Army Maj. Jack D. Griffiths, missing from the Korean War, has now been accounted for.
On Nov. 30, 1950, Griffiths was a member of Headquarters, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, when he was reported missing in action in the vicinity of Somin-dong, North Korea.
Repatriated American prisoners of war reported that Griffiths had been captured and died and was buried at Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea. Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared Griffiths deceased.
In 1954, United Nations and communist forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army’s Central Identification Unit for analysis. A set of remains designated as X-14411 were unable to be identified and were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.”
In November 2013, the grave where X-14411 was buried was exhumed and the remains sent to the laboratory for analysis.
DNA analysis, as well as circumstantial and anthropological evidence, were used in identifying Griffiths' remains.
Interment services are pending.