 boxes of commingled human remains, which when combined with remains recovered during joint recovery operations in North Korea between 1996 and 2005, included the remains of at least 600 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents included in the repatriation indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Graham was believed to have died. To identify Graham’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, to include mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat DNA analysis, which matched his nephews. 
-o-o-O-o-o- Army Pfc. Roy A. Henderson, 18, of Newark, Ohio, was scheduled for burial April 8 in Follansbee, West Virginia. On July 27, 1950, Henderson was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, when his unit set up a defensive position near Anui, South Korea, in an attempt to stop invading North Korean forces. The troops were forced to withdraw south, and found the road blocked. This required Henderson’s company to abandon most of its equipment and withdraw over mountains to friendly lines. Following the withdrawal, Henderson was reported missing. He was subsequently declared deceased on Dec. 31, 1953. 
In October 1950, 60 sets of remains from Anui were sent to the Army Graves Registration Service mortuary in Kokura, Japan. Fifty-seven sets of those remains were resolved, but three sets, including Unknown X-218, were declared “unidentifiable” and were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. In October 2014, the Disinterment Cell of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (now DPAA), determined that dental, anthropological and historical evidence indicated it was highly probably that Unknown X-218 could be identified during a reanalysis of the remains. The remains were exhumed May 18, 2015. In the identification of Henderson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and chest radiography comparison analyses, which matched Henderson’s records, as well as circumstantial and material evidence, and anthropological analysis. -o-o-O-o-o- Army Pfc. Aubrey D. Vaughn, 20, of Union, South Carolina was scheduled for burial April 12 in his hometown. On April 23, 1951, Vaughn was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 5th Regimental Combat Team, when his company’s position was overrun by the Chinese Communist Forces near Undamjang, North Korea. After the battle, Vaughn was reported missing in action. Repatriated American prisoners of war reported that Vaughn died while in captivity at POW Camp 1 in 1951. The U.S. Army subsequently declared Vaughn deceased on July 7, 1951. In 1954, United Nations and communist forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army’s Central Identification Unit for analysis. The remains they were unable to identify were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.” 
In 1999, due to advances in technology, the Department of Defense began to re-examine records and concluded that the possibility for identification of some of these unknowns now existed. The remains designated X-14176 were exhumed on May 18, 2015 so further analysis could be conducted. In the identification of Vaughn’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, circumstantial evidence, as well as dental and chest radiograph comparison analysis, which matched Vaughn’s records. Repeat DNA analysis, which matched a brother and a sister; anthropological analysis; as well as circumstantial evidence. -o-o-O-o-o- Army Cpl. Dennis D. Buckley, 24, of Detroit, is schooled for burial April 14 in Rittman, Ohio. On Feb. 5, 1951, Buckley was assigned to A Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, which was supporting the South Korean Army attacks against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF) in the area known as the Central Corridor in South Korea. The CPVF launched a counterattack, overwhelming neighboring units and leaving the 15th Field Artillery Battalion behind enemy lines. As the unit conducted a fighting withdrawal south toward Wonju, Buckley went missing near Hoengsong and was reported missing on February 13. Buckley’s remains were not located after the CPVF units withdrew north in March 1951, nor by the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service during organized searches in 1953. Additionally, his name never appeared on any list of Americans who were in custody of the North Koreans or the CPVF. However, a repatriated American prisoner of war provided information that Buckley was captured by the CPVF and died in their custody at the Suan POW camp. Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared Buckley dead on June 30, 1951. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea returned to the United States 208 boxes of commingled human remains, which when combined with remains recovered during joint recovery operations in North Korea, account for the remains of at least 600 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents included in the repatriation indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Buckley was believed to have died. To identify Buckley’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used dental comparison analysis, which matched his records; mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Today, 7,819 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using advances in technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams. World War II The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that the remains of the following U.S. servicemen from World War II have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Navy Chief Petty Officer Duff Gordon, 52, of Hudson, Wisconsin, was scheduled for burial March 30 in his hometown. On Dec. 7, 1941, Gordon was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in 429 casualties, including Gordon. From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries. In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as “non-recoverable,” including Gordon. In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis. To identify Gordon’s remains, scientists from DPAA used circumstantial evidence and laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons, which matched Gordon’s records. 
-o-o-O-o-o- Marine Corps Sgt. John C. Holladay, 31, of Florence, South Carolina, was scheduled for burial April 4 in his hometown. In July 1943, Holladay was assigned to Company B, 1st Marine Raider Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment, which fought in a joint U.S. Army-U.S. Marine Corps battle against Japanese positions in Bairoko as part of the invasion of New Georgia Island, British Solomon Islands, near the present-day village of Mbaeroko. As a result of the battle, 34 U.S. service members were killed, including Holladay, although there is little specific information on the circumstances of his loss. In the days following the battle, U.S. patrols returned to the battlefield to recover their dead. Several Marines were buried in graves in the area, but there was no record of Holladay’s remains being recovered. From November 30 to December 2, 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted an intensive area search in an attempt to recover human remains between Bairoko Harbor and Enogai Inlet. However, no remains were found. Holladay was declared non-recoverable. In 2015, a DPAA investigation team took custody of osseous remains that were unilaterally turned over by a local resident. The resident took the team to the location where the material was discovered and additional remains and evidence were also recovered. To identify Holladay’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence; two types of DNA analysis, including mitochondrial DNA, which matched a maternal cousin, and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat DNA, which matched a paternal nephew; as well as dental comparison and anthropological analysis, which matched his records. 
John C. Holladay -o-o-O-o-o- Army Air Forces Flight Officer Dewey L. Gossett, 23, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was scheduled for burial April 11 in Wellford, South Carolina. On Sept. 27, 1943, Gossett was assigned to the 527th Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter Group, 12th Air Force, and was the pilot of a single-seat A-36A “Apache” aircraft, in a flight of four aircraft searching for targets of opportunity on a strafing mission. Within 10 minutes of departing Sele Airfield in Italy, the aircraft encountered bad weather and poor visibility, leading them to fly into a ravine under cloud cover. Upon exiting the ravine, three planes turned left, while Gossett’s turned right and disappeared near Acerno, Italy. There was no enemy activity in the area and a search failed to identify a crash site. Following the loss incident, and with no further information on the whereabouts of Gossett, he was declared dead on Sept. 28, 1944. The American Graves Registration Service, charged with the recovery and identification of fallen U.S. service members, conducted a search and investigation near Acerno in March, 1945. The investigation revealed that a plane had crashed and the pilot was buried in the Civil Cemetery in Acerno. The remains were disinterred, but were later found to be part of a B-17 loss in the same area. The AGRS declared Gossett non-recoverable on May 29, 1948. In June 2012, U.S. investigators contacted a private group of Italian historians and enthusiasts, Association Salerno 1943, who discovered the crash of an A-36 type aircraft in the mountains near Acerno, Italy. In November 2014, Association Salerno 1943 again visited the crash site and found human remains, which were returned to the custody of U.S. personnel. DPAA is grateful to Association Salerno 1943 for their vital help in this recovery mission. To identify Gossett’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched two nieces and a great niece, circumstantial evidence, and dental analysis, which matched Gossett’s records. -o-o-O-o-o- -- Marine Corps Pfc. John F. Price, who was lost fighting on Tarawa on Nov. 20, 1943, will be buried with full military honors on a date and location to be determined. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. -- Marine Corps Pfc. Anthony Brozyna, of Hartford, Conn., who was lost fighting on Tarawa on Nov. 20, 1943, will be buried with full military honors on a date and location to be determined. He was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. 
Anthony Brozyna, -- Army Air Forces Capt. Arthur E. Halfpapp, 23, of Steelton, Pa., is scheduled for burial April 14 with full military honors in Annville, Pa. On April 24, 1945, Halfpapp was assigned to the 87th Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Group, and was the pilot of a P-47 aircraft that crashed during an armed reconnaissance mission southeast of Alberone, Italy. After the crash, the mission flight leader circled the burning wreckage, and did not see any signs of life. Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service searched for Halfpapp’s crash site; however, his remains were not located. On May 24, 1948, a military board amended his status to non-recoverable. In 2014, members of the Italian association Archeologi Dell’Aria reported they had excavated a crash site potentially associated with Halfpapp and recovered possible human remains and personal effects. DPAA is grateful to Archeologi Dell’Aria for their vital assistance in this recovery mission. To identify Halfpapp’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his maternal niece and nephew. 
Arthur E. Halfpapp Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. 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 or call (703) 699-1420. [Source: http://www.dpaa.mil | April 14, 2016 ++] Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2016 2016 -> 2017 afoCo Landmark Scholarship Program 2016 -> Instructions for the Preparation of Camera-Ready Contributions to the Conference Proceedings 2016 -> Step student Scholarships for Year 10-13 2016 -> The united church of canada 2016 -> Idan raichel biography – May 2016 Brief Producer, keyboardist, Lyricist, composer and Performer Idan Raichel 2016 -> An introduction to centre’s interventions expanding access to justice 2016 -> Sanchar Shakti 2016 -> Unit analysis should help here. We want number of bananas 2016 -> The Autobiography of Elder Joseph Bates 2016 -> The Great Heat and the Rhode Island Deep Water Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians) Fishery 1875-1905 Download 0.88 Mb. Share with your friends:
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