DPAAYEAR IN REVIEW

OCTOBER 2021 - SEPTEMBER 2022
1 2

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Accounted For

Oct 1, 2021 - Sept 30, 2022

166 The Year’s Highlights

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting 

Agency (DPAA) and private partner teams conducted 86 

investigation and recovery missions in 37 countries. There were 

166 Department of Defense (DoD) personnel accounted for and 

283 accessions of osseous material into Agency laboratories.

On the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 

the 6-year USS Oklahoma Identification Project formally 

concluded. The 33 Unknowns unable to be identified at this time 

were accounted for as a group and reinterred at the National 

Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP). In total, 361 

Sailors and Marines were individually identified (a remarkable 

92 percent) and all 394 Unknowns have been accounted for.

In June, the Agency conducted its Vietnam War Annual 

Government Briefings virtually via Zoom across two half-days. 

The Korean/Cold War Annual Government Briefings were held 

in July, in-person for the first time in 3 years, with over 400 

family members attending. These families also attended the 

ceremony unveiling the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean 

War Veterans Memorial.

 Over the summer, DPAA leaders spoke at the national 

conventions of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled 

American Veterans, and the American Legion. These outreach 

opportunities provide updates to the respective membership 

whose comrades-in-arms are still missing.

The Agency continued to make significant progress on its 

disinterment projects for the Korean War and the Ploesti Raid, 

with a Medal of Honor recipient from the latter identified. The 

advancement of these projects is achieved from the strong 

partnership with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s 

DNA Identification Laboratory.

Ceremonies marking National POW/MIA Recognition Day 

on September 16th were held at the Pentagon, the NMCP, and 

U.S. Embassies in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Vietnam 

ceremony also included the repatriation of remains unilaterally 

recovered by a Vietnamese team.

The red pins in the map indicate locations where DPAA conducted investigation or recovery missions. The yellow pins represent disinterments locations.

Fireman 2nd Class Hal J. Allison

Ship’s Cook 1st Class Clarence Thompson

Yeoman 1st Class Harding C. Blackburn

Steward’s Mate 1st Class Randall W. Brewer

Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class James R. Buchanan

Electrician’s Mate 1st Class William M. Curry

Storekeeper 3rd Class George P. Foote

Fireman 2nd Class George E. Giesa

Electrician’s Mate Chief William I. Gurganus

Seaman 1st Class Robert E. Halterman

Musician 2nd Class Louis E. Harris Jr.

Seaman 2nd Class Jimmie L. Henrichsen

Radioman 3rd Class Frank S. Hoag Jr.

Storekeeper 3rd Class Chester G. Hord

Officer’s Cook 1st Class Willie Jackson

Seaman 2nd Class Charles H. Johannes

Steward’s Mate 3rd Class Jerry Jones

Radioman 3rd Class Warren J. Kempf

Shipfitter 2nd Class Algeo V. Malfante

Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Walter B. Manning

Seaman 2nd Class Lloyd E. McLaughlin

Yeoman 3rd Class Sam D. Nevill

Musician 2nd Class James J. Palides

Storekeeper 3rd Class Eldon C. Ray

Water Tender 1st Class Leo Regan

Radioman 3rd Class Clyde Ridenour Jr.

Seaman 2nd Class William L. Sellon

Musician 1st Class Rowland H. Smith

Seaman 2nd Class Rangner F. Tanner Jr.

Seaman 2nd Class Charles E. Walters

Seaman 1st Class Jack D. White

Musician 2nd Class Albert L. Williams

Steward 3rd Class Wilbur S. Williams

Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class John L. Wortham

Chief Signalman Thomas Zvansky

Seaman 2nd Class Tceollyar Simmons

Shipfitter 2nd Class Claude R. Garcia

Seaman 2nd Class Stanley C. Galaszewski

Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Keith W. Tipsword

Commander Frederick R. Schrader

MARINE CORPS

World War II

Sgt. Arthur B. Ervin

2nd Lt. Gordon E. Thompson

Pvt. Fay G. Teter

Pfc. Lawrence E. Garrison

Pfc. Basil J. Gillis

Sgt. George R. Greenlee

Pfc. Robert J. Prew

Cpl. William R. Ragsdale

Cpl. Jack S. Brown

ARMY

World War II

(Includes Army Air Forces)

Pvt. Edward M. Ryan

TSgt. Ross H. Thompson

Pfc. William B. Coleman

SSgt. Grady H. Canup

Pvt. Walter G. Wildman

SSgt. Casimir P. Lobacz

Pfc. Sanford K. Bowen

Pfc. Merl W. Holm

Pvt. Carl G. Dorsey

Pfc. David N. Owens

Sgt. Garland W. Collier

Pfc. Robert L. Alexander

Pfc. Lowell D. Smith

Pfc. Worley D. Jacks

Pvt. John P. Cooper

Pfc. Francis P. Martin

Pfc. Donald Hofman

Pfc. John W. Gordon

Pvt. Myron E. Williams

Pfc. Willard H. Brinks

Pfc. Leonard E. Adams

Pfc. Arthur Barrett

Pfc. Arthur Pierce

Capt. Donald H. Froemke

Cpl. Franklin H. Bennett

Sgt. Thaddeus S. Matuszak

Cpl. Joe Vinyard

Pfc. Clinton P. Koloski

Pvt. Robert R. Gruwell

Pfc. Mark P. Wilson

Cpl. Joseph H. Gunnoe

SSgt. James Rotunno

Pvt. James R. Tash

Pvt. J. C. Brooks

Pfc. Roy J. Searle

Cpl. Leo J. Barlosky

Pfc. Clinton E. Smith Jr.

1st Lt. John J. Heffernan Jr.

SSgt. Adolph Olenik

Pfc. Edward H. Benson Jr.

2nd Lt. Eugene P. Shauvin

1st Lt. Newell F. Mills Jr.

Sgt. Elvin L. Phillips

1st Lt. Louis V. Girard

Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker

TSgt. William F. Teaf

2nd Lt. David M. Lewis

SSgt. Michael Uhrin

SSgt. William O. Wood

SSgt. George B. Walker

SSgt. Roy Carney

SSgt. Donald R. Duchene

SSgt. Herald R. Boyd

SSgt. Moses F. Tate

2nd Lt. Pharis E. Weekley

Sgt. Zelwood A. Gravlin

Pfc. John L. Ferguson

Cpl. Merle L. Pickup

2nd Lt. Peter A. Timpo

1st Lt. Roy C. Harms

SSgt. Walter Nies

Pvt. David S. Whipple

Pvt. Joseph E. Lescaut

TSgt. John M. Carroll

SSgt. David E. Holeman

1st Lt. Howard L. Dickson

TSgt. Harold Kretzer

TSgt. James M. Howie

2nd Lt. John F. Minogue

2nd Lt. Francis V. Montermurro

2nd Lt. Theodore F. Scarborough

2nd Lt. Wayne L. Dyer

1st Lt. Melvin B. Meyer

1st Lt. Carl D. Nesbitt

SSgt. George E. Davies

SSgt. Ralph D. Kolb

TSgt. Ralph E. Richardson

1st Lt. Paul W. Schmidt

1st Lt. John B. Thomas

Korean War

Cpl. Marvin D. Actkinson

Sgt. Howard R. Belden

Pfc. Jack E. Lilley

Pfc. Jimmy Rowland

Sgt. Roy C. Delauter

Pfc. Kenneth L. Bridger

Cpl. Donald L. Menken

Cpl. Francis J. Jury

Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown

Cpl. William M. Zoellick

Sgt. 1st Class James A. Coleman

Pfc. Donald M. Born

Pfc. Edward J. Reiter

Pvt. Felix M. Yanez

Pfc. Melvin J. Little Bear

Pfc. Harry J. Hartmann Jr.

Cpl. Alton Christie

Pfc. George T. Grimes

Sgt. Charles Garrigus

Cpl. Tommie T. Hanks

Pfc. Robert A. Wright

Cpl. David N. Defibaugh

Pfc. Adelaido M. Solis

Cpl. Joseph J. Puopolo

Sgt. Alfred H. Sidney

MSgt. Merritt L. Wynn

Pfc. Ithiel E. Whatley

Cpl. Clark E. Worline

Sgt. 1st Class Ellis Coon

Cpl. Delbert L. White

Vietnam War

Pfc. Thomas Green

SSgt. Sanford Finger

NAVY

World War II

Fire Controlman 1st Class Hubert P. Clement

Fireman 2nd Class Edward E. Casinger

Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Edward L. Conway

Seaman 1st Class Billy Turner

Seaman 2nd Class Pete Turk

Seaman 1st Class Wilbur F. Newton

On The Cover

An Official Turnover of Possible Remains 

of U.S. Personnel packet rests on a table 

during a DPAA repatriation ceremony in 

the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 

Nov. 2, Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Blake Gonzales

Visit www.dpaa.mil for full profiles of these individuals.
3 4

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

DPAA and partner missions 

took place all over the world 

as fiscal year 2022 kicked 

off in October. The agency 

had teams in the Republic of 

Panama, the Marshall Islands, 

the French Republic, the 

Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 

the Italian Republic, the Lao 

People’s Democratic Republic, 

the Republic of Poland, 

and the Federal Republic of 

Germany. DPAA made the 

final individual identification 

from the USS Oklahoma as 

the project moved towards 

completion.

 Additionally, we disinterred 

eight World War II Unknowns 

from the NMCP in Honolulu 

and accounted for 43 service 

members formerly missing 

from past conflicts, 33 of whom 

were a group identification of 

the USS Oklahoma crewmen 

the agency was unable to 

individually identify.

2021

October Dr. Willa Trask (standing), a DPAA scientific recovery expert (SRE), assists Dr. Katie Fine, DPAA SRE, with site setup using the Total Station 

equipment during recovery operations in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, Oct. 28. This was Fine’s first excavation with DPAA. The recovery team 

deployed to the area to search for the remains of two missing Sailors from the Vietnam War. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Corey Idleburg
5 6

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Air Force Col. Chip Hollinger, Commander, Air 

Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Dover AFB, Del., 

receives from Staff Sgt. Leah Ferrante, DPAA forensic 

photographer, custody of the remains of Air Force Col. 

Patrick Wood during a chain of custody ceremony at 

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Oct. 19. Wood 

was originally identified in 2016 and the Vietnamese 

government recovered and turned over these additional 

remains. DPAA is grateful for the longstanding 

partnership with Vietnam especially during the 

COVID-19 pandemic.

Recovery team members from DPAA and Cranfield 

University, one of our partner universities, dig through 

multiple layers of clay in the middle of a forest near 

Wiesbaden, Germany, Oct. 27, in an effort to recover 

those lost in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber crash in 

early 1945 during World War II. Cranfield University has 

conducted multiple missions for DPAA across Europe.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Westley Gorman (right), a DPAA medic, and a Panama 

Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (SENAN) Security Force service member participate in 

joint casualty evacuation training in Santiago, Panama, Oct. 18. DPAA later conducted 

recovery operations in Panama for 60 days in an attempt to find missing two naval aircrew members lost during a training 

flight in 1985.

Lydia Evers, Marine Pfc. Harold W. Hayden’s 

sister, lays a rose on his casket at Hayden’s 

Arlington National Cemetery funeral in 

Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 27. Hayden was killed 

on Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Republic 

of Kiribati during World War II. Also at the 

funeral was Hayden’s brother, Warren Hayden, 

and his sister, Phyllis Burkett, as well as a 

number of other family and friends.

PANAMA TRAINING

Photo by Marine Sgt. Melanye Martinez

HAYDEN FUNERAL

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette

GERMANY PARTNER RECOVERY

Photo by Steven R. Steininger, U.S. Forces Liaison Officer for 

Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, and Northern Germany

CHAIN OF CUSTODY

Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John Miller
7 8

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

In November, DPAA had agency 

and partner missions taking place 

in the Lao Peoples’ Democratic 

Republic, the Italian Republic, the 

Commonwealth of Australia, the 

Federal Republic of Germany, the 

Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the 

Republic of Panama, the French 

Republic, Papua New Guinea (PNG), 

and an underwater mission in Hawaii. 

Additionally, DPAA disinterred 15 

World War II Unknowns from the 

NMCP in Honolulu. This month the 

agency accounted for six previously 

unidentified service members from 

past conflicts.

2021

November Kristen Baker, a DPAA scientific recovery expert, rappels down towards a mission site in Santa Fe National Park, Panama, Nov. 3. 

This was part of recovery operations to find missing naval aircrew members lost during a training flight in 1985. 

Photo by Marine Sgt. Melanye Martinez
9 10

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

LAOS MEDICAL

OUTREACH

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. 

Michael O’Neal

VIETNAM 

RECOVERY

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Rusty 

Frank

PUNCHBOWL 

DISINTERMENT

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Apryl Hall

Army Capt. 

Muhammad Mansoor, 

an Internal Medicine 

physician attached 

to a DPAA recovery 

team, examines 

a local villager 

in Xiangkhouang 

Province, Laos, Nov. 

18. During recovery 

missions, members of 

the medical team often 

provide health care to 

local villagers as part 

of DPAA’s medical 

outreach initiative.

Army Sgt. Mitchell Neyman, a DPAA recovery team member, carries buckets towards a wet 

screening station during a recovery operation near Sciacca, Sicily, Nov. 28. The team deployed to 

the area in hopes of recovering the crew of a B-25 Mitchell bomber that crashed during World War II. 

SICILY RECOVERY

Photo by Army Sgt. Mitchell Ryan

DPAA recovery team 

members excavate on a site 

during a mission in Ha Tinh 

Province, Vietnam, Nov. 19 

in an effort to find a U.S. 

Navy reconnaissance pilot 

lost during the Vietnam 

War.

NMCP disinterment personnel 

and DPAA members prepare for a 

disinterment ceremony the morning 

of Nov. 1. The disinterred remains 

of unknown service members lost 

during World War II and the Korean 

War then undergo forensic analyses 

for the purpose of identification.

U.S. Embassy Thanksgiving Meal

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Ambassador to the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic Peter Haymond 

visited the DPAA recovery team 

during a Joint Field Activity, Nov. 23. 

DPAA members enjoyed a traditional 

Thanksgiving meal provided by DPAA 

Detachment 3 and the U.S. Embassy 

community.
11 12

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

The 80th anniversary of 

the attack on Pearl Harbor 

on Dec. 7, 1941 was 

remembered with several 

ceremonies and events 

in Hawaii, and DPAA 

participated in several, 

including a media roundtable held jointly with 

the Navy and a questionand-answer session with 

a panel of Pearl Harbor 

veterans. The agency 

also had both DPAA and 

partner missions taking 

place in the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic, 

the Republic of Panama, 

the Socialist Republic 

of Vietnam, the Italian 

Republic, and PNG. 

2021

December The Navy held a ceremony at the NMCP, Dec. 7, for the group re-interment of remains of service members who were unable to 

be individually identified in DPAA’s USS Oklahoma Identification Project. The ceremony officially marked the end of the project 

which culminated in all 394 of the Sailors and Marines from the USS Oklahoma being accounted for. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. 

James Thompson
13 14

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Dr. Clive Vella (right), DPAA’s scientific recovery expert, and Air Force MSgt. Bernard Bueno 

(left), a team medic, screen clay at a wet screening station during a recovery operation near 

Sciacca, Sicily, Dec. 7. The team found possible osseous material during this mission while dealing with rainy weather 

and cold temperatures on an almost 

daily basis.

DPAA service members carry a transfer case of possible remains to an awaiting U.S. Air 

Force C-17 aircraft during a repatriation ceremony at Savannakhet, Laos, Dec. 10, to close 

out a joint field activity to locate missing service members from the Vietnam War. There are 

currently 285 Americans still missing from operations in or over Laos during the war.

LAOS REPATRIATION

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Michael 

O’Neal

Senior Col. Nguyen 

Ba Thang (seated left), 

Deputy Director of 

the Vietnam Office 

for Seeking Missing 

Persons, and Lt. Col. 

Selmer Santos (seated 

right), commander of 

DPAA’s Detachment 2, 

sign turnover documents 

during the 157th Remains 

Turnover Ceremony Dec. 

14 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

U.S Space Force Master Sgt. Hanh 

Le, a linguist augmentee to the 

DPAA team, prepares to catch a tool 

during a recovery mission in Quang 

Nam Province, Vietnam. Hanh is a 

Language Enabled Airman Program 

Scholar and while in the Air Force, 

she previously supported four DPAA 

recovery missions in Vietnam. During 

this mission, Hanh led the collection 

of $1,700 in non-perishable food 

items, toiletries, and clothing, which 

were donated to local workers.

SICILY RECOVERY

Photo by Army Sgt. Mitchell Ryan

157th TURNOVER 

CEREMONY

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Rusty Frank

First Space Force Augmentee 

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry
15 16

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

EuropeMediterranean

Directorate Recap Directorate Recap

Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific (IP) Team planned 19 recovery and 13 investigation missions during the FY. The first 

recovery in Thailand since 2005 received strong support from the Royal Thai Government and interest 

from Thai media. Vietnam continued its commitment to unilateral recoveries by executing six recovery 

operations. A research exchange and joint investigation strengthened collaboration with DPAA’s South Korean 

counterparts. For disinterments of Unknowns, the IP Team completed 13 missions at the NMCP and two at the 

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) repatriating 93 and 71 sets of remains, respectively this 

FY. For the first time in three years, DPAA conducted in-person Consultative Talks hosting a Lao delegation 

in Hawaii and traveling to Vietnam and Cambodia. The inaugural PNG Operations Summit culminated in the 

signing of a new arrangement that will expand investigation and recovery missions there. Eased COVID-19 

restrictions allowed IP historians to resume archival research and wartime imagery collection at the National 

Archives. Also, IP analysts conducted research at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, the Army 

Corps of Engineers Archives, the Library of Congress, and the MacArthur Library. Directorate analysts 

wrote or updated 466 Case Summaries and conducted 258 reviews at virtual and in-person FMU events. For 

the virtual Vietnam War Government Briefings, they updated 109 Case Summaries, and 324 for the Korean/

Cold War in-person briefings. Researchers also interviewed dozens of Veterans at the Chosin Few Veterans 

Association Meeting, National Museum of the Marine Corps, the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Helicopter and 

Tiltrotor Association Reunion, and the Special Operations Association Reunion.

The Euro-Mediterranean (EM) Team resumed pre-COVID-19 levels of field investigations, recoveries, and 

disinterments in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. DPAA-led teams accomplished three research trips, nine investigation 

missions, and four recoveries in 10 countries. Private partner-led contributed an additional four underwater 

investigations, three underwater recoveries, 18 terrestrial recoveries, and one innovation project in nine 

countries and the state of Maine. The recovery and identification of three U.S. Army Air Forces personnel 

who died while held captive in a prisoner of war camp in Lithuania marked the end of accounting efforts in 

that country, as no Americans are unaccounted for in Lithuania. During the FY, the EM Team accomplished 

55 disinterments of Unknowns buried in 9 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries. 

Of special significance, five of those from the first disinterment conducted in the North Africa American 

Cemetery located in Tunisia. This was the result of 6 years of negotiations with the Government of Tunisia 

to allow access and the repatriation of remains. Although the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 

increased tensions in the U.S.- Russia bilateral relationship, the Joint Commission Support Division Team 

supporting the U.S. Side of the U.S./Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs persevered in conducting 

research in Russian archives. This was reflective of the humanitarian nature of the work of the Commission. 

In addition to conducting the research and analysis which underpins all the efforts outlined above, EM 

historians and analysts supported both virtual and in person Family Member Update (FMU) events as well as 

the Annual Government Briefings for Vietnam War and Korean/Cold War families.
17 18

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

DPAA began the New 

Year by sending an 

investigation team to the 

Republic of Poland and 

recovery teams to PNG, the 

Italian Republic, and the 

Lao Peoples’ Democratic 

Republic to continue 

our search and recovery 

efforts to account for those 

still missing from our 

past wars and conflicts. 

We also held a Virtual 

FMU for the families 

of missing Americans 

from Miami, Florida, and 

the surrounding area. 

Additionally, the agency 

disinterred 16 World War 

II Unknowns from the 

NMCP and we accounted 

for eight formerly missing 

persons.

2022

January Air Force Staff Sgt. Alize Lopez, a DPAA recovery team member, verifies measurements of an excavation grid during recovery operations in Sekong Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Jan. 30. DPAA recovery missions are conducted using rigorous anthropological and archaeological methods and standards in order to ensure the recovery process is optimized and nothing is missed. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. John Miller
19 20

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Directorate Recap

POLAND 

INVESTIGATION

Photo by Dr. Michael 

Polczynski

PUNCHBOWL 

DISINTERMENT

Photo by Army Sgt. Edward 

Randolph

Ryan Taira, a DPAA 

Geographic Information 

Systems specialist, 

operates ground 

penetrating radar in the 

search for the isolated 

burial location of a 

missing Airman in the 

mountains of southern 

Poland Jan. 24. Ground 

penetrating radar works 

by emitting a pulse 

into the ground and 

translating the echoes 

that bounce off of buried 

objects into images of 

those objects.

DPAA service members honor the 

fallen during a disinterment ceremony 

at the NMCP in Honolulu Jan. 24. The 

disinterred remains will be transferred 

to DPAA’s Hawaii laboratory for identification.

Dr. Brittany Walter, DPAA 

forensic anthropologist, 

provides a brief on the 

recovery and identification process during a Virtual FMU 

for families within a 35-mile radius of Miami, Florida, 

Jan. 22. Conducted via Zoom, the FMU had 134 family 

registrants with 343 logging in at some point during the 

4-hour event; the archived video was also accessed by 190 

other viewers.

VIRTUAL FMU 

Courtesy Photo

Partnerships 

& Innovations

T h e P a r t n e r s h i p s a n d I n n o v a t i o n s ( P I ) T e a m n o w h a v e 7 6 M e m o r a n d u m s o f U n d e r s t a n d i n g 

i n p l a c e , p u r s u e d 5 1 p o t e n t i a l n e w p a r t n e r l e a d s , a n d a r e w o r k i n g w i t h 2 0 3 o r g a n i z a t i o n s 

a t v a r i o u s s t a g e s o f t h e p r o c e s s . I m p r o v e m e n t s t h e t e a m m a d e i n t h e v e t t i n g a n d 

s e l e c t i o n p r o c e s s e s h a v e d i s c o v e r e d m a n y n e w , h i g h l y c a p a b l e o r g a n i z a t i o n s . 

D e s p i t e d i v e r s e c h a l l e n g e s , s u c h a s C O V I D - 1 9 i m p a c t s , t o p a r t n e r p r o j e c t s , t h e P I T e a m e x e c u t e d 

4 6 p a r t n e r f i e l d m i s s i o n s i n 1 3 c o u n t r i e s a f t e r h a v i n g p l a n n e d 6 3 o f t h e m . T h e f i s c a l y e a r i n c l u d e d 

v e r y c o m p l e x t e r r e s t r i a l a n d u n d e r w a t e r e f f o r t s i n S o u t h e a s t A s i a , m i s s i o n s i n E u r o p e a n d e e p - w a t e r 

a r e a s , a n d m u l t i - y e a r a r r a n g e m e n t s i n s p e c i f i c c o u n t r i e s o r t o t e s t u n i q u e a p p r o a c h e s . T h e i n c r e a s i n g 

c a p a b i l i t i e s a n d p r o d u c t i v i t y o f p a r t n e r s c o n t i n u e d t o d e m o n s t r a t e a m a t u r a t i o n o f t h e p r o g r a m . 

T h e P I R e s e a r c h T e a m a l s o e x p a n d e d e f f o r t s w o r k i n g o n 6 9 s e p a r a t e p r o j e c t s o f v a r y i n g s c o p e . 

T h e s e e f f o r t s i n c l u d e d s o m e f o u n d a t i o n a l r e s e a r c h t h e D P A A s t a f f l a c k e d t h e c a p a c i t y t o 

conduct, as well as some focused, case progression research. As the nascent Innovation Program

s t e p p e d i n t o b e i n g , o v e r t h e c o u r s e o f t h e y e a r , f o u r s e p a r a t e p i l o t p r o j e c t s w e r e l a u n c h e d . 

T h e f i r s t - e v e r P a r t n e r S y m p o s i u m , w h i c h i n c l u d e d 3 8 p a r t i c i p a n t s , f o s t e r e d d i s c u s s i o n s o n l e s s o n s 

l e a r n e d i n p a s t p a r t n e r e f f o r t s . T h e P I T e a m a l s o f o c u s e d a m a j o r p a r t o f t h e y e a r o n f o s t e r i n g p r o g r a m 

i m p r o v e m e n t s b y c o d i f y i n g s t a n d a r d o p e r a t i n g p r o c e d u r e s a n d d e v e l o p i n g s y s t e m a t i c a p p r o a c h e s 

a c r o s s t h e e x p a n d i n g P I p o r t f o l i o s . T o e n s u r e t h e e f f e c t i v e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a l l p a r t n e r p r o j e c t s 

and efforts, the partner peer review process was enhanced, resulting in 76 finalized reports.
21 22

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

In February, DPAA and 

partner missions were 

underway in the Republic of 

the Philippines, the Italian 

Republic, the Kingdom of 

Cambodia, the Republic of 

Serbia, the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic, and 

the Kingdom of Thailand. 

DPAA disinterred eight 

World War II Unknowns 

from the NMCP, and 

we accounted for four 

formerly missing persons 

from past conflicts.

2022

February

Heang Sambo of Golden West Humanitarian Foundation uses a metal detector to scan an excavation floor on Feb. 14, before 

excavation of the next level at a site on Koh Tang, Kingdom of Cambodia, during a mission led by Ohio Valley Archaeology, 

Inc (OVAI), a DPAA partner. Each excavation unit is scanned before, during, and after excavation by an expert in detecting and 

identifying unexploded ordnance (UXO). Photo by Jarrod Burkes, Co-Principal Investigator with OVAI.
23 24

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

THAILAND 

RECOVERY

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. 

Michael O’Neal

ARMY DEPUTY 

CHIEF OF STAFF 

VISIT

Photo by Army Sgt. Edward 

Randolph

WORLD WAR II 

DISINTERMENT

Photo by Army Sgt. Edward 

Randolph

LAOS RECOVERY

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. John Miller

Navy Chief Petty Officer David Hanaumi, a DPAA Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, 

searches for metal hits at an excavation site in Lampang Province, Thailand, Feb. 16. Clearing 

unexploded ordnance is a critical step prior to beginning an excavation. DPAA recovered remains of 

a missing World War II Airman from this crash.

Dr. Owen O’Leary, DPAA 

archaeologist, briefs Lt. 

Gen. Gary Brito, U.S. 

Army Deputy Chief of 

Staff for Personnel, at the 

DPAA laboratory on Joint 

Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, 

Hawaii, Feb. 24. The 

Agency hosts distinguished 

visitors in an effort to 

educate them about the 

worldwide mission and 

laboratory capabilities.

DPAA service 

members conduct a 

flag folding ceremony 

during a disinterment 

at the NMCP, Feb. 

7. Disinterments of 

unknown service 

members are an 

important part of 

DPAA’s mission to 

return unaccounted 

for Americans to their 

families.

Dr. Katie Fine (right), a DPAA scientific recovery expert, and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andy 

Thomas examine possible material evidence during a recovery mission in Sekong Province, 

Laos, Feb. 19. There are currently 285 missing service members from the Vietnam War 

believed to be located in Laos.
25 26

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Directorate Recap

T h e A r m e d F o r c e s M e d i c a l E x a m i n e r S y s t e m - A r m e d F o r c e s D N A I d e n t i f i c a t i o n l a b o r a t o r y 

( A F M E S - A F D I L ) c o n t i n u e d t o s u p p o r t t h e D PA A w i t h c r i t i c a l D N A a n a l y s i s l e a d i n g t o t h e 

i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s o f A m e r i c a n s u n a c c o u n t e d f o r f r o m p a s t c o n f l i c t s . I t o v e r c a m e c h a l l e n g e s d u e 

t o p o s t - p a n d e m i c s h o r t a g e s i n e s s e n t i a l l a b o r a t o r y s u p p l i e s t h r o u g h s t r a t e g i c p l a n n i n g a n d 

o r d e r i n g . A F M E S - A F D I L’ s P a s t A c c o u n t i n g S e c t i o n r e p o r t e d o v e r 3 , 6 0 0 r e s u l t s f r o m a n a l y s e s 

i n v o l v i n g m i t o c h o n d r i a l D N A ( m t D N A ) , Y- S h o r t Ta n d e m R e p e a t ( Y- S T R ) D N A , a n d A u t o s o m a l 

S T R ( a u S T R ) D N A , a l l o f w h i c h g e n e r a t e d o v e r 2 7 4 D N A R e p o r t s , 1 1 9 o f w h i c h s u p p o r t e d 

n e w i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s . T h e F a m i l y R e f e r e n c e S e c t i o n i m p l e m e n t e d a n a u t o m a t e d w h o l e g e n o m e 

m t D N A N G S m e t h o d f o r m a t e r n a l r e f e r e n c e s t h a t a l l o w s f o r 9 0 s a m p l e s t o b e p r o c e s s e d a t a 

t i m e . S c i e n t i s t s c o m p l e t e d t r a i n i n g a n d c e r t i f i c a t i o n i n A u g u s t a n d t h e f i r s t 9 0 s a m p l e s w e r e 

c o m p l e t e d i n S e p t e m b e r. T h e E m e r g i n g Te c h n o l o g y S e c t i o n c o m p l e t e d i t s w o r k w i t h P a r a b o n 

N a n o L a b s , I n c . a s p a r t o f a D e p a r t m e n t o f D e f e n s e - f u n d e d r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t t o c o m p l e t e t h e 

d e v e l o p m e n t o f a n u c l e a r D N A S i n g l e N u c l e o t i d e P o l y m o r p h i s m ( S N P ) a s s a y a n d a n a l y t i c a l 

s o f t w a r e t h a t w i l l w o r k w i t h b o t h c h e m i c a l l y t r e a t e d a n d n o n - c h e m i c a l l y t r e a t e d s a m p l e s . T h i s 

S N P a s s a y i s s i m i l a r t o t h e I n v e s t i g a t i v e G e n e t i c G e n e a l o g y t e s t i n g t h a t i s c u r r e n t l y b e i n g 

p e r f o r m e d t o a s s i s t w i t h s o l v i n g c o l d c a s e s , b u t t a i l o r e d s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e c h a l l e n g i n g s a m p l e s 

t h a t D PA A s u b m i t s f o r t e s t i n g . T h e a s s a y a n d s o f t w a r e a r e c u r r e n t l y u n d e r g o i n g e x t e n s i v e 

f o r e n s i c v a l i d a t i o n t e s t i n g a c c o r d i n g t o I S O - 1 7 0 2 5 a n d t h e F e d e r a l B u r e a u o f I n v e s t i g a t i o n ’s 

Quality Assurance standards.

Armed Forces Medical 

Examiner System

DNA Laboratory Recap

T h e S c i e n t i f i c A n a l y s i s ( S A ) Te a m s p e a r h e a d e d t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f 1 7 2 A m e r i c a n s , i n c l u d i n g s i x 

p r e v i o u s l y a c c o u n t e d f o r , a n d i d e n t i f i e d 7 1 a d d i t i o n a l r e m a i n s o f p r e v i o u s l y a c c o u n t e d f o r S e r v i c e 

m e m b e r s . F o r e n s i c s c i e n t i s t s s u c c e s s f u l l y c o n d u c t e d a r c h a e o l o g i c a l o p e r a t i o n s i n 1 9 c o u n t r i e s 

a n d m o n i t o r e d e x t e r n a l f i e l d a c t i v i t i e s i n 1 0 o t h e r s . D PA A f i e l d t e a m s w o r k e d a t 1 3 5 l o c a t i o n s i n 

a c c o r d a n c e w i t h A m e r i c a n N a t i o n a l S t a n d a r d s I n s t i t u t e ( A N S I ) N a t i o n a l A c c r e d i t a t i o n B o a r d ( A N A B ) 

f i e l d a c c r e d i t a t i o n s t a n d a r d s a n d s c i e n t i s t s m o n i t o r e d e x t e r n a l p a r t n e r a c t i v i t i e s a t 5 8 o t h e r s i t e s . N e w 

disinterment projects accessioned during the year included Myit k y i n a , To k y o P r i s o n F i r e , a n d t h e U S S 

U t a h . C o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h D PA A h i s t o r i a n s , s c i e n t i s t s a l s o p r o d u c e d 6 1 d i s i n t e r m e n t r e q u e s t s f o r 6 2 2 

Unknowns, which were approved, including the Enoura Maru Projec t f o r 4 3 0 U n k n o w n s . T h e S t a b l e 

I s o t o p e P r o g r a m c o n t i n u e d t o e x p a n d i t s c a p a b i l i t i e s a n d i n c r e a s e d t h e n u m b e r o f r e p o r t s g e n e r a t e d 

b y 2 0 p e r c e n t o v e r l a s t f i s c a l y e a r. I n a d d i t i o n , e q u i p m e n t f o r s a m p l e p r e p a r a t i o n a n d a n a l y s i s w e r e 

consolidated into one analytical suite of adjoining spaces, whi c h a l l o w e d f o r b e t t e r c o n t r o l s . L a b 

p e r s o n n e l a u t h o r e d 1 6 p u b l i c a t i o n s i n p e e r - r e v i e w e d j o u r n a l s , r e s e a r c h t h a t d i r e c t l y c o n t r i b u t e s t o 

D PA A a s a c e n t e r o f e x c e l l e n c e . I n S e p t e m b e r , t h e S A Te a m h o s t e d 2 9 e x t e r n a l p a r t i c i p a n t s f r o m 1 1 

c o u n t r i e s a t t h e f i r s t i n - p e r s o n S c i e n t i f i c S u m m i t . I t s g o a l w a s t o e x c h a n g e s c i e n t i f i c b e s t p r a c t i c e 

m e t h o d o l o g i e s , a l l o f w h i c h s t r e n g t h e n e d e x i s t i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d f o r g e d n e w o n e s . I n N o v e m b e r , 

t h e S A Te a m b e g a n t h e r e a c c r e d i t a t i o n p r o c e s s t o m a i n t a i n a c c r e d i t e d s t a t u s . A s s e s s o r s f r o m A N A B 

e v a l u a t e d t h e c o m p e t e n c e o f t h e l a b a n d i t s c o n f o r m a n c e w i t h a l l a p p l i c a b l e a c c r e d i t a t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t s 

f i n d i n g o n l y s i x m i n o r f i n d i n g s ( a l l c o r r e c t e d ) o u t o f a p o s s i b l e 1 7 5 a p p l i c a b l e r e q u i r e m e n t s , g r a n t i n g 

reaccreditation in February.

Scientific Analysis
27 28

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

March saw agency and 

partner investigation 

and recovery missions 

in the Republic of the 

Philippines, the Italian 

Republic, the Kingdom of 

Cambodia, the Republic of 

Serbia, the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic, 

the Czech Republic, the 

Kingdom of Thailand, and 

the Territory of Guam. 

Additionally, DPAA 

disinterred 55 World War 

II Unknowns -- 41 from the 

MACM and Memorial in 

the Philippines, eight from 

the NMCP, and six from 

Sicily-Rome American 

Cemetery in Italy. DPAA 

also accounted for six 

service members missing 

from past conflicts.

2022

March U.S. Embassy Bangkok Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath (right) and U.S. Consul General Sean O’Neill swing pickaxes in an excavation unit during a visit 

to a DPAA recovery operation in Lampang Province, Kingdom of Thailand, March. 3. Along with Thai government officials and media, the distinguished 

visitors observed recovery efforts for a missing U.S. service member lost during World War II. Photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael O’Neal
29 30

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Drew Speelhoffer, DPAA World War II historian, left, and Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA 

Principal Deputy Director, speak with an attendee at the Organization of American 

Historians Conference on March 31, in Boston. Bringing together historians from around 

the world, the conference serves as a recruiting opportunity for DPAA to promote the 

mission at this information booth.

ORGANIZATION OF 

AMERICAN HISTORIANS

Courtesy Photo

SICILY PARTNER 

RECOVERY

Photo courtesy of Cranfield University

Cranfield Recovery and 

Identification of Conflict 

Casualties (CRICC), a unit 

from DPAA partner Cranfield 

University, performed recovery 

operations near Sciacca, Sicily, 

from Jan. 25 to March 31. This 

was a follow-on mission at the 

same site DPAA investigated in 

November and December. The 

Cranfield team found possible 

human remains and aircraft 

wreckage.

CAMBODIA INVESTIGATION

Photo by Army Sgt. Edward Randolph

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Tarassov, a DPAA Explosive 

Ordnance Disposal Technician, shovels soil out of a test pit in 

search of evidence during an investigation mission in Prey Veng 

Province, Cambodia, March 27. The team was searching for 

evidence of two missing American journalists, four Soldiers, and 

ten Airmen from the Vietnam War. There are currently 46 missing 

service members from the Vietnam War believed to be located in 

Cambodia.

HONORABLE CARRY

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. James Thompson

DPAA service members conduct an honorable carry 

ceremony on the flightline at Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam, Hawaii, March 1. The remains are returning 

from India missions conducted in 2020 that could not 

be repatriated due to COVID-19. DPAA is thankful to 

the U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Samuel 

Papparo, for enabling their safe return. 
31 32

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

In April, DPAA went on the 

road to Minneapolis where 

we held the first in-person 

FMU since the COVID-19 

pandemic began. The 

agency had missions 

underway in the Kingdom 

of Thailand, the United 

Kingdom of Great Britain, 

and the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic. 

This month there were 

15 disinterments from 

both the Korean War and 

World War II; eight were 

from the NMCP and seven 

were from the MACM. 

DPAA accounted for four 

total service members this 

month.

2022

April Families of unaccounted-for service members attend the Minneapolis FMU, April 23. DPAA provides periodic updates and hosts annual government briefings for 

families of Americans who are missing from past conflicts. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Corey Idleburg
33 34

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Army Staff Sgt. Lloyd Williams, a DPAA 

recovery team noncommissioned officer, 

constructs a wet-screening system during 

a recovery mission in England, April 11. 

The recovery team was searching for 

U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John 

A. Strauss, a World War II MIA lost in a 

plane crash. 

ENGLAND RECOVERY MISSION

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry

21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE MI-17 TRAGEDY

Photo by Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Fischer-Carter

LEE FUNERAL AT ARLINGTON

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette

A memorial outside DPAA’s Hawaii facility displays the names 

of the seven Americans and nine Vietnamese who were tragically 

killed in a MI-17 crash in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam on April 

7, 2000. Each year, DPAA commemorates the tragedy with a 

remembrance ceremony that pays tribute to the joint U.S.-Vietnam 

team that was flying in the helicopter to prepare for an upcoming 

filed mission. 

A sergeant major with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment honor 

guard (The Old Guard) gives an American flag to the next of kin 

during Army Cpl. Charles E. Lee’s funeral April 11, at Arlington 

National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Lee, 18 years old, of 

Cincinnati, was killed during the Korean War and buried as an 

Unknown at the NCMP. DPAA disinterred his remains as part 

of Phase 2 of the Korean War Disinterment Project in 2019 and 

accounted for him in 2021.

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 

OF PALAU DV VISIT

Photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jack Rigsby

Surangel Whipps, Jr., President of the Republic of Palau, is briefed by Dr. Denise To, DPAA laboratory manager, 

April 26, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii. Mr. Whipps, the second Head of State to visit a DPAA 

facility, met with senior leaders and scientists while gaining an in-depth exposure to the DPAA mission, the 

support provided by his government agencies, and the extensive investigation and recovery efforts in his nation.
35 36

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

This month, DPAA hosted 

a PNG Operations Summit 

in Hawaii. The firstever summit included 

participants from the 

U.S., PNG, and Australia. 

The agency was also 

able to launch the first 

investigation in the Lao 

People’s Democratic 

Republic (LPDR) after 

new COVID-19 guidelines 

were in place and had 

ongoing missions in the 

LPDR and the United 

Kingdom of Great Britain. 

For the month, there were 

eight disinterments, all of 

which were World War II 

Unknowns and all from the 

NMCP. There were seven 

formerly missing service 

members accounted for.

2022

May Army Sgt. 1st Class Luigi Lawrence, a DPAA team sergeant, rakes a pile of wheat during a DPAA recovery mission in England 

May 13. Members of the recovery team removed wheat in certain areas of the site in order to make those areas easier to dig up soil. 

Photo by Air Force Staff SSgt. Jonathan McElderry
37 38

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

PDD VISITS 

ENGLAND SITE

Photo by Air Force 

Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry

Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA 

Principal Deputy Director, looks 

through a magnifying glass to 

examine the details of material 

evidence recovered at the dry 

screening station set up by the 

DPAA recovery team, May 25. 

The team was excavating a U.S. 

Army Air Forces B-26 Marauder 

aircraft crash site located in a 

farmer’s field in England.

DPAA military and civilian members 

participate in an honorable carry 

ceremony on Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam, Hawaii, May 19. Following 

a repatriation ceremony in Thailand, 

DPAA received the possible remains 

of an Airman recovered from a World 

War II aircraft crash site.

POST COVID-19 

LAOS MISSION

Photo by Air Force

Staff Sgt. James Thompson

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class 

Matthew Cowell, DPAA team 

sergeant, crosses a river with 

two Lao People’s Democratic 

Republic locals during a joint 

field activity in Savannakhet 

Province, Laos, May 18. The 

team surveyed several locations 

across the region to help 

facilitate future excavations, 

gathering data in the process. 

RETURN FROM THAILAND

Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan L. R. Burgess

TUNISIA SIGNS 

ACCESS MOU

Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy Tunis

Natasha Franceschi, U.S. Embassy 

Tunis Chargée d’Affaires, holds a signed 

historic Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) with Othman Jerandi, Tunisian 

Foreign Minister, at the North Africa 

American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia, 

May 30. The document permits DPAA 

operations in Tunisia, which begins 

with the disinterment of the remains of 

American service members buried as 

Unknowns at the cemetery.

PNG SUMMIT

Photo by Air Force

Staff Sgt. David Owsianka

Dr. Debra Zinni, DPAA laboratory deputy director, briefs attendees on remains identification 

during a PNG Operations Summit hosted by DPAA on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 

May 9. The PNG National Museum Art Gallery is the primary host nation government partner 

assigned to DPAA and over 25 years has assisted in the repatriation of over 320 U.S. service 

members. DPAA renewed its MOU with PNG at a signing ceremony during the summit. 
39 40

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

2022

June Sailors assigned to U.S. Navy Region Hawaii conduct an internment ceremony for U.S. Navy Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Everett Raymond Stewart, of California, at 

the NMCP, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 16, 2022. Stewart was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which sustained fire from Japanese aircraft and multiple torpedo hits causing 

the ship to capsize and resulted in the deaths of more than 400 crew members on Dec. 7, 1941, at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Stewart was recently identified through 

DNA analysis by the DPAA forensic laboratory and laid to rest with full military honors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rusty Frank)

The Virtual Annual 

Vietnam War Government 

Briefings enabled the DoD 

to provide these families 

updates on Agency efforts 

and information on their 

loved one’s case. Among 

the field work in the 

month, the University 

of New Orleans, in 

collaboration with the 

University of Innsbruck, 

conducted a recovery 

in Austria. During the 

month, 20 Unknowns 

from the Korean War and 

from World War II were 

disinterred from the NMCP 

and two American Battle 

Monuments Commission 

cemeteries in France and 

one in Italy. DPAA also 

had 13 identifications this 

month.
41 42

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Members of a recovery 

team screen soil at their 

worksite in Austria, June 

11. From May 20 to 

July 5, DPAA partner, 

the University of New 

Orleans, collaborating 

with the University of 

Innsbruck, excavated 

a site in the vicinity 

of Mount Zimpasser, 

Carinthia, Austria. 

This was the second of 

a planned three-year 

project at the very steep 

and complex site. 

AUSTRIA PARTNER 

RECOVERY

Photo by Elena Ricci, Courtesy 

of the UNO Department of 

Anthropology and Sociology

Kevin S. “Coop” 

Coopman

Enterprise Service Desk Division Chief

October 11, 1965 -- August 5, 2022

Veteran, U.S. Air Force, 20 years

Service to this mission, 10 years

“Coop was an amazing husband, father, and grandfather, with 

a dazzling smile that could light up the room. He was also an 

amazing coworker who dedicated his life to serving his country.”

Stewart W. “Stew” 

Holbrook

Senior Operations Officer

December 13, 1962 -- September 8, 2022

Veteran, U.S. Navy, 30 years

Service to this mission, 5 years

“Stew was hard not-to-like and had the friendliness of your local barber. His 

nickname was ‘The Diplomat’ because of his calm demeanor and steadiness despite 

the stress thrown his way.”

IN MEMORIAM

LITHUANIA 

EXHUMATION

Archival Photo

Because of joint work conducted by DPAA, Lithuanian public and private archaeological entities; 

and DPAA partner, Ohio Valley Archaeology, Inc., three graves from the former World War II POW 

Camp pictured here, near Heydekrug, Lithuania, were exhumed in June 2022. Subsequently, U.S. 

Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. William Teaff, Staff Sgt. Walter Nies, and Staff Sgt. George Walker 

were identified, and all missing Americans from Lithuania are now accounted for.
43 44

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

The agency hosted the Korean 

War and Cold War Annual 

Government Briefings at 

Arlington, Virginia, the 

first in-person in three 

years. Agency leaders also 

visited government officials 

in the Republic of India 

to discuss renewing past 

agreements and resuming 

field operations there. The 

DPAA Director spoke at the 

national conventions of the 

Veterans of Foreign Wars 

and the Disabled American 

Veterans. The month had 20 

disinterments of Unknowns 

from the Korean War and 

World War II from the NMCP 

and American cemeteries in 

Belgium, France, and the 

Netherlands. DPAA had 21 

identifications of previously 

unknown service members.

2022

July DPAA and personnel from various orgainizations prepare for the investigation of a 1945 loss incident involving a U.S. Navy Patrol Bomber Mariner flying boat near 

Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, July 11. The U.S. Coast Guard provided the watercraft and crews. Divers from the Royal Australian Navy and the Mexican Navy, who were 

participating in the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s RIMPAC exercise, assisted the DPAA team.(33 to 99 feet) of water. 
45 46

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

A family member asks a 

question during the Korean 

War and Cold War Annual 

Government Briefings at 

Arlington, Virginia, July 26. 

Over 400 family members 

and veterans gathered during 

the two-day event to recieve 

updates regarding their 

loved ones who are still 

unaccounted.

SECRETARY OF 

THE NAVY VISITS 

DPAA

Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Jack 

Rigsby

Secretary of the Navy 

Carlos Del Toro speaks 

to DPAA members 

during a tour at the 

DPAA Hawaii facility 

on Joint Base Pearl 

Harbor-Hickam, 

July 18. In addition 

to several mission 

strategic updates, the 

Secretary received 

updates on the success 

of projects dedicated 

to the Battle of Tarawa 

and the Unknowns 

from Navy ships lost at 

Pearl Harbor. 

DPAA service members load a casket during a disinterment ceremony at the 

NMCP, July 25. The ceremony continues DPAA’s efforts to forensically analyze the 

unknown remains of service members lost during the Korean War for the purpose of 

identification.

KOREAN WAR FAMILIES

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. James Thompson 

PUNCHBOWL 

DISINTERMENT

Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan L. R. 

Burgess

Army Sergeant 1st Class Luigi Lawrence, a DPAA recovery team leader, removes dirt from an 

excavation unit during a DPAA recovery mission in Kamp-Bornhofen, Germany, July 27. 

RECOVERY IN GERMANY

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan 

McElderry
47 48

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

This month, DPAA personnel 

at three locations hosted 

a Vietnamese delegation 

as part of the Department 

of State’s International 

Visitor Leadership Program. 

Agency members also 

attended the American 

Legion National Convention 

to inform attendees of 

efforts to find their missing 

comrades-in-arms. DPAA 

investigation and recovery 

teams were deployed 

to PNG and the Federal 

Republic of Germany. Of 

the 21 disinterments in the 

month, all of World War II 

Unknowns, 19 were from the 

American Battle Monuments 

Commission cemetery in 

Belgium and the other from 

the NMCP. During the 

month, the agency identified 

28 previously unaccounted 

for service members.

2022

Dr. Rene Zielinski, a DPAA Scientific recovery expert, documents details about the excavation site in a field notebook during a DPAA recovery 

mission in Kamp-Bornhofen, Germany, Aug 3. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Johnathan McElderry) August
49 50

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

PHILLIPS’ FUNERAL

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Blake Gonzales

A Sailor assigned to U.S. Navy Region Hawaii carries the remains of Water Tender 

1st Class Milo E. Phillips during his funeral ceremony at the NMCP, Aug 4. Phillips 

was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which capsized after sustaining multiple hits 

on Dec. 7, 1941, at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Stewart was recently identified through DNA analysis by the Armed Forces 

Medical Examiner System’s DNA Identification Laboratory and laid to rest with full military honors.

103rd AMERICAN LEGION 

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. David Owsianka

Kristina Schmidt, a DPAA external relations 

specialist, describes the different aspects of a skull 

that anthropologists use to identify a human during the 

American Legion National Convention in Milwaukee, 

Wisconsin, Aug 27. The different features of a human 

skull help determine a person’s gender and other 

information unique to the individual.

U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, Kevin Levey, a shortterm individual augmentee, conducts dive operations 

during an underwater recovery mission in Wewak, 

PNG, Aug 31. He assisted the DPAA team in finding 

crewmen missing from an aircraft crash during World 

War II.

UNDERWATER OPERATIONS

Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Jack Rigsby

U.S. Ambassador to 

Malaysia Brian McFeeters 

holds a signed MOU with 

Dato’ Sri Muez Abd Aziz, 

Malaysian Ministry of 

Defense Secretary General, 

after a signing ceremony 

at the Port Dickson Army 

Museum, Malaysia, Aug 

4. The document provides 

DPAA access to Malaysia, 

secures their government’s 

cooperation, and provides 

the framework for field 

activities within the 

country.

US AND MALAYSIA 

SIGN MOU

Photo Courtesy of Ministry of 

Defense of Malaysia
51 52

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

DPAA’s Hawaii facility 

hosted a scientific summit 

and for the first time in 

three years DPAA had 

an in-person ceremony 

for National POW/MIA 

Recognition day at the 

NMCP. This month the 

agency sent recovery 

teams to the Lao People’s 

Democratic Republic.

Finally, in September we 

had five disinterments, 

all from World War II 

and all coming from the 

North Africa American 

Cemetery. During this 

month DPAA identified 

27 previously unknown 

service members.

2022

September Thuan Chau, DPAA isotope mass spectrometrist, gives a tour of the stable isotope lab during the scientific summit held at DPAA’s 

Hawaii facility, Sept. 20, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The inaugural summit strengthened ties with counterpart 

organizations and host nation partners and shared best practices in DPAA’s forensic efforts in both the field and in the laboratory. 

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. James Thompson
53 54

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise

Service members from DPAA and other units prepare to lay wreaths during the 

National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the NMCP, Sept. 16. First 

established in 1979 through a proclamation from President Jimmy Carter, the 

annual observance recognizes the sacrifices of those Americans who have 

been prisoners of war and to remind the nation of those still missing in action. DENVER FMU

Photo by Air Force

Staff Sgt. Blake Gonzales

Kelly Arnholt, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) DNA analyst, swabs a 

MIA family member during the DPAA FMU in Denver, Colorado, Sept. 10. Family Reference 

Samples are vital to the success of accounting for missing service members. 

NATIONAL POW/MIA DAY 2022

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan McElderry

INVESTIGATION TEAM 

IN PNG

Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John Miller

VIETNAM 

REPATRIATION

Courtesy Photo

Ms. Nicole Rhoton, DPAA historian, screens 

dirt in Ulingan, PNG, Sept. 29, as part of an 

investigative site survey. The team visited 

multiple areas across the coastal Madang 

Province in hopes of finding and correlating 

information that will lead to a future recovery 

of missing U.S. service members lost during 

World War II.

In conjunction with the 

POW/MIA Recognition 

Day Ceremony, U.S. 

Ambassador to the 

Socialist Republic of 

Vietnam Marc Knapper and U.S. and Vietnamese 

civilian and military officials participate in a 

repatriation ceremony at the DPAA Detachment 

2 Facility in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sep. 16. A 

Vietnamese team recovered the remains of a 

U.S. Airman from an aircraft crash site that was 

at risk due to a shrimp farm being dredged and 

expanded. 

INVESTIGATION 

TEAM IN GERMANY

Courtesy Photo

DPAA team members 

conduct site survey 

operations in the Federal 

Republic of Germany, 

Sept. 11. The team 

separately investigated 

the loss of four aircraft 

and one possible isolated 

burial from World War 

II, with a total of six 

missing Americans 

associated with these 

losses. Although the team 

did not excavate, they 

did recover from test pits 

possible human remains 

and material evidence 

from three of the sites 

investigated.
DPAA Leadership

Kelly McKeague - Director 

Fern Sumpter Winbush - Principal Deputy Director

DPAA Outreach and Communications

Mark Abueg - Director, Outreach and Communications

Johnie Webb - Deputy Director, Outreach and Communications

Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Fischer-Carter - Chief, Public Affairs

Ashley Wright - Chief, Strategic Communications

Army Sgt. 1st Class Corey Idleburg - Chief, Visual Information and Forensic Imaging

Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette - Public Affairs NCO

Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan L. R. Burgess - Forensic Photographer

Air Force Staff Sgt. Blake Gonzales - Forensic Photographer

Web: www.dpaa.mil 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodpaa 

Twitter: twitter.com/dodpaa

DVIDS: www.dvidshub.net/unit/DPAA

YouTube: https://youtu.be/FcSwcb57OGg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Family members seeking more information 

about missing loved ones should call their

respective Service Casualty Office

U.S. Army

(800) 892-2490

U.S. Marine Corps

(866) 210-3421, Opt. 1

U.S. Navy

(800) 443-9298

U.S. Air Force

(800) 531-5501

U.S. Coast Guard

(202) 795-6637

Central Intelligence Agency

(703) 874-4270

U.S. Department of State

(202) 485-6125

2023 FMU Schedule*

Date Location

November 19 Norfolk, VA

February 25 Orlando, FL

March 25 Dallas, TX

April 22 Chicago, IL

June 29-30 Arlington, VA**

August 17-18 Arlington, VA***

* FMUs may be subject to change. Please check 

the DPAA website.

**The Vietnam War Annual Government 

Briefings

*** The Korean/Cold War Annual Government 

Briefings