Posted on May 13, 2015
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Another Is Home

Hondo | May 13, 2015
In January, DPAA identified and formally accounted for the following US soldier from World War II. Regrettably, I appear to have missed the original announcement of his change in status – hence this delayed article. My apologies.

• Flight Officer Arthur J. LeFavre, 599th Bombardment Squadron, 397th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Forces, was lost on 23 December 1944 in Germany. He was accounted for on 22 January 2015.

Welcome home, my elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that it took so long.
Rest in peace.

Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

While I’ve not yet found instructions for submitting a mtDNA sample on DPAA’s web site, their site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have guidance concerning who may submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to point you in the correct direction if you’re interested.

If you have a missing relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA, please consider contacting DPAA and see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample. If you qualify, please consider submitting such a sample. By doing so you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified. Or you may help to identify remains yet to be recovered in the future.

Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.
Again: my apologies for the belated notice.

(Author’s Note: the rank above is indeed correct. From 1942-1945, the US Army Air Forces had warrant officer pilots, navigators, flight engineers, and bombardiers. “Flight Officer” was the proper title for that rank; it was equivalent to today’s W1.)

Category: No Longer Missing

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Posted in these groups: Wwii logo WWII World War Two1 HomePow logo POW/MIA
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Responses: 3
MAJ Ken Landgren
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Welcome home to the country you belong too.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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Amen to that Sir.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
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Welcome home! I bet a lot of bomber crews ended up missing.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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MAJ Ken Landgren , that probably accounts for a lot of the missing air crews.
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GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad
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Edited >1 y ago
Thanks for posting SGT (Join to see)!!!
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These are exciting times to me when I read another MIA is home.
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