Dec. 9, 2024

Pearl Harbor sailor laid to rest in Albuquerque after being identified

A Michigan sailor who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor was laid to rest on Friday at the Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque with full military honors. “We will continue this effort until every single service member is identified and brought back so we’ll leave nobody behind,” said Rear Admiral Michael Van Poots with the Undersea Warfighting

Dec. 3, 2024

Face of Defense: Air Force Officer Contributes to DPAA Efforts

People join the Air Force for many reasons, from the potential to travel abroad to the educational benefits it affords. For some, the opportunity presents itself in a way that can only be described as the right place at the right time, and the story that blossoms from there can be filled with more opportunities than planned.Air Force Maj. Anh Ison,

Dec. 3, 2024

Local organization dedicated to finding lost servicemembers

WASHINGTON — Right now, thousands of families are still waiting for their loved ones to come home from war. About 81,000 people are still unaccounted for, dating back to World War II and a local organization is dedicated to finding them.On a beautiful September day in 2022, an American hero was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s a daily

Nov. 20, 2024

Eight decades later, sisters remember brother who died in WWII. Now, he'll be laid to rest.

U.S. Army Sgt. Hagop Jack Zarifian died 79 years ago in World War II, and he's finally returning for burial with other family members in Providence.U.S. Army Sgt. Hagop Jack Zarifian's sisters still remember him nearly 80 years after he was killed in action during World War II.Marion Chapkounian of North Providence recalls walking with her big

Oct. 25, 2024

Q&A with director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

For the past seven years, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague has led the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the organization within the Pentagon tasked with providing the fullest possible accounting of missing American service members. The DPAA sends teams to dozens of countries in the hopes of finding, identifying and repatriating

Oct. 15, 2024

Digging for answers: Ellsworth officer contributes to DPAA efforts

People join the Air Force for many reasons, from the potential to travel abroad to the educational benefits it affords. For some, the opportunity happens to present itself in a way that can only be described as the right place at the right time, and the story that blossoms from there can be filled with more opportunities than planned.Maj. Anh Ison,

Oct. 9, 2024

Missing Vet Found After 51 Years Laid to Rest by Family Who Never Gave Up

WASHINGTON D.C. — Under a clear-blue autumn sky, a 21-gun salute reverberated through Arlington National Cemetery's Section 47 on Monday, splitting the silence that had enveloped the mourners paying their final respects to Marine Corps Capt. Ronald Forrester. Two V-22 Ospreys performed a flyover while "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band played Taps and Marine

Oct. 1, 2024

Hundreds of formerly missing Vietnam War service members honored at Honolulu Memorial

Gold Star families honored loved ones in the largest event of its kind on POW/MIA Recognition Day.Thirty families joined nonprofit groups, military service academies, federal agencies, and the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) in September at the Honolulu Memorial, located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The event

Sept. 19, 2024

Hoffman Estates native uses archaeology training in search for Americans missing in combat worldwide

Friday is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, but bringing missing Americans home is a year-round focus for Hoffman Estates native and professional archaeologist David Brown.He now employs the same techniques to find and identify U.S. military personnel from World War II and later for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency within the Department of

Sept. 16, 2024

Defense agency accounts for 700th missing service member from Korean War

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced last week that it has identified the 700th service member listed as missing from the Korean War. More than 7,400 remain missing.Army Cpl. Billie Charles Driver, 18, of Dallas was identified by the DPAA on Sept. 9. Driver, a member of the 1st Calvary Division, died Sept. 5, 1950, in the Battle of the