U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jamarius Fortson
Personnel assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency render honors as the remains of U.S. Navy Cmdr. James. B. Mills are loaded for transport during a chain of custody at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 7, 2019. Mills, a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) assigned to Fighter Squadron Twenty One aboard the USS Coral Sea, was lost when his F-4B aircraft went missing during a night armed reconnaissance mission over then-North Vietnam in 1966, and was accounted for by DPAA on August 20, 2018. His remains were escorted by U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Jon Kreitz, deputy director for operations, DPAA, to Arlington, Virginia, for interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson
The family of Radioman 3rd Class Jack Goldwater scatter his cremains over the USS Utah Memorial during a burial at sea, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jun. 7, 2019. Goldwater was assigned to the USS Oklahoma which sustained fire and multiple torpedo hits from Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941, causing the ship to capsize and resulted in the deaths of over 400 crew members. Goldwater was recently identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jamarius Fortson
William Mason receives a folded flag from sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii for his deceased great uncle, U.S. Navy Musician 1st Class Henri Clay Mason at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 28, 2019. Mason was assigned to the USS Oklahoma which sustained fire and multiple torpedo hits from Japanese aircraft causing the ship to capsize and resulted in the deaths of over 400 crew members on Dec. 7, 1941, at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Cook was recently identified through DNA analysis by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s forensic laboratory and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kristen Duus, DPAA
Mrs. Linda McFadyen was honored by Mr. Kelly McKeague, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Director, June 11, 2019, for her exceptional meritorious service as an American Citizens Service Country Officer/Casualty Officer for Civilian POW/MIAs at the Department of State from 2004 to 2019. While serving in this capacity, Mrs. McFadyen demonstrated exemplary commitment and abilities in executing the complex and diversified duties and responsibilities of the State Department's POW/MIA program, in partnership with DPAA.
Among Mrs. McFadyen's many accomplishments was her support for 14 annual Vietnam War meetings and eight annual Korean War meetings as well as the planning sessions beforehand, where she demonstrated her expert knowledge of the civilian losses and their respective families. Throughout each meeting, her presence was key to ensuring trust and transparency with the attending families.
The distinctive accomplishments of Mrs. McFadyen culminate a distinguished career in the service of her country and reflect a great credit upon herself, DPAA, and the Office of the Secretary of State.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kristen Duus, DPAA
Mr. Kelly McKeague, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Director, right, accepts an award on behalf of the almost 600 DPAA personnel, both civilian and military, from Ian Brownlee, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., June 11. The Department of State has been a trusted and valued partner in the accounting mission for DPAA, and has been a true force multiplier.
The Department of State is indebted to DPAA for locating and identifying the remains of 31 private U.S. citizens who have died and were missing from past wars.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amara Timberlake
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Chris Varner, a team sergeant with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) talks with Dr. Willa Trask, a forensic anthropologist, while conducting an investigation in Quang Binh province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, May 29, 2019. DPAA was in the region conducting investigations in search of service members who went missing during the Vietnam War.
June 6, 1944- More than 150,000 Allied forces, aboard over 5,000 Allied
ships and landing crafts, took to the shores of Normandy, facing more than
50,000 Axis troops, in the invasion that came to be known as "D-Day."
Commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, D-Day was originally
scheduled for June 5, but the weather forced the operation to be pushed back
a day. Allied troops landed on five different beaches over a 60 mile span of
the Normandy coast: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. By June 11, 1944, all
five beaches had been secured by Allied forces. Today, on the 75th
anniversary of D-Day, 72,708 remain unaccounted-for from World War II, with
262 unaccounted-for from that historic day.
The DPAA Year in Review is an annual publication of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. It chronicles Worldwide mission of our world-class workforce working to fulfill our nation's obligation by providing the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation. View the DPAA Year in Review now!
Dr. Greg Kupsky, Historian with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency delivers a presentation to the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society May 31, 2019. Dr. Kupsky's presentation covered the DPAA mission, the complexity of cases, and how families can contribute DNA Family Reference Samples.
DoD photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson
U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan meets with officials at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 28, 2019.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Leah Ferrante
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mike Hill measures a test unit in hopes of locating a possible burial location in Buna, Papua New Guinea, May 19, 2019.
DPAA Public Affairs
DPAA is pleased to launch the "FamWeb"- an online space for sharing updates, content and new information with families of personnel who are unaccounted-for and recently identified from past conflicts.