The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. James C. Konyud, of Cleveland, will be buried on Sept. 25 in his hometown. From mid-September 1944 to early February 1945, the Army was engaged against German forces in the Hürtgen Forest, along the Germany/Belgium border, in the longest continuously fought battle in American history. In early January 1945, elements of the 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division were deployed defensively in the area southeast of Aachen. Konyud, a member of K Company, 121st Infantry Regiment, was reported missing near the location on Jan. 1.
In 2007, a German explosive ordnance disposal team working in an agricultural field between Vossenack and Hürtgen, found human remains and military-related equipment, including Konyud's military identification tag. The remains and items were turned over to Army Memorial Affairs Activity-Europe officials for further analysis.
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) teams traveled to excavate the site twice in 2007 and once in 2008, recovering additional remains and other military-related equipment, including a second identification tag for Konyud.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA, which matched that of Konyud's brother and niece, in the identification of his remains.
More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted-for from the conflict.
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Showing posts with label pow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pow. Show all posts
24 September 2010
20 September 2010
U.S. Soldier MIA from Korean War Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced earlier this month that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
United States Army Sgt. Charles P. Whitler was buried Sept. 2 in his hometown of Cloverport, Ky.
In early November 1950, Whitler was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan by the Kuryong River known as the "Camel's Head." Two enemy elements attacked the U.S. forces, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Whitler's unit was involved in fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around the 3rd Battalion's command post. Almost 400 men were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.
In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported during his debriefing that he and nine American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. The surviving solider provided detailed information on the incident location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, experts evaluated circumstances surrounding Whitler's captivity and death and researched wartime documentation of his loss.
In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, excavated a mass grave near the "Camel's Head." An elderly North Korean man reported he had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.
The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site, one of whom was Whitler.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA - which matched that of Whitler's sister and niece - in the identification.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,022 service members still remain missing from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1420.
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United States Army Sgt. Charles P. Whitler was buried Sept. 2 in his hometown of Cloverport, Ky.
In early November 1950, Whitler was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan by the Kuryong River known as the "Camel's Head." Two enemy elements attacked the U.S. forces, collapsing their perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Whitler's unit was involved in fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around the 3rd Battalion's command post. Almost 400 men were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.
In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported during his debriefing that he and nine American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. The surviving solider provided detailed information on the incident location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, experts evaluated circumstances surrounding Whitler's captivity and death and researched wartime documentation of his loss.
In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, excavated a mass grave near the "Camel's Head." An elderly North Korean man reported he had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.
The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site, one of whom was Whitler.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA - which matched that of Whitler's sister and niece - in the identification.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,022 service members still remain missing from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1420.
---
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23 February 2009
Japanese Prime Minister Cannot Leave Slave Labor and Torture Issues Home Say American WWII Vets
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor:
As Americans grapple with the excesses of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso visits Washington, unapologetic for his country's own long-unresolved issues of wartime human rights abuses.
In January, Mr. Aso acknowledged that his family-owned coal mine used Allied Prisoners of War as slave labor during World War II. However, he did not apologize for, nor admit to, the documented abuse of the POWs that violated the 1929 Geneva Convention.
Mr. Aso's admission is the first by any senior Japanese government or industry official that private Japanese companies used POWs during the War to produce war materials. More than 27,000 Americans were captured by Japan, most early in World War II. Held in brutal captivity, these POWs were forced to work for over 50 private war-related Japanese companies including Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, and Hitachi.
Lester Tenney, Commander of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) says: "the next step is to issue a national apology and offer outreach programs to the American POWs." Tenney adds that Japan has offered both to other Allied POWs. He finds it "incomprehensible and offensive that only American POWs have been excluded."
He is reminded of the end of the Bataan Death March. Starving, exhausted, and sick he stood at attention with other Death March survivors while a Japanese officer told them [the POWs] that they were "lower than dogs" and "they [the Japanese] would treat them that way for the rest of their lives." Then the Commandant said, "We will never be friends with the piggish Americans."
Tenney only asks for fairness for the American POWs. He calls for the inclusion of the POWs and their descendants in a new Japanese initiative to fund visits and research on the POW experience that can promote a spirit of reconciliation with Japan and the Japanese people. He says that Japan can "demonstrate its better values with concrete actions that can mend the damaging personal and political effects that come from dehumanizing POWs."
The American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) is a veteran's organization representing the survivors and families of those who were POWs of the Japanese.
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As Americans grapple with the excesses of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso visits Washington, unapologetic for his country's own long-unresolved issues of wartime human rights abuses.
In January, Mr. Aso acknowledged that his family-owned coal mine used Allied Prisoners of War as slave labor during World War II. However, he did not apologize for, nor admit to, the documented abuse of the POWs that violated the 1929 Geneva Convention.
Mr. Aso's admission is the first by any senior Japanese government or industry official that private Japanese companies used POWs during the War to produce war materials. More than 27,000 Americans were captured by Japan, most early in World War II. Held in brutal captivity, these POWs were forced to work for over 50 private war-related Japanese companies including Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, and Hitachi.
Lester Tenney, Commander of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) says: "the next step is to issue a national apology and offer outreach programs to the American POWs." Tenney adds that Japan has offered both to other Allied POWs. He finds it "incomprehensible and offensive that only American POWs have been excluded."
He is reminded of the end of the Bataan Death March. Starving, exhausted, and sick he stood at attention with other Death March survivors while a Japanese officer told them [the POWs] that they were "lower than dogs" and "they [the Japanese] would treat them that way for the rest of their lives." Then the Commandant said, "We will never be friends with the piggish Americans."
Tenney only asks for fairness for the American POWs. He calls for the inclusion of the POWs and their descendants in a new Japanese initiative to fund visits and research on the POW experience that can promote a spirit of reconciliation with Japan and the Japanese people. He says that Japan can "demonstrate its better values with concrete actions that can mend the damaging personal and political effects that come from dehumanizing POWs."
The American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) is a veteran's organization representing the survivors and families of those who were POWs of the Japanese.
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01 September 2008
Andersonville National Historic Site, Rolling Thunder Chapters from 11 States, Georgia Southwestern State University to Honor Nation's POWs/MIAs, Sept
MMF Note: Sounds like a moving memorial to those who didn't come home, or who suffered at others' hands.
PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rolling Thunder's 2008 Ride Home -- a multi-day annual activity held in conjunction with the National Park Service's Andersonville National Historic Site and Georgia Southwestern State University to recognize and honor the nation's Prisoners of War (POW) and those Missing in Action (MIA) -- will be held in Andersonville and Americus, Ga., Sept. 17-20, 2008.
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PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rolling Thunder's 2008 Ride Home -- a multi-day annual activity held in conjunction with the National Park Service's Andersonville National Historic Site and Georgia Southwestern State University to recognize and honor the nation's Prisoners of War (POW) and those Missing in Action (MIA) -- will be held in Andersonville and Americus, Ga., Sept. 17-20, 2008.
"The 2008 Ride Home, which is supported this year by Rolling Thunder(R) chapters from 11 states, is part of a series of events conducted jointly with the National Park Service in Andersonville to honor those former POWs from all wars who have returned home and remember those who are still listed as MIA," said Jim Moyer, Ride Home board chairman.
According to Moyer, more than 1,000 Rolling Thunder members are expected to gather in Andersonville and Americus to honor an estimated 100 former POWs scheduled to attend this year's program of events as guests of Rolling Thunder.
While Friday, Sept. 19, is the official National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the four days of recognition activities begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a convocation sponsored by the National Park Service and hosted by Georgia Southwestern State University at the Student Success Center in Americus.
The guest speaker will be Joseph Hudson of Alamogordo, N.M. He was a 23-year-old U.S. Army specialist with the 507th Maintenance Group, Fort Bliss, Tex., who was shot three times, captured and held by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Army from March 23, 2003 until April 13, 2003.
On Thursday, Sept. 18, through Saturday, Sept. 20, the Park Service will host Bataan Death March survivor Colonel Glenn Frazier at the National Prisoner of War Museum at the Andersonville National Historic Site. Frazier, who was an underage U.S. Army volunteer from Fort Deposit, Ala., in 1941, will be autographing his book, "Hell's Guest," which is his account of three harrowing years as a prisoner of war.
On Friday, Sept. 19, the official National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Rolling Thunder's formal activities will begin at 10 a.m. with a tribute service, "Keeping the Promise, We Will Not Forget" at the First Baptist Church in Americus.
Scheduled speakers include: U.S. Air Force Major General Albert G. (Jerry) Rodgers whose final active duty assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at Tactical Air Command Headquarters at Langley, AFB, Va.; U.S. Navy Captain Ronald Harrell, Commander of the FFG (Fast Frigate) Class Squadron 14 at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.; Stephen E. Thompson, Family and Veteran Liaison for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hawaii; and, Dr./Rev. Chuck Gass, the staff chaplain at the VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla.
A Rolling Thunder escort to the tribute service for the former POWs is scheduled to depart for the Baptist church from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Americus at 9 a.m.
At 1 p.m. that afternoon the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville will unveil a commemorative plaque honoring POWs from the U.S. Army's 42nd "Rainbow" Division.
Formed in August 1917, the "Rainbow" nickname was given to the division after Colonel Douglas MacArthur, the new division's Chief of Staff (and ultimately its commander), remarked that "the 42nd Division stretches like a Rainbow from one end of America to the other" because it was comprised of National Guard units from 26 states and the District of Columbia.
The division, which saw service in both World Wars, was deactivated in 1946; however it returned in 1947 as a National Guard Division for New York, the state of its birth. Currently headquartered at the Glenmore Armory in Troy, N.Y., the division includes Army National Guard units from 14 states: Connecticut, Main, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Activities on Friday will continue at 4:30 p.m. with Rolling Thunder's annual tribute dinner followed by a candlelight remembrance ceremony scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Both activities will be at the Windsor Hotel in Americus.
The Missing Man Table, which honors the nation's POW/MIAs, will be the focal point of the evening. The single round table with six empty place settings symbolize Americans from each of the five services -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard -- and civilians who cannot attend and will be participating in the evening's activities in spirit only.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, Rolling Thunder's Annual POW Recognition will begin at 10 a.m. at the Rostrum at Andersonville National Cemetery. The ceremony honors POWs who have returned home from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf wars.
A Rolling Thunder Heroes Escort Ride is scheduled to depart for the Andersonville National Historic Site from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Americus at 9 a.m.
The 1-14th Aviation Regiment from Fort Rucker, Ala., will open the 10 a.m. ceremony with a helicopter flyover of an AH-64D Apache Longbow and an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
A Roll Call of former POWs attending the ceremony will precede a special presentation to each.
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