Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette
Soldier Lost During the Korean War Laid to Rest at Arlington
Army 1st Lt. Robert C. Styslinger, 28, of Pittsburgh, killed during the Korean War, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, June 18, 2021.
The funeral was attended by his niece Cecilia and 125 other family and friends.
In late 1950, Styslinger served with Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported to have been killed in action Nov. 29, 1950 while fighting enemy forces near Hagaru-ri, Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. His remains could not be recovered.
Styslinger was identified from the 55 boxes of remains turned over to the U.S. by North Korea in 2018.
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Rusty Frank
Brothers Lost on USS Oklahoma Laid to Rest
Navy Fire Controlman 2nd Class Harold F. Trapp, 24, and Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class William H. Trapp, 23, of La Porte, Indiana, brothers who were lost on the USS Oklahoma during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, were laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu June 15. The Trapp Brothers were accounted for as part of the USS Oklahoma Project, which, to date, has accounted for 341 of the 392 USS Oklahoma Unknowns.
.jpg "D.C. POW/MIA Chair of Honor Dedication")
Photo by Ashley Wright
D.C. POW/MIA Chair of Honor Dedication
Colleen Shine, daughter of Col. Anthony Shine, who went missing during the Vietnam War and was accounted for in 1996, and representative of the National League of POW/MIA Families; and Capt. Ralph Galati, a former Vietnam War POW; unveil the POW/MIA Chair of Honor during a ceremony in the lobby of DPAA's Crystal City, Virginia, office June 14. POW/MIA chairs are found across the United States, in sports arenas and stadiums, town halls, and state capitols. The chairs are meant to represent those service members who are unable to fill them because of their sacrifices. An identical chair was unveiled at DPAA's Hawaii facility in February 2020.
Photos by Staff Sgt. Michael O'Neal
USS Oklahoma Funerals at Punchbowl
The U.S. Navy conducted funerals for three USS Oklahoma Sailors at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu June 1 and 2. Bandmaster James Booe, Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady, and Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Shelby Treadway were all laid to rest with full military honors.
All three Sailors had been buried as Unknowns at the Punchbowl following World War II. They were disinterred and identified as part of the USS Oklahoma Project. As of June 3, 339 Sailors have been accounted for since the first USS Oklahoma disinterment in 2003.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette
World War II Marine Funeral at Arlington
Marine Corps Reserve 1st Lt. Justin G. Mills, 25, of Galveston, Texas, killed during World War II, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery May 26, 2021.
In November 1943, Mills was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Mills was killed on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. His remains were reportedly buried in the Central Division Cemetery, and later to the Lone Palm Cemetery on Betio Island.
Mills was recovered in 2014, and accounted for in 2019.
Mills' niece and nephew were on hand to finally welcome their uncle home and lay him to rest.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette
International Partnership
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has established a three-way partnership with the Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the National Forensic Sciences University of India (NSFU) with the virtual signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) May 27, in order to develop academic exchanges and cooperation in teaching and research.
“We are privileged and enthusiastic to enter into this formal partnership with India's National Forensic Science University,” said Kelly McKeague, DPAA Director. “Their renowned expertise and capabilities will advance our efforts to find and recover the remains of Americans missing from World War II in India.”