University of Wisconsin Launches Program to Find Missing Soldiers

More than 73,000 Americans who served in World War II “remain unaccounted for,” according to the Department of Defense.

As we approach the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of the war this September, their families still wait for answers about what happened to their loved ones.

Recently, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has decided to help locate the missing Americans by launching the Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project.

According to a press release from the University of Wisconsin’s Biotechnology Center, the project will utilize “four scholarly disciplines”: history, archaeology, forensics and genetic analysis.

The project’s current focus is on those who served in the European Theater in World War II.

Jed Henry, the producer of the film “Honoring a Commitment: The Story of PFC Gordon,” is a communications specialist at UW. The Daily Signal previously reported that Henry was an instrumental part of an effort to locate the remains of Pfc. Lawrence Gordon.

Gordon went missing in action in Normandy during World War II. He was misidentified as German and buried in France. His family was able to locate his remains 70 years after his death.

In an interview with The Daily Signal, Henry said the project came about due to the Gordon case. “They did some DNA work for us during the Gordon case,” Henry said.

“They know it’s near and dear to a lot of people’s hearts.”

Henry said that the university has the capability to locate and identify the remains of soldiers listed as missing in action for a fraction of what the Department of Defense spends on the process.

The Department of Defense’s process is expensive, slow and bureaucratic, Henry said, but UW has “all the necessary components in one place.”

“It’s time that we leverage expertise that’s out there and available,” Henry said. Due to budget cuts to the University of Wisconsin system, Henry said, the project is still fundraising.

“This isn’t a one-time thing,” Henry said. “This is something the university has committed to.”

Information about making a tax-deductible donation to the project may be found here.