Boise Valley POW-MIA Corp

Come out and support our Veterans at the Boise Veterans Home. Door prizes, 50/50 Raffle, Poker Run, and lot of great items for Raffle!!

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Allan W. Knepper, 27, of Lewiston, , killed during , was August 10, 2023.

In summer 1943, pilot Knepper went missing in action while flying a P-38 "Lightning" in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of . His plane encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Caltagirone, Italy. His remains were not recovered.

To identify Knepper’s remains, scientists from used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) used mitochondrial DNA ( ), Y-chromosome ( ), and autosomal DNA ( ) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S. Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa for their partnership in this mission. Bob Richardson and Salvo Fagone provided valuable assistance with research related to finding 2nd Lt. Knepper's crash site. In addition, DPAA is grateful for the efforts of our partners, Cranfield University, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR), and Geoscope Services Limited, who each excavated the site and recovered evidence that was transferred to the DPAALab.

Learn more about Knepper in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3768785/pilot-accounted-for-from-wwii-knepper-a/.


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The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recently announced that U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. George E. Davies, 27, of Portland, Oregon, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 9, 2022.

In the summer of 1943, Davies was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator bomber on which SSgt Davies was the assistant engineer was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.

To identify Davies’ remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, chest radiograph comparison, and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to American Battle Monuments Commission and the U.S. Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa for their partnership in this mission.

Learn more here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3786278/airman-accounted-for-from-wwii-davies-g/


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: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Air Force Sgt. David S. Price, 26, of Centralia, Washington, who was killed during the , was June 21, 2024.

In 1968, Price and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, . In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men. Price and ten other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered.

To identify Price’s remains, from used circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System ( ) used mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis.

Learn more about Price in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3816683/airman-accounted-from-vietnam-war-price-d/


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The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. Jack H. Hohlfeld, 29, of Trempealeau, , who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during , was May 29, 2024.

Hohlfeld was a member of Headquarters Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.

Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Hohlfeld was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death Hohlfeld and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.

In 2018, as part of the , DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 811 and sent them to the for analysis.

[Learn more about the Cabanatuan Project: https://dpaa-mil.experience.crmforce.mil/Projects/s/wwii/cabanatuan]

To identify Hohlfeld’s remains, from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System ( ) used mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis.

Even though Hohlfeld was buried as an Unknown in MACM, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) has taken great care of his grave for the past 70 years. DPAA appreciates the partnership of ABMC and the United States Army in this mission.

Learn more about Hohlfeld in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3809545/airman-accounted-for-from-wwii-hohlfeld-j/


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The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Ralph H. Bode, 20, of Racine, , killed during , was Dec. 26, 2023.

In late 1944, SSgt. Bode was assigned to the 700th Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force in the European Theater. On Sep 27, Bode, the tail gunner onboard a , was lost when his aircraft was shot down while on a bombing mission over Kassel, . During the mission, the formation of Allied aircraft encountered heavy resistance from ground and air forces, which resulted in the rapid loss of 25 Liberators. Several surviving crewmembers from Bode’s aircraft reported seeing other crewmembers near escape hatches, but they did not see Bode escape the plane. After the crash, German forces captured 3 crewmembers as prisoners of war, but Bode was not among them. After a year without a sign of Bode, the War Department issued a finding of death on September 28, 1945.

To identify Bode’s remains, from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System ( ) used mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis.

Learn more about Bode in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3850008/airman-accounted-for-from-wwii-bode-r/


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🇺🇸 Honoring the fallen! U.S. service members with paid tribute during a moving disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - Punchbowl in Honolulu, , on July 15, 2024.

DPAA disinterred eight caskets potentially holding American heroes still unaccounted for from the . These caskets have been carefully transferred to DPAA facilities for extensive scientific analysis and possible identification. 🧬🔍

DPAA and its partners continue our commitment to bring provide to families and ensure these brave souls receive the respect and recognition they deserve.

photos by Master Sgt. Eric E. Flores


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Join us on AUGUST 6TH @ 10 A.M. for our next Kilroy Coffee Klatch!

Our guest speaker will be Ben Blake, a Marine Corps veteran who served four years as a rifleman with 1st Bn, 3d Marines. He is now the Education Coordinator for the Veterans Upward Bound project in the Treasure Valley.

Ben will speak about his grandfather, Retired U.S. Army Colonel Bob Rosen who served for 30 years. Enlisting in 1942, he attended West Point and in the winter of 1950 he was sent to North Korea. Within six weeks he was in command of a platoon that would be a part of one of the most intense battles in U.S. military history, the Chosin Reservoir Campaign.

The Kilroy Coffee Klatch is FREE for all veterans and all veterans are welcome to join us!

Welcome home

The recently announced that Pvt. 1st Class Alcario V. Flores, 37, of Coolidge, Arizona, killed during , was March 1, 2024.

In January 1945, Private First Class (Pfc.) Flores was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in the European Theater during WWII. Shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve 1944, German forces launched a major offensive operation in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace-Lorraine, , known as . The German attack surged through Allied defenses along the Franco-German border, and the ensuing battle enveloped two U.S. Corps along a 40-mile-wide front. Company G was assigned to a sector at Reipertswiller in the following few weeks, known as "Hoch Ebersberg" (Mount Ebersberg). On January 21, Pfc. Flores was killed. Due to the intensity of the fighting, his body was unable to be recovered. With no record of German forces capturing Flores and no remains recovered, the War Department issued a "Report of Death" in January 1946.

To identify Flores's remains, DPAA scientists used dental and anthropological evidence and Mitochondrial ( ) analysis from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.

Learn more about Flores in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3832317/soldier-accounted-for-from-wwii-flores-a/.


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Welcome home

The recently announced that Corporal Jesse L. Mitchell, 22, of Shawnee, , killed during the , was April 8, 2024.

In December 1950, Mitchell was a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action after his unit engaged in intensive combat actions near Kunu-ri, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, during the Battle of Ch'ongch'on River. Eyewitness accounts recall Mitchell being captured by the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces while attempting to withdraw to friendly positions. He reportedly died from exhaustion and malnutrition while in captivity at POW Camp 5 on the Pyoktong Peninsula in the summer of 1951.

To identify Cpl. Mitchell's remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, chest radiograph comparison, and circumstantial evidence. Additionally, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System scientists used mitochondrial ( ) analysis.

Learn more about Mitchell in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3808803/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-mitchell-j/


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Welcome home

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Army Sgt. Sam A. Prince, 28, of Clovis, , who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during , was April 25, 2024.

In late 1942, Prince was a member of Headquarters Battery, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment, U.S. Army, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.

Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Prince was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile and then held at the POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.

To identify Prince’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and , as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial ( ) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the ABMC and the United States Army for their partnership in this mission.

Learn more about Tedone in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3809467/soldier-accounted-for-from-wwii-prince-s/.


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Welcome Home

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that U.S. Army Corporal Edward J. Smith, 18, of Allentown, , killed during the , was May 15, 2024.

In August 1950, Smith was a member of Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Aug. 31 while fighting North Korean forces in the vicinity of Changnyong, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Smith.

To identify Smith’s remains, from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) used mitochondrial ( ) analysis.

Learn more about Smith in his full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3809126/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-smith-e/.


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: U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii conducted an interment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - Punchbowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 6, 2024, honoring U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class Michael Malek. Malek served on the Nevada-class battleship (BB-37), which was attacked by Japanese aircraft during , leading to its capsizing. The DPAA Malek on February 24, 2021. The full honors ceremony included flag folding, salutes, prayers, and the placement of a ceremonial urn for the . (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keion Jackson)

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Attention everyone!!

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that Air Forces Pvt. 1st Class Charles R. Powers, 18, of Riverside, , who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during , was May 26, 2023.

In late 1941, Powers was a member of the 28th Materiel Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942. Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Powers was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile and then held at the POW camp. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war. According to prison camp and other historical records, Powers died July 18, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 312.

from used dental and anthropological analysis to identify Powers. Additionally, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System ( ) scientists used Mitochondrial ( ) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) analysis. DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and the U.S. Army for their in this mission.

See Powers’ full press release here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3794716/airman-accounted-for-from-wwii-powers-c/

Welcome home Sgt Price!

BREAKING NEWS - VIETNAM WAR VETERAN ACCOUNTED FOR.

"The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Air Force Sgt. David S. Price, who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for June 21, 2024.

In 1968, Price and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men. Sgt. Price and 10 other Americans were killed in action and unable to be recovered."

LINK TO OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE IS BELOW!

https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYWREA4

A heartfelt ❤️ thank you to all the families, service members, and civilians who gathered with us at the Pentagon for the exciting unveiling of our 2024 POW/MIA Recognition Poster in the POW/MIA Corridor! 🇺🇸

Don't miss out—order your poster today at: [https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebPosters]🖼️

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Getting ready for the opening ceremony at Meridian Speedway for Diamond Cup! Thanks to all our volunteers who helped out!

One happy fellow. He won the 50/50 raffle at Meridian Speedway tonight. $1161.00. Congratulations from the Boise Valley POW-MIA Corp

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ( ) recently announced that Seaman 2nd Class (S2c) George A. Thompson, 20, of Omaha, , killed during , was on Oct. 29, 2018.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Thompson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, , when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including S2c Thompson.

To identify Thompson’s remains, from used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System ( ) used mitochondrial DNA ( ), Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal (auSTR) analysis.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.

Learn more about Thompson's Identification here: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3801371/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-wwii-thompson-g/