(Editor's note: X-Files are the collected information on unidentified remains of American servicemen returned following the Korean War and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific [Punchbowl/Hawaii]. Each set of remains has an X-File number.)

For the past two years, my articles have been mostly about unidentified remains files acquired by John Eakin and generously shared with us. Recently, Eakin found some more from the lab in Yokohama, and here is what we have learned.

The first 10 files were about Mongoloid remains and were assumed to be Korean.
The next 15 were remarkably detailed and surfaced some surprising info on individuals, mostly American.

X-6366 was shipped to the National Cemetery in Hawaii on March 30, 1963, as an unknown, but this is what they actually knew.   The Caucasian remains was found near Naepyong-ni DS087909 Mul-gol  Kari-San.  About 85% of the bones were recovered. Though dozens of missing men were considered from 38th and 9th regiments who were in that area, three compelling pieces of evidence were found with the remains . . . the dogtags of John Shay, Gerald Crippen, and Larence Monn. The science team couldn’t find info on Crippen . . . even though he was awarded the prisoner of war medal for being captured March 15, 1951. But, being a POW places him away from the site where the body was found. Oddly, Larence D  Monn does not show up in any obvious Korean War records. However, John B Shay was with the 9th infantry and went missing May 19, 1951 and matches the dental info of this remains. Yet, he was buried as unknown!

X-6367 was found next to X-6366 (above).  Logic would lead most of us to suspect the same individuals considered for the 6366 remains.  The bones indicated that the man was about 5’-3” tall and the only man missing from that area and that short was . . .  Edward Carico. Yet, he was buried as an unknown.

X-6369 was found near Taejon-ni  CT327085.  Later it was determined to be a comingling of two Caucasian remains. A dogtag imprinted Howard  A Morgan US51024548 and a helmet with “Morgan” painted on it were also found. Yes Morgan was with 7th regiment who went missing April 25, 1951 in that area and among 20 of unrecovered men. The head was missing so dental comparison was not possible. He was buried as an unknown. I wonder, “Was the family notified that Morgan’s dog tags and helmet were found with the remains?”
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X-6370 is a co-mingling of 3 men found near Sonjong-ni SK at DQ008481. Two were Caucasian; one was Asiatic Mongoloid. ID tags for Frank Di Pino RA11165706 and Harold Cutlip RA15014310 were found with the Caucasian remains. Frank went missing 7/29/1950 from the 34th regiment and is still unaccounted-for.  Harold Cutlip supposedly died on 7/29/1950 and his remains were supposedly shipped home to his family . . . hopefully it was this X-6370 remains . . . or our government has some explaining to do.

X-6377 was shipped to Hawaii 11/12/1965. Average size, average muscularity, medium skull, Caucasian. Included two dog tags of Carlos Bidopia US 44192659. Buried as unknown.  I wish I had contact info for the family of Carlos Bidopia (MIA 5/17/1951) from Dade County FL. They may wish to know that Carlos is probably in a Hawaiian cemetery.

X-6378 came from Kawan-Do  CT771238. Negroid Race. The only personal item with the remains was a wedding ring inscribed “From FJ to AF”. Four non-recovered men match the initials AF, but all were single. Five “AF”s from the area have been identified, but only one was married, Alflorence Flowers, who died of wounds in a hospital and his body returned. But, maybe, a soldier gave the ring to another soldier when he was wounded and asked him to return it to his wife with a personal message. Who knows? There are 10 unresolved Negro cases who were MIA or KIA in that area and not enough obvious evidence to associate. So why can’t we dig it up and test it for DNA?

On April 27, 1966 a Korean, was using a metal detector, found remains X-6379 . . . with dog tags of Vincent Vega RA16324985 who became “Missing-in-Action” 7/5/1950. The remains was still buried at NMCP as an unknown.  Fortunately, I had a family contact so I sent this info to his niece. But, the email was rejected as non-deliverable and the phone inbox was full!  This usually indicates a deceased family member.

On 9/16/2005, Michael Flowers of JPAC sent a letter to the Director of the cemetery in Hawaii stating “the remains (X-6385) are believed to be associated with the May 23,1951 loss of Army PFC Albert Edwards Atkins.” Yet the DPAA website still has Atkins as unaccounted-for. What is taking so long?

With all of the obvious cases, it makes one wonder why DPAA is not meeting their mandate of 200 identities each year.

If you have a missing loved-one from the Korean War, please give me a call at 770-565-4420 or email me at [email protected]. You will be amazed at all of the known information on each of these men that has not been shared with the families!