BELLEVUE, Wash. –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency hosted its latest Family Member Update on May 3, where the agency provided updates to the families on their loved one’s cases.
The event saw around 250 family members, representing approximately 125 missing U.S. service members, in attendance, with more than 180 family members attending for the first time.
Welcoming the families, Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA principal deputy director, thanked them for their attendance.
“We thank you for being involved, for being here today and especially the newcomers. I applaud you for coming and being willing to share your story with us and to hopefully get some answers that, perhaps you’ve been waiting decades for.”
During her remarks, Winbush highlighted the agency’s warrior ethos and its role in supporting the nation's sacred duty to provide the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel to their families and the nation.
“At DPAA we live the warrior ethos every day,” said Winbush as she described the history of DPAA, which was established 10 years ago in January 2015.
“In the last 10 years we have identified more than 2,100 individuals, and of that number, about 1,600 were newly accounted for,” Winbush said. “That’s 1,600 new families that got the answer.”
The gathering provided an opportunity for families in the region a chance to connect, share stories, and receive updates on the status of loved ones who remain unaccounted for and sacrificed so much in the defense of the nation’s freedom.
Family Member Updates serve as a bridge between families and the ongoing mission of DPAA to account for the more than 81,000 Americans still missing from past conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War.
During the event, attendees engaged in formal presentations, interactive question and answer sessions, and one-on-one meetings with DPAA officials. These discussions provided personalized updates on the search and identification efforts specific to each family’s case.
A focus of the event was the critical role of DNA testing in the identification process. Family members were encouraged to provide DNA samples to aid in matching remains recovered from across the globe. With the help of advanced forensic science and improved technology, the agency has been able to provide long-awaited answers to many families.
Randy Ross, a nephew U.S. Army Private Calvin Ross, who died fighting in the Philippines on March 20, 1945, shared the feeling of hope that DNA can provide while discussing the devastating affect the loss of his uncle had on their family.
“There was a ray of light when we were contacted a few years ago and were asked to give DNA samples to determine if our uncle could be identified,” said Ross. “He hasn’t been identified yet, but we are so appreciative of this chance to learn more about the process and the ability of the government to use DNA and we look forward to having his remains identified at sometime in the future, and hopefully we can bring him home and put him to rest.”
Calvin Ross served in 3rd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On March 20, 1945, while fighting in the Philippines, he was killed by a sniper. His body could not be recovered due to the tactical situation. He has not been associated with any remains recovered from the area and is still unaccounted for. Today, Calvin Ross is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
During the gathering a remembrance ceremony was held, which allowed the family members to share personal stories of their loved ones.
Rosanne Sallee, who attended with her daughter, shared the memory of her first husband and her daughter’s father, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Karle Seydel, who was killed in action on Dec. 7, 1950, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir while leading a charge against Chinese troops on East Hill. Seydel is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu. The cemetery is often referred to as the punchbowl.
Sallee, who turns 99 years old in a few days and the oldest widow present, still holds out hope for an eventual identification, but is increasingly resigned to the fact they will probably never get anything back but keeps Seydel’s memory alive by making sure her family remembers him.
“I was in Hawaii about a month ago with my grandson and my niece and we went to the Punch Bowl,” said Sallee, who stressed that, “it meant a lot to the grandson.”
DPAA’s mission is supported by numerous partners, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and several non-governmental organizations. Their collective work ensures that the memories of the missing are never forgotten, and that their families receive the recognition and answers they deserve.