Remains of 17-Year-Old Soldier Who Went Missing During Korean War Are Identified After 71 Years

The remains of a 17-year-old Chicago soldier killed during the Korean War have been identified after 70 years, thanks to advanced technology.

A team of scientists from the DPAA laboratory used anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence, and scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA analysis to confirm Army Cpl. David B. Milano, who was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division,

Milano was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. 

Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered. But following a meeting with former President Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, North Korean on July 27, 2018 turned over 55 boxes that would contain remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. Those boxes were transported to the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman located in Hawaii and then the DPAA laboratory for identification. 

Since his identity was confirmed, Milano’s name will now have a rosette beside it at the monument of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, showing visitors that the young soldier has been accounted for. 

Milano will be buried in Ogden, Utah.  

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website, its Facebook page, or call (703) 699-1420/1169.

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