All articles tagged with #missing soldiers
A CSIS estimate puts Russia’s end-2025 combat casualties at about 1.2 million (killed, missing, wounded), with total war casualties on both sides near 2 million—far surpassing any major power since World War II. However, many wounded are reintegrated into service and missing data are uncertain, so the publicly visible figures likely understate the true human cost of the war.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified the remains of three soldiers who went missing during their service: 2nd Lt. Fred Brewer, a Tuskegee Airman from World War II; Army Cpl. Luther Story, a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient; and Air Force Col. Ernest De Soto, a Vietnam War pilot. These identifications fulfill a promise to bring missing service members home, allowing their families to finally say goodbye.
Families of missing Russian soldiers in the war in Ukraine are facing the difficult decision of asking courts to declare their loved ones dead in order to access survivor benefits and settle affairs. Some families are certain of their relatives' deaths, while others still hold onto hope. The process has practical implications, as without a death certificate, they cannot access financial support. Many families have pursued this process, with some needing the documentation for financial reasons, while others seek closure. The situation highlights the challenges faced by families of missing soldiers and the emotional toll of uncertainty and loss.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified the remains of Joe A. Vinyard, a World War II tank crewmember from Tennessee who went missing in December 1944 during a battle near Gey, Germany. Vinyard's remains were exhumed from Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium and identified using anthropological and DNA analysis. Vinyard will be buried in Maryville, Tennessee. The agency has accounted for 1,474 missing WWII soldiers since beginning its work in 1973, but more than 72,000 WWII soldiers are still missing.
The remains of U.S. Army Corporal Luther H. Story, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Korean War, have been identified 73 years after he was declared missing. Story was last seen fighting off North Korean attacks so his fellow soldiers could escape. His remains were identified using DNA, dental, and anthropological analysis. Both the U.S. and South Korea continue to work to identify all missing soldiers.