US Accounts for Multiple Prisoners of War, Fallen Soldiers

(RepublicanView.org) – The US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has accounted for sixteen US service members who were killed during WWII and the Korean War.

The agency said it identified the remains of World War II veterans Private Robert W. Cash, Corporal Raymond N. DeCloss, Private Jacob Gutterman, Sgt. Sam A. Prince, Pfc. Joseph C. Murphy Sgt. Jack H. Hohlfeld, and Sgt. Charles E. Young Jr. All seven were among large numbers of US soldiers who were captured in the Philippines by the Japanese.

Additionally, they identified another nine soldiers who died while fighting in the Korean War. They were Corporal William Colby, Corporal Edward J. Smith, Pfc. Charles A. Vorel Jr., Sgt. Charles E. Beaty, Sgt. Kester B. Hardman, Sgt. 1st Class Israel Ramos, Corporal Jesse L. Mitchell, Sgt. John P. Ryhter, and Sgt. Clayton M. Pierce.

Three of those soldiers died while fighting a battle near Chosin Reservoir. The others were either prisoners of war or soldiers who were deemed missing. The military confirmed 23,613 American deaths in the Korean war and later presumed nearly 5,000 more dead after they went missing. The DPAA is unable to identify the remains of US soldiers in North Korea due to hostilities between the nations.

The DPPA suggested it largely uses mitochondrial DNA and isotope analysis to identify fallen soldiers. However, they wouldn’t offer more specific details of the processes used to identify these soldiers.

Advanced forensics have been used over the past year to identify the remains of dozens of World War II veterans. One of those veterans, Staff Sgt. Woodrow F. Gerdes, was identified in July 2023. He is scheduled to be buried in his hometown of St. Louis roughly one year after his identity was confirmed. Another, U.S. Army Tech. 5 Clifford H. Strickland, will soon be buried in his home state of Colorado.

Former President Donald Trump recently honored a small group of World War II veterans as he continues campaigning for the 2024 elections. He also promised to invite them to the White House if he’s elected.