WWII Soldiers’ Remains Identified After 80 Years Across Burma, France, US

After nearly 80 years, the remains of multiple World War II servicemen have been identified, bringing long-awaited closure to their families and paving the way for proper burials. U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Henry J. Carlin, who was lost in a 1943 plane crash over Burma, was identified through dental, anthropological, isotope, and mitochondrial DNA analyses, and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in May 2026. Similarly, Army Pfc. Nicholas Hartman from Houston, who died during the D-Day invasion when his landing craft struck a mine, was identified in 2025 after DNA and anthropological testing of exhumed remains, allowing for his burial at home. Another airman, Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Gibbs, who went missing after his B-17 was hit in combat, was recovered and laid to rest with full military honors after 80 years. These identifications reflect ongoing military efforts to honor missing personnel from World War II and provide closure for their families, with names previously inscribed on Walls of the Missing now marked as accounted for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and American Battle Monuments Commission played key roles in these recoveries and identifications.