This bulletin contains the following articles

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  DPMO announced 15 MAY that the remains of U.S. serviceman Army Cpl. David L. Catlin, 19, of Lockney, Texas, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and scheduled for return to his family for burial with full military honors 19 May in his hometown. In late November 1950, Catlin and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as “Task Force Faith,” were advancing along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir, in North Korea, when they came under attack. On Dec. 2, 1950, Catlin, along with many other Americans, was listed as missing in action as a result of the heavy fighting. In 1953, returning Americans who had been held as prisoners of war reported that Catlin had been captured by the Chinese during a battle in December 1950. He died several months later as a result of malnutrition while being held as a prisoner of war, near the northern end of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea; an area known as “Death Valley.” Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Catlin had reportedly died in captivity, in North Korea. To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental records, and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Catlin’s cousin
  

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  DPMO announced 8 MAY that the remains of U.S. serviceman Army Master Sgt. Elwood Green, 33, of Norman, Ark., were scheduled for buried May 12, in Black Springs, Ark. In late November 1950, Green and the E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, were fighting Chinese forces near Samso-ri, North Korea. After a full day of fighting, they withdrew to an area south of Sunchon. The 5th Cavalry suffered extensive losses, and numerous Americans were taken captive during that time. On Nov. 28, 1950, Green was listed as missing in action. In 1953, returned U.S. soldiers reported that Green had been captured and died in early 1951 from malnutrition, while in a Chinese POW Camp in North Korea. His remains were not among those returned during Operation Glory in 1954. In 2005, a joint U.S./D.P.R.K. recovery team excavated a burial site in Unsan County and recovered human remains and material evidence. Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used extensive DNA testing, dental comparisons, and analysis of circumstantial evidence, which took more than 4 years. Mitochondrial DNA – which matched Green’s brother – assisted in his identification.
  

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  DPMO announced 8 MAY that the remains of U.S. serviceman Army Cpl. Clyde E. Anderson, 24, of Hamilton, Ohio, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are scheduled for return to his family for burial with full military honors on 12 MAY in Blanchester, Ohio. In late November 1950, Anderson and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as “Task Force Faith,” were advancing along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir, in North Korea. After coming under attack, they began a fighting withdrawal to positions near Hagaru-ri, south of the Chosin Resevoir. On Nov. 28, 1950, Anderson, was reportedly last seen driving a jeep in a convoy that was ambushed by Communist forces. He was later listed as missing in action. Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Anderson had last been seen, 7 miles north of Hagaru-ri. To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental records, radiography comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched Anderson’s nephew and niece.
  

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  DPMO announced 15 MAY that the remains of U.S. serviceman Army Pfc. Gerald W. Kight, 23, of White Salmon, Wash., missing in action from World War II, have been identified and were scheduled for return to his family for burial with full military honors 19 MAY. In September 1944, Kight and the 82nd Division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment were dropped in the vicinity of Nijmegen, Netherlands, as part of the allied invasion codenamed “Market Garden.” Kight was manning a machine gun position near the town of Groesbeek, when he was overrun by German Forces. On Sept. 12, 2011, the Royal Netherlands Army’s Recovery and Identification Unit recovered human remains from a wartime foxhole, in a corn field northeast of Groesbeek. Along with the remains were military uniform fragments, and three military identification tags, which bear the name and home address of Kight and his mother. To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons.
  

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  DPMO announced 17 MAY that the remains of U.S. serviceman Marine Corps Cpl. Wayne R. Erickson, 19, of Minneapolis, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and were scheduled for return to his family for burial with full military honors 24 May, in Fort Worth, Texas. Erickson was a crewmember aboard a PBJ-1 aircraft that failed to return from a night training mission over the island of Espiritu Santo, in what is known today as Vanuatu. None of the crew was recovered and in 1945 they were officially presumed deceased. In 1994, a group of private citizens notified the U.S. that aircraft wreckage had been found on the island of Espiritu Santo. Human remains were recovered from the site at that time and turned over to the Department of Defense. In 1999, a survey team traveled to the site, which was located at an elevation of 2,600 ft. in extremely rugged terrain, and determined that recovery teams would need specialized mountain training to safely complete a recovery mission. In 2000, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team visited the site and recovered human remains. From 2009 to 2011, multiple JPAC recovery teams excavated the site and recovered additional remains, aircraft parts and military equipment. Scientists and analysts from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, dental records and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Erickson’s niece – in the identification of his remains.
  

1. 
   When possible, get references. There’s no better endorsement for anyone than a word-of-mouth recommendation based upon someone’s personal experience. That applies to contractors of all types: electrical, plumbing, general construction, etc.
   
2. 
   Get a minimum of three estimates. Knowledge is power, so always get at least three estimates before agreeing to have any work done. Otherwise, you may end up paying a lot more than you need to.
   
3. 
   Stay away from plumbers who advertise on radio and television. Those ads cost big money. You’ll ultimately end up paying for that aggressive marketing.
   
4. 
   Focus your search on small family-owned plumbing businesses. Besides lower overhead, smaller family-owned plumbers generally don’t work on commission – so you’re less likely to be oversold on services you don’t really need. And typically smaller advertising budgets mean greater dependence on personal recommendations – and added incentive to consistently provide the best service.
   
5. 
   Know that not all plumbing companies are what they seem to be. When deciding who to call, be careful. Sometimes, larger plumbing corporations will feature a photo on their website or in an advertisement of some random “model family” to give the impression that their company is a small family-owned sole proprietorship.
   
6. 
   Make sure your plumber has a contractor’s license. Licensed contractors are required to complete work in compliance with state-mandated procedures designed to protect us from shoddy workmanship and potential health issues resulting from improper practices. Check your state’s contractor website to verify their status – including any registered complaints and ownership details.
   
7. 
   Get an itemized parts estimate from your plumber, then comparison shop. Plumbers get their parts from wholesale outlets not open to the general public, and those parts are generally not only of better quality than what you’ll find at warehouse home improvement stores, they’re often of comparable price.
   
8. 
   Coupons and instant discounts don’t guarantee competitive prices. Plumbers will often try to lure you in with the promise of a price discount. In our case, the corporate plumber was still more than twice as expensive as the others even after the discount.
   
9. 
   Try to avoid scheduling work on holidays and weekends. Sometimes, a plumbing emergency comes up that requires immediate attention. Just keep in mind that plumbers charge a premium for working on weekends and holidays. Always try to schedule your plumber on a weekday.
   

Oh, and no matter what day of the week it is, always be sure to tell your plumber to keep his price book in the truck. [Source: MoneyNewsTalks Len Penzo article 19 Apr 2012 ++]