WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. James A. Reinhart, Jr., 23, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for on Jan. 6, 2026.
In the spring of 1945, Reinhart was assigned to the 5th Bombardment Squadron, 9th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). The B-29 "Superfortress" bomber on which Reinhart served as bombardier was shot down during a combat mission to Kawasaki, Japan, on April 15. Reinhart survived the crash but was held as a prisoner of war. He perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire on May 26, 1945.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Reinhart’s case will be published once his family receives a full briefing.
For additional information on the War Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/, or https://x.com/dodpaa.
Reinhart’s personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000001nzUIMEA2.