Current News – Missing In Action

Oct 5

Posted by

Video from the U.S. Army, filmed 2 weeks ago.

Right now, there are about 82,000 total people still missing from every major conflict since World War II. Of those, 81 are from Nevada. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is a government agency that is actively searching for all of those people.

The DPAA is working to get DNA swabs of family members related to those missing so that if and when they’re found, they can be identified. They then work to actually locate the remains of the people missing.

Last year, 217 people were found and identified. About 75% of those are former unknown soldiers. The DPAA researches what is known about the unknown soldiers, then if they are confident they can identify them positively, they’re able to do DNA testing on the remains.

The other way MIA are identified is through a search. The DPAA researches anything from where the person was last seen to where planes went down to where major battles were fought. They conduct interviews with any witnesses then determine the best area to search. Then, they bring in teams of dozens of people and dig for about a month, hoping to find any human remains. Even if it’s just a tooth, that’s all it takes to ID a person and solve the mystery of what happened to them.

The DPAA held a meeting in Henderson to update local families on their loved ones’ cases. Attendees heard updates on new technology being used to search and their own personal cases. There were also chances for family members to give DNA swabs.

For the families of the POWs and/or MIAs – CONTACT

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Military Humor – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Robert C. Agard Jr. – USA; US Army, Korea, Cpl., 2/24/24th Infantry Division, KIA (Taejon, SK

Jacob Cruz – Los Angeles, CA; USMC, WWII, Pvt., Co. D/1/6/2nd Marine

HONOR

Division, KIA (Tarawa)

Elmer E. Drefahl – USA; USMC, WWII, Cpl., USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)

Henry E. Ellis – USA; USMC, Korea, Pfc., HQ Co./1/1st Marine Division, KIA (Koto-Ri, NK)

Harry Gravelyn (101) – Grand Rapids, MI; US Army, WWII, Captain, Co. D/331/83rd Division

Jesse D. Hill – Highland Park, MI; US Army, Korea, Sgt., Co. C/1/32/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)

Marilyn Mackson – Lansing, MI; US Army WAC, WWII, Signal Corps decoder

Aurekui Ortiz – San Diego, CA; US Army, Korea, HQ Co./2/187th RCT

Joseph Pincinotti – Charleroi, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. D/457 Artillery/11th Airborne Division

Jimmy Young – Johnson City, TN; US Army, 89th Artillery, 11th Airborne Division

[The MIA’s recovered from the Korean War, and gradually being identified to come home, have been made possible by the joint talks between President Trump and North Korea]

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About GP

Everett Smith served with the Headquarters Company, 187th Regiment, 11th A/B Division during WWII. This site is in tribute to my father, "Smitty." GP is a member of the 11th Airborne Association. Member # 4511 and extremely proud of that fact!

Posted on October 5, 2020, in Current News, Korean War, Post WWII, Vietnam, WWII and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 92 Comments.

  1. Tim Harlow | October 13, 2020 at 12:32 AM

    Thank you for your great post. My Mom’s older brother is one of those 81,000. His plane disappeared over Korea as he was returning from a bombing raid on Japan in World War II. He was part of a B25 bomber crew. They think the plane was shot down, but nothing was ever found. From what I recall my Dad telling me, they thought the plane may have crashed over the China border.

    It was so painful for my Mom that she never talked about her brother. They called him Junior. I assume he was named after my grandpa, Francis. I never even got to meet my uncle, but I think about him, and your post, well, it hit home. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Liz Gauffreau | October 10, 2020 at 9:48 AM

    It’s good to hear that servicemembers missing in action have not been forgotten and people actively looking to return them to their families.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Jennie | October 9, 2020 at 9:56 PM

    This is good news. We will never stop when it comes to identifying shipmates, squadron mates, soldiers, and all our military.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. BBYCGN, Tamara | October 7, 2020 at 10:09 PM

    A difficult post to read, and sad video to watch, but it must be told. Thank you!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. Mustang | October 7, 2020 at 11:04 AM

    The expression, “All gave some; some gave all,” is a sobering reminder of what we Americans have had to give up in order to maintain our way of life. What is missing in this thought is what our loved ones back home have had to give. They gave up their loved ones —sons, daughters, husbands, wives, Dads, Moms, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts. When we buried our loved ones, we never quite get over their loss, but we at least have some closure. For those related to the missing in action, there is no closure … until the generations that lost them have themselves passed. This too is the tragedy of war. People should think about this before they decide whom to elect as national leaders, who (with only scant exceptions) never place themselves or their loved ones in harm’s way.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. Klausbernd | October 7, 2020 at 8:05 AM

    Our dear friend CP Cox
    we were shocked reading about that enormous number of soldiers missing. What a job to find and to identify them.
    We had to laugh out loud about “This meal was delicious. What went wrong?” Great!
    Keep healthy and happy, take care
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 7, 2020 at 1:36 PM

      Dear Fab Four of Cley,
      I’m proud that my country has felt the need to have such a department and go through the pain-staking job of identifying these men and notifying their families.
      But, as always, I’m glad you enjoyed the humor. That makes it obvious why humor is so important for the morale of the military.
      Thank you very much.
      Stay safe, my friends!! 😷😷😷😷
      GP Cox

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Ann Coleman | October 6, 2020 at 9:26 PM

    I can’t think of anything worse for a family to hear than that their loved one is “missing in action.” I’m so glad they are working to give these people closure.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Dan Hen | October 6, 2020 at 7:18 PM

    An uncle of mine , a B 17 pilot , was shot down over the border of France/Germany by an ME 109 and was missing for 6 weeks . The family believed him dead but he and one another crew member were rescued by French underground . One crewman was captured and spent the rest of the war in a Germany prison camp , one survived the crash but was killed by Germans on the ground and the others died in the crash . His sister, as the family story goes , was the only one who always believed he had survived . She dreamed of his coming rescue , and the others in the family thought that she had gone over the edge . But she was proved right in the end.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 7, 2020 at 6:16 AM

      I’m glad your uncle did come home. You never know about those sibling connections, there might be something to it. Thank you for bringing us your family story, Dan.

      Like

      Reply
  10. Teagan R. Geneviene | October 6, 2020 at 2:29 PM

    That’s an amazing effort, GP. It must be huge. Kudos to all those involved. Hugs on the wing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  11. Mustang.Koji | October 6, 2020 at 1:44 PM

    While I wish all will be found, one must realize some will not come home… 😪

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. OIKOS™-Editorial | October 6, 2020 at 12:20 PM

    Than you for remembering, GP! Its a very bad number of lost, and here missed soldiers. Here in the region, we have, on the other, allegedly even larger undiscovered mass graves with soldiers who had been abused as forced laborers before the end of the war. Almost all of them as the USSR, Ukraine, Poland and the Balkan states affiliated with the USSR. No one in Germany is interested in this.;-( Michael

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
  13. Animalcouriers | October 6, 2020 at 5:47 AM

    They’ve got their work cut out. It must be wonderful when someone is found and identified.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Animalcouriers | October 6, 2020 at 5:47 AM

    They’ve got their work cut out. It must be wonderful when someone is found and identified.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. natuurfreak3 | October 6, 2020 at 5:11 AM

    Wist dat er heel veel vermist waren maar nooit gedacht dat het aantal zo hoog zou.zijn.Gelukkig dat DNA zo’n grote vooruitgang heeft gegeven om menselijke resten een naam te geven .n terug naar huis te brengen

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  16. AJ | October 6, 2020 at 4:41 AM

    Who are you voting for president?

    Like

    Reply
  17. SLIMJIM | October 6, 2020 at 3:43 AM

    For all those POW/MIA/KIA…I’m eternally grateful

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. jfwknifton | October 6, 2020 at 3:30 AM

    I saw a rather disturbing documentary on History Channel which said that many POWs in North Vietnam were still there in the early 1990s. They were marking out previously agreed letters in the crops they were growing. The problem is that you never know what is true in TV programmes, and the wilder the claim, the bigger the audience.
    It must be comforting though, for the families to know that an official body is looking for their relative, and even after eighty or so years in some cases, they haven’t given up.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 6, 2020 at 7:05 AM

      I do know of one instance where a Green Beret, missing since the Vietnam War, as injured, amnesiac, healed by a woman who he eventually married. When found, he had forgotten how to speak English and decided to not come home. If there are POWs still alive, their choice after 50 years would be astronomical in my thoughts.

      Like

      Reply
  19. Gypsy Bev | October 6, 2020 at 12:14 AM

    What great lengths they are going to in order to give people the peace of knowing their loved one has been found instead of always wondering.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Helen Devries | October 5, 2020 at 9:41 PM

    So good of you to emphasise this. The poor familes with no closure.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. M.B. Henry | October 5, 2020 at 6:04 PM

    This is always one of the hardest parts about war for me – so many people just disappear, and so many stones are marked “unknown” in those graveyards. I’m glad there are people who will never stop looking!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. deplorablesunite | October 5, 2020 at 5:51 PM

    Thank you for posting this

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. John W. Howell | October 5, 2020 at 4:14 PM

    Thank you for helping keep the missing in our thoughts, GP.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  25. SCLMRose | October 5, 2020 at 10:46 AM

    That is a monumental task searching for those MIA, especially for WWII soldiers. They are the majority of MIAs.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  27. Lavinia Ross | October 5, 2020 at 10:21 AM

    I am glad to hear they are still searching, GP.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  28. DC Gilbert | October 5, 2020 at 10:12 AM

    Thanks for the reminder, GP. We should never forget those who served, and whose final status still remains unknown.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  29. Peter Klopp | October 5, 2020 at 10:05 AM

    That is a frightening number of people still missing. I am glad that the DPAA government agency is still actively searching for the remains to help identify the individual people missing. Is it possible that some of the missing people are still alive?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 5, 2020 at 2:02 PM

      I do know of one instance where a Green Beret, missing since the Vietnam War, as injured, amnesiac, healed by a woman who he eventually married. When found, he had forgotten how to speak English and decided to not come home. But we must remember he is one out of 81,000 and getting up in age.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  30. Lee Austin | October 5, 2020 at 9:34 AM

    The DPAA is a great organization that works hard to try to bring closure for Gold Star families.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  31. donforrester1947 | October 5, 2020 at 9:07 AM

    This one struck close to home. My twin brother has been MIA since the Christmas Bombing Raids Over North Vietnam in 1972 – December 27, 1972

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  32. usathroughoureyes | October 5, 2020 at 9:04 AM

    We had no idea of the vast numbers still missing. Such an incredible, valent and important effort to find them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  34. equipsblog | October 5, 2020 at 8:11 AM

    I wonder if we will ever add another tomb to the Unknown Soldier. Unfortunately, soldiers still die but they have a much better chance of identifying them now. Great MIA update, btw.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  35. joynealkidney | October 5, 2020 at 8:03 AM

    Dale Wilson and his B-25 crew are still missing–6 men. The bomber went down about a mile offshore north of New Guinea, which makes it trickier to locate. I’m in touch with family members of two of the boys. Dale (copilot) and the navigator were named by Tokyo Radio as POWs, but that was never confirmed. Only God knows where their remains lie today.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 5, 2020 at 1:50 PM

      I know you must have contacted these people and supplied DNA. You never know if you will one day get a call. I think of your uncles often, especially when I’m watching the TV show “Draining the Oceans.”

      Like

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  36. shoreacres | October 5, 2020 at 8:02 AM

    My only experience with a missing person didn’t involve war, but it certainly gave me some insight into the anxiety and sense of disquiet that accompany such a situation. A blogging friend who had been extremely active and a moderator on the WordPress forums simply disappeared. A lot of people spent long months trying to find her. Eventually we did, but only after her death. It was strange. Even though we were sad about her death, and perplexed about how she’d come to such an end (health, not violence), there was a remarkable degree of relief in finally knowing what had happened.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • GP Cox | October 5, 2020 at 1:49 PM

      I had someone disappear as well. I even checked with public records and found that her house had been sold. Sheri and her husband though had seemed to just vanish. one day she is emailing me and sending cards, we exchanged recipes, etc. and then poof. I still have not located her.

      Like

      Reply
  37. swabby429 | October 5, 2020 at 7:44 AM

    It’s the not knowing that is the worst part.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  38. Dan Antion | October 5, 2020 at 7:36 AM

    I’m glad they are still trying. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is sad when you think about it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  39. paolsoren | October 5, 2020 at 6:41 AM

    That’s a lot of people to be MIA. You didn’t make it clear if you are only talking about the USA or some other countries as well.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  40. GP Cox | October 6, 2020 at 1:41 PM

    Thank you very much.

    Like

    Reply

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