SPOKANE, Wash. — A World War II veteran's remains have been identified as Army Air Forces Tech Sgt. James M. Triplett of Spokane Washington.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the 36-year-old Tripplett in October 2022. Triplett died during World War II while he was serving as a radio operator on a B-24H Liberator Bomber plane.
In 1944, Triplett was part of a large mission to bomb the city of Kassel in northern Hesse, Germany. The squadron faced heavy resistance from ground and air forces. It ended with the loss of 25 Liberators. Several crew members from Triplett's aircraft were able to bail out, and witnesses did not see Triplett leave.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) began investigating and recovering missing American soldiers in Europe. They found the Liberator crashed outside of Richelsdorf, Germany, and human remains were found at the site. The War Department declared a finding of death date for Triplett on Sept. 28, 1945.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continued work to identify remains from the wreckage. Eventually, they linked the remains to Triplett, who was never found or declared a prisoner of war by enemy forces.
Triplett will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on Oct. 31, 2023.
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