The 100th service member from a grouping of remains handed over by North Korea seven years ago has been successfully identified, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yesterday via video from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
"I just visited the forensic laboratory of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency … and I am proud to announce the DPAA has identified the 100th service member from the 55 boxes of remains turned over by North Korea in 2018," Hegseth said, adding that the service member identified is Army 1st Lt. William H. Hott, a Cuyahoga County, Ohio, native.
"He served with the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and was killed in action on December 1, 1950, at the East Chosin Reservoir in North Korea," Hegseth said while holding a black and white photo of Hott up to the camera.
Established in 2015 as the result of the merger of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, and parts of the United States Air Force's Life Sciences Lab, the DPAA's stated mission is to "provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation."
Hegseth explained that the United States' ability to recover the remains of service members like Hott stems from an agreement signed by President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a 2018 summit in Singapore.
At that time, North Korea committed to repatriating the remains of U.S. service members from the Korean War. One month later, Hegseth said, North Korea transferred 55 boxes containing 501 bones; and extensive forensic analysis by DPAA scientists subsequently led them to estimate that those remains represent at least 250 individuals.
"This latest identification is not only historic because it marks the 100th service member accounted for from the 55 boxes, but also because it utilized a new, revolutionary DNA testing method that our partner, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, has developed," John Byrd, DPAA's director of scientific analysis, explained via email.
Byrd said that there are currently more than 7,400 U.S. service members missing from the Korean War and that the remains of approximately 5,300 of them are still in North Korea.
"So, whenever DPAA can account for any of them, it is success and progress toward our goal of leaving no warriors behind," he added.
"We were honored to have Secretary Hegseth visit our world-class team and laboratory today. Besides learning about DPAA's global efforts and mission advancements, he saw firsthand the dedication and expertise of our military and civilian professionals," said Kelly McKeague, DPAA's director.
McKeague added that he felt Hegseth departed the DPAA lab with a clear understanding that, through the resolute pursuit of its sacred mission, DPAA embodies the warrior ethos of never leaving a fallen comrade.
Prior to leaving the facility, however, Hegseth had an experience that he said took him back to his ROTC days at Princeton University.
While looking at a wall listing the names of service members whose remains were recovered over the years, Hegseth was asked to observe the name of deceased Marine and Medal of Honor recipient, 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr. (as March 25 is National Medal of Honor Day).
"And then I just thought, 'Where have I heard that name before?'" Hegseth said during a press conference following the visit.
He then went on to explain that, when he was a young student at Princeton, he remembered seeing a star inscribed with Bonnyman's name outside the window of a local dormitory.
Hegseth explained that, after some research, he discovered that Bonnyman had earned the Medal of Honor, and that he had also attended Princeton, circa late 1920s to early 1930s.
"It's pretty cool to see the connection between someone who I'd heard of as a Medal of Honor recipient, and then [to see] the commitment of our country to then go find him in a foreign land and bring him back … so that he gets the honor he deserves," he said.
Prior to ending his DPAA visit, the secretary wound down his taped announcement by noting that the organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary year, while he also thanked the more than 700 military and civilian personnel who work there directly.
"Your unwavering dedication and passion to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel is more than a mission; it is our nation's sacred duty," Hegseth said, adding that every service member, DOD civilian and contractor who are missing from past wars deserves to be brought home and never forgotten.
"Year after year, you tenaciously work with talent and passion to bring our warriors home and ensure their service and sacrifice are not forgotten," he continued.
"Your work matters deeply and profoundly. Thank you."