The Evening Star (May 17, 1946)
Only one serviceman to rest in tomb beside Unknown
By Nelson M. Shepard
Only one unknown serviceman of World War II will be brought back for honored burial in Arlington National Cemetery beside the Unknown Soldier of the World War.
By agreement between the various branches of the armed forces, the body may be that of a soldier, sailor or Marine. Beyond this decision, no other definite details are available now.
The announcement, coming from the War Department late yesterday, was significant, however, in view of recent conjecture over the possibility of two unknown servicemen being selected for burial in Arlington, one representing the dead in the Japanese war, the other in the war in Europe.
The decision was revealed when the War Department, under authority granted by Congress, made known arrangements for the return from overseas for burial in this country of as many of the 328,000 American war dead as families may desire brought back. Of the total number, it was said, there were approximately 75,000 whose bodies were not recoverable. President Truman has signed the bill which sets in operation the reburial arrangements in the office of the Army quartermaster general.
From among 8,853
The unknown serviceman whom the nation will be called on to pay its highest military honors, will be selected from the 8,853 still unidentified bodies from battlefields around the world. The quartermaster general’s office has a record of burial of 10,760 unknowns. Of this number, 1,907 have since been positively identified. An additional 903 individuals have been identified as within a group, but not as separate individuals. This latter category, it was said, applies particularly to crews of airplanes which were shot down or crashed.
There is no indication at this time how the selection of the unknown serviceman of World War II will be made or from what area he will be chosen. To avoid the necessity of making a deliberate choice, officials said the final selection may be made in this country after the bodies of the unknown are returned from overseas. The other unknown will be buried in various national cemeteries.
A shortage of steel for caskets, it developed, may cause a delay in returning the first bodies from overseas until the end of this year.
The War Department has been informed by casket makers that they will be unable to meet the scheduled requirement for shipment of caskets to Pearl Harbor and Europe in July because of their inability to obtain sufficient steel for manufacture. Had caskets been ready for overseas shipment in July, the War Department said it would have returned the first bodies requested by next of kin by mid-September.
Present schedules anticipate the arrival of bodies after operations start at the rate of 1,200 for the first two months, 5,200 for the next month, 7,000 for the third month and a progressive increase until a steady rate of approximately 18,900 is reached.
Under special arrangements, the Army Transportation Corps will furnish modified Liberty ships, tank and plane carriers to bring the dead heroes back from overseas ports.
The government estimates the cost of return and final burial will be $195,000,000 and $215,000,000. In private burials the government will pay $50 toward the cost.
Despite the delay, the plan to ask the legal next of kin to express their desires about final burial will be carried out by all the services promptly.
Choices permitted
Next of kin may express their desires within the following options:
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The body may be buried in a permanent American military cemetery overseas or it may be returned to the United States for final burial either in a national cemetery or a private cemetery. Only bodies of members of the armed forces may be buried in national cemeteries.
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The body may be returned to a foreign country, the homeland of the deceased, for burial by next of kin in a private cemetery. As in the case of burials in this country, shipments will be made direct to the city or town designated.
Requests should be made in writing to the Army quartermaster general, Memorial Division, War Department; the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Navy Department; the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps (casualty section), Navy Department, and the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (casualty section), all in Washington.
The War Department estimates there are 30,980 additional burials to be located or reported.