The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of 250 service members from past conflicts in fiscal year 2026, setting a record surpassing the previous high of 231 identified in the prior year.
The latest identification was Army Captain Albert P. Wilcox of California, who was a prisoner of war in the Philippines during World War II. He was killed when the Japanese transport ship Enoura Maru was mistakenly sunk in 1945. His remains were recovered after the war but could not be identified at the time and were buried as unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
"The United States of America is resolved to never forget the warriors who answered the call to duty, made the supreme sacrifice and never came home," said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. "Through DPAA's determined efforts, all 250 of these heroes will finally be home."
In 2022, DPAA began the Enoura Maru Project to identify remains associated with the ship and transfer them to its Hawaii laboratory. Wilcox's remains will be returned to his family for final disposition.
Of the 250 identified in fiscal 2026, 198 were from World War II, 51 from the Korean War, and one from the Vietnam War. The identifications included 136 Army service members, 76 Army Air Forces personnel, 20 from the Navy, 15 from the Marine Corps, one from the Air Force, and two federal civilians.