World War II Airman’s Remains Recovered

Defense Department forensic scientists identified the remains of Army Air Forces Sgt. Charles R. Marshall, 19, of Martin, Ky., who had been missing in action since 1944, announced the Pentagon. DOD returned Marshall’s remains to his family for burial with full military honors, states the Pentagon’s June 3 release. Marshall was a member of the nine-person crew of a B-24H Liberator bomber that was shot down on July 21, 1944, southwest of Munich while on a bombing raid against enemy targets in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, according to the release. Of the crew, six airmen parachuted to safety and a seventh airman’s remains were recovered near Hadorf, Germany. Marshall and another crewman remained missing in action. In 2012, a DOD recovery team excavated the suspected crash site after DOD received human remains from a German national and a tip on the suspected crash site several years prior, states the release. The team found additional human remains and aircraft wreckage, including military identification tags bearing Marshall’s name. DOD scientists used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA testing to help identify Marshall.