Military Funeral Honors

Images showing military personnel conducting funeral honors, respectfully carrying flags-draped coffins and participating in solemn ceremonies.

The Indiana National Guard's ceremonial unit helps bring a fallen hero home during an honorable transfer in Indianapolis, Ind., April 5, 2022. An honorable transfer is a tradition that displays honor, dignity and respect during the return of a fallen service member.

Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment Caisson Platoon, and the U.S. Army Band, Pershings Own conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Megellas in Section 75 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 2, 2022.Megellas is considered the most decorated officers in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. His awards include the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and other military honors for his World War II European service. Megellas is being considered for the Medal of Honor for his service and leadership during the Battle of the Bulge, an upgrade of the Silver Star he received for this service.Megellass grandson, James Megellas, received the U.S. flag from his service.

021010-F-0362B-002. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

The Indiana National Guard's ceremonial unit helps bring a fallen hero home during an honorable transfer in Indianapolis, Ind., April 5, 2022. An honorable transfer is a tradition that displays honor, dignity and respect during the return of a fallen service member.

U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guards funeral honors team support the memorial service and burial of Pfc. Donald M. Born whose remains were recently identified and given a proper burial after going missing in action during the Korean War in 1950.

The body of Army LCOL Charles Ray is being carried from a VC-137 Stratoliner aircraft upon arrival. Ray was killed by terrorists in Paris. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga.(July 28, 2015) Pallbearers carry the casket of Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Randall Smith after a service at First Baptist Church in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Smith will be laid to rest at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

040611-F-5906P-325. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment Caisson Platoon, and the U.S. Army Band, Pershings Own conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Army 1st Lt. Myles W. Esmay in Section 36 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug. 1, 2022. Esmay was killed on June 7, 1944 during the siege of Myitkyina, Burma in World War II. From the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) press release: In the spring and summer of 1944, Esmay, an infantry engineer, was a member of Company B, 236th Engineer Combat Battalion, reinforcing the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as Merrills Marauders. Esmays battalion arrived at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, on May 28, where they were tasked with holding the airfield and taking part in the siege of Myitkyina. On June 4, the battalion attacked Japanese forces at Namkwi village northwest of the airfield. The fighting lasted until June 7.

Marine Corps Pvt. William E. Rambo, 20, killed during World War II, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, April 4, 2022. In November 1943, Rambo was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, and was killed in the Battle of Tarawa, Nov. 20, 1943. He was accounted for by DPAA on June 24, 2019. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette)

020329-F-7520M-004. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2022) Sailors assigned to Naval Station Mayport's Funeral Honors Team practice ceremonial movements, Sept. 22, 2022. Naval Station Mayport's volunteer Funeral Honors Team services an average of 1,000 funerals each year across 15 local counties and the Jacksonville National Cemetery.

DN-SC-89-07250. Country: Unknown

011002-F-3798Y-013. Base: Yokota Air Base Country: Japan (JPN) Scene Major Command Shown: PACAF

A soldier salutes a fallen comrade during a Fallen Soldier Ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. US Air Force and US Army members carry a flag draped transfer case off a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for transportation to the Landstuhl Regional Medical center for identification. The transfer case contains the remains of one of six coalition soldiers killed during a training exercise on March 12 2001 in Kuwait. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) service members prepare to lift a casket during a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 4th, 2023. Approximately 63 individuals were disinterred as part of the Enoura Maru project: an on-going effort by DPAA to disinter, transport, and identify missing POWs from World War II. The remains were taken to the DPAA laboratory on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for further scientific analysis and possible identification.

020305-F-2454T-005. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Luigi Morillas with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, presents the colors during the 80th annual Evening Colors Ceremony at the Santa Margarita Ranch House on Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 15, 2022. The ceremony was held to commemorate the official dedication of Camp Pendleton, which took place in September 1942. The base was named after Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Pendleton, who had long advocated for a West Coast training base to be established.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dwayne Calvon, 224th Sustainment Brigade, Headquarters' and Headquarters Company, holds a folded American flag at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, Calif., July 26, 2022.

Army Reserve Soldiers stationed in New York lent a hand to honor a long-missing casualty of World War II Nov. 19 at St. John Catholic Cemetery in Queens, New York. First Lt. John Joseph Heffernan Jr. served in the 490th Bombardment Squadron with the U.S. Army Air Corps. On Feb. 22, 1944, at age 24, he and six crewmates were lost when their B25G bomber caught fire and crashed into a field in Burma. From January to March 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency conducted a recovery mission at the crash site of Heffernans bomber in Burma, now known as Myanmar. On Nov. 2, 2021, the DPAA positively identified Heffernans remains through DNA technology, from among those recovered.

Funeral service for former NASA astronaut Captain Bruce McCandless II, USN (Ret.), Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland.

Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) present the U.S. flag during the funeral service for U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Albert Bryant at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 5, 2024. Bryant began his military career at Montford Point, North Carolina, and earned the title Marine in 1943. While in the Marine Corps, Bryant served in World War II, including the battle of Iwo Jima. Following his enlistment in the Marine Corps, Bryant continued his military service in the U.S. Army Reserve, rising to the rank of brigadier general, the highest rank achieved by a Montford Point Marine. Marine Corps

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Aug. 18, 2022) Commandant of Midshipmen Col. James P. McDonough and The U.S. Naval Academy honors the life of Midshipman 2nd Class (junior) Luke Bird, of New Braunfels, Texas, during a funeral service held Aug. 18, 2022. Bird died July 17, 2022, when he fell over a waterfall while hiking in the Valparaíso region during a semester abroad in Chile.

050723-N-1026O-005. Base: US Naval Academy, Annapolis State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Stockdale

DF-SC-85-12021. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DA-SC-85-00545. Base: Travis Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. service members with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) take part in a repatriation ceremony at the American Memorial on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, March 30, 2023. The ceremony was held to repatriate possible remains found during a recent Recovery Mission to the Solomon Islands which will then be taken to DPAA facilities for possible identification in an ongoing effort to account for the 5,800 U.S. service members still missing from Pacific Theater during WWII.

220907-N-OL611-1030 SAN DIEGO (Sept. 7, 2022) Sailors assigned to Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) fold the ensign after colors aboard the ship, Sept. 7. Vinson is currently pierside in its homeport of San Diego.

Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing Honor Guard prepare to move a coffin while practicing a veteran burial service June 11, 2013, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. The honor guard trains for eight hours a day in order to achieve their goal of perfection.

A joint services color guard stands at the head of the casket of the Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Era as he lies in state in the Capitol rotunda. A joint services casket team will carry the casket to a caisson waiting outside the Capitol to begin the funeral procession to Arlington National Cemetery. Base: Washington State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers assigned to B Co., 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) conduct plane side honors for U.S. Army Lt Col. Addison Earl Baker, commander of the 93rd Bombardment Group in the U.S. Army 9th Air Force, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Va., September 8th, 2022.

030403-F-0007M-002. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Mcguire Air Force Base State: New Jersey (NJ) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

U.S. Marines aboard the aircraft carrier USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62) offload the remains of Lieutenant Commander Nicholas George Brooks from an SH-3 Sea King helicopter, attached to Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6). Brooks, killed in action over Laos in 1973, will be given a burial-at-sea service. Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Nov. 8, 2013) A flag detail participates in a Veterans Day ceremony at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. The ceremony is a tribute to honor veterans, service members and their families.

Members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) participate in a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 11, 2022. The ceremony was part of DPAAs efforts to disinter the remains of unknown service members lost during the Korean War. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation.

021003-F-9082S-061. Base: Kadena Air Base State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

Sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct an interment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Sept. 21, 2022. DPAA and attending family members paid their respects and honored the life of Petty Officer 1st Class Beoin Corzatt, who was assigned to the USS Oklahoma when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft during World War II. Corzatt was accounted for on Dec. 17, 2020, nearly 80 years after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

U.S. service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), participate in an honorable carry ceremony held on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 19, 2022. DPAA received the possible remains of a U.S. Airman from a World War II aircraft crash following a repatriation ceremony in Thailand. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation.

040611-F-5276B-350. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Corporal David B. Milano, MIA, was lost in action during the Korean War on December 2, 1950. After 71 years, he will be repatriated back to the United States and reunited with his family. An Honor Guard made up of members of the Utah National Guard conduct an Honorable Carry at the Salt Lake City International Airport, April 26, 2022. Milano was born in Chicago, Illinois on Dec. 23, 1932, to Albert and Lida Milano. His family relocated to Utah, where Milano will be laid to rest next to his mother, sister and brother-in-law at Evergreen Memorial Park, 100 Monroe Blvd., Ogden, Utah.

U.S. service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct an honorable carry ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI, April 14, 2022. Contained within the transfer cases are possible osseous material recovered from past military conflict in the Philippines. The mission of DPAA is to achieve the fullest possible accountability for missing and unaccounted for U.S. personnel and return them to their families and our nation.

Members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) escort a distinerred casket housing the remains of an unknown service member during a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 16, 2022. The ceremony was part of the agencys efforts to disinter and identify the remains of unknown service members lost during the Korean War. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation.

Mourners looks on as members of the 101st Airborne Division carry a casket containing the remains of members of the 3rd Bn., 502nd Inf., 101st Airborne Div., into a hangar for a memorial service. On December 12, 1985, 248 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion were killed in a plane crash at the Gander Airport, Newfoundland, Canada. They were returning to the United States after participating in peacekeeping duty with the Multi-national Force and Observers in the Sinai Desert. Base: Dover Air Force Base State: Delaware (DE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

070201-A-8359B-005. Base: Christiansted State: Virgin Islands (VI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 29, 2023. From the approximately 2,000 remaining World War II unknowns in the cemetery, six caskets were transferred to the DPAA laboratory, where they will undergo further scientific analysis and possible identification.

030202-F-0558K-066. Base: Barksdale Air Force Base State: Louisiana (LA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Luigi Morillas with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, presents the colors during the 80th annual Evening Colors Ceremony at the Santa Margarita Ranch House on Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 15, 2022. The ceremony was held to commemorate the official dedication of Camp Pendleton, which took place in September 1942. The base was named after Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Pendleton, who had long advocated for a West Coast training base to be established.

Army Master Sgt. James L. Quong, 30, of Norman, Oklahoma, killed during the Korean War, was laid to rest June 2, 2022, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Quong had been an Army Reserve captain in World War II but gave up his commission to join the Regular Army as a master sergeant in the Korean War in order to be closer to and more involved with his men. Quongs funeral was attended by his daughter, Suzanne, and numerous family members.

Officials and foreign dignitaries look on as honor guard pallbearers fold the casket flag during graveside services in the state funeral of President John F. Kennedy, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA, Cecil Stoughton, White House Photographs, November 25, 1963

Members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) participate in a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 9, 2023. The ceremony was part of DPAAs efforts to disinter the remains of service members lost on the Enoura Maru, a Japanese cargo ship used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II as a troop and prisoner of war transport ship. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and the nation.

010330-F-0857S-507. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) participate in a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 17, 2022. The ceremony was part of DPAAs efforts to disinter the remains of unknown service members lost during the Korean War. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation.

U.S. Marine Corps pallbearers from 4th Marine Aircraft Wing escort the casket of U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph P. Hoar(retired) at Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California, Oct. 7, 2022. Gen. Hoar served honorably for 37 years and held many distinguished positions includingCommanding Officer, 1st Marine Regiment; Commanding General, Eastern Recruiting Region; and Commander, United States Central Command. Gen. Hoar was a native of Boston.

A 3rd Infantry (Old Guard) caisson bearing the flag-draped casket of the Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Era arrives at the Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Amphitheater. The state funeral for the serviceman will be held at the amphitheater, followed by interment at the Tomb of the Unknowns. A joint service casket team is escorting the caisson. Base: Arlington State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-SC-85-01687. Base: Arlington State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Members of a U.S. Army flag detail assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, fold the American flag during an interment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb. 23, 2024. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and attending family members paid their respects and honored the life of U.S. Army Cpl. Adin C. Norris Jr., who was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division when his unit sustained heavy casualties while withdrawing from Taejon, South Korea. Norris was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2022. Air Force

The US Air Force (USAF) Honor Guard carry the remains of US Air Force (USAF) Major General (MGEN) Howard W. Cannon (RET), at the Arlington National Cemetery, where he is being buried with full military honors. MGEN Cannon was a former senator to the state of Nevada. Base: Arlington National Cemetery State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Staff Sgt. Cody Jernigan, band member of the Arkansas National Guard's 102nd Army Band, plays TAPS during the "Wreaths Across America" ceremony at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, on Saturday.

Body Bearers with Bravo Company, Marine Barracks Washington, carry the funerary urns of Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley during a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug 25, 2022. Canley was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2018 for his actions in 1968 during the battle of Hue City, Vietnam. His award citation notes that while serving as the company gunnery sergeant for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Sgt. Maj. Canley and his Marines fought off multiple attacks as they patrolled the city streets to relieve another company of Marines.

A member of the Mandeville Police Department Honor Guard holds an American flag before the unveiling of a permanent memorial to Mandeville Police Captain Vincent Liberto Jr., in Mandeville, Louisiana, Sept. 14, 2022. Liberto served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve before being honorably discharged as a sergeant. He was shot and killed in the line of duty, Sept. 20, 2019. U.S. Marine Corps Col. Justin Ansel, the assistant chief of staff for the Marine Forces Reserve G-3/5 and a Mandeville resident, attended the dedication on behalf of the Marine Corps. . We as officers owe it to America to give back someone whos better physically, mentally, morally. Thats what we do in the Marine Corps, said Ansel. We make Marines; we make them better mentally, physically, and morally, and then they go back into their communities. Vinnie Liberto is just a perfect example of this. His irrational call to serve continued from his Marine Corps service to public service as a Mandeville police office

July 22, 2013 - U.S. Navy commanding officer of the guided missile frigate USS McClusky, holds the national ensign during a burial at sea aboard the ship in the Pacific Ocean.

020211-F-2021H-005. Base: RAF Feltwell State: East Anglia Country: United Kingdom (GBR) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

050723-N-1026O-004. Base: US Naval Academy, Annapolis State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Stockdale

030212-F-0558K-055. Base: Barksdale Air Force Base State: Louisiana (LA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct an interment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Sept. 21, 2022. DPAA and attending family members payed their respects and honored the life of Petty Officer 1st Class Beoin Corzatt, who was assigned to the USS Oklahoma when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft during World War II. Corzatt was accounted for on Dec. 17, 2020, nearly 80 years after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

The Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Era lies in state in the Capitol rotunda. The serviceman will be taken to Arlington National Cemetery for a state funeral service and interment at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Base: Washington State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A horse drawn caisson carries former astronaut Alan Bean to his final resting place during an interment ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Selected as an astronaut in 1963, Bean flew in space twice, becoming the fourth human to walk on the Moon on Nov. 19, 1969 and spent 59 days in space as commander of the second Skylab mission in 1973.

Maj. Gen. David Hodne, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, and Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Nash, senior enlisted leader, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, prepare to place the wreath in front of the Mountain Post Warrior Memorial site, May 26, 2022, at Fort Carson, Colorado. The senior leaders of the 4th Inf. Div. lay the wreath in remembrance of those who fought and died for their Nation.

U.S. service members with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) render honors during an honorable carry ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 2, 2022. The cases containing possible remains of unknown U.S. service members lost during WWII were repatriated from Myanmar and will be examined by DPAA scientific experts. DPAAs mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation.

DF-ST-92-08993. Base: Hickam Air Force Base State: Hawaii(HI) Country: United States Of America(USA)

Members of the Base Honor Guard hold a tri-folded U.S. flag as part of a Memorial Day ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 27, 2022. Flag folding is a part of U.S. military funeral ceremonies, and is also performed during Memorial Day ceremonies to pay respects to fallen service members. Honor Guard members fold the flag in a triangle pattern 13 times to represent the original 13 U.S. colonies, displaying only blue with white stars when completed.

U.S. Marine Corps body bearers from Marine Barracks 8th and I, carry the casket of CWO4 Hershel "Woody" Williams at the State Capitol Rotunda during the West Virginia State Memorial services for Woody, July 3, 2022 in Charleston, W.Va. Born on October 2, 1923, in Quiet Dell, WV, Woody enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on May 26, 1943, and advanced to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 before his retirement in 1969 after 17 years of service. During WWII, Woody served in New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and Guam before landing in Iwo Jima where his actions earned him the Medal of Honor. At the time of his death on June 29, 2022, he was the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient.

Marines from the The Presidents Own Marine Band, Marines from the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (8th and I), and the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Brendan ODonnell in Section 83 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Oct. 14, 2022.ODonnell entered the Marine Corps in October of 1950 and fought in the Korean War as a second lieutenant. By early April 1951, ODonnell had become a platoon leader in Company D, 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment, supporting the Armys 1st Cavalry Division. His platoon was fighting to the Kansas Line, along the 38th parallel the dividing line between North and South Korea. On April 10, 1951, ODonnells platoon spearheaded a company-sized attack on an enemy ridgeline, killing 27, wounding 35 and capturing seven. As enemy fire rained in from the adjacent hills, he constantly exposed himself while setting up a defensive position. Mortars t

DF-SC-86-03797. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (May 31, 2022) The U.S. Naval Academy honors the life of retired Adm. Thomas B. Hayward, the 21st Chief of Naval Operations. Hayward was born May 3, 1924 in Glendale, California. After serving as an enlisted Sailor during World War II, Hayward attended the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1947. An aviator, he repeatedly served aboard aircraft carriers at sea and in training and test pilot commands ashore. He served as Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet and then as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet prior to being named CNO. He passed away on March 3, 2022.

A Green Beret assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) places a rose on a Soldiers memorial stone during the 3 SFG (A) Rose Laying Ceremony at Fort Bragg, NC, May 25, 2022. Gold star family members, friends and fellow Soldiers gathered in remembrance of Soldiers who have died while deployed and honored their memory by placing a single rose on top of their memorial stone.

A U.S. service member with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) holds a U.S. flag in preparation for a disinterment ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 11, 2022. The disinterred remains were transferred to the DPAA laboratory for identification. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our Nation.

A US Army (USA) Honor Guard Team, from 1ST Battalion, 1ST Special Forces Group (Airborne) removes a flag draped tranfer case carrying the remains of USA Sergeant First Class (SFC) Mark Wayne Jackson from an aircraft at Kadena Air Base (AB) Okinawa, Japan. SFC Jackson was assigned to A/Company, 2nd Battalion, 1ST Special Forces Group (SFG) (Airborne), Operational Detachment Alpha 142, and was killed during a bombing attack at an open-air restaurant, outside the gate at Camp Enrile Malagutay, Zamboanga, Philippines. (Substandard image). Base: Kadena Air Base State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

Pall bearers place a flag-draped casket into the rear of a hearse. The casket contains the body of one of four Navy servicemen killed in the initial phase of the United States (US) military action in Panama. The four servicemen were members of a SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) team that secured Patilla Airfield in the early morning hours of December 20. Base: Dover Air Force Base State: Delaware (DE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

ARLINGTON (March 8, 2013) Members of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard follow caissons transporting the remains of two Sailors recovered from the ironclad USS Monitor during a military funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery. Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, N.C., in 1862.

A Chilean sailor holds the U.S. flag as the U.S. Navy honors Chilean war heroes during a ceremony taking place as part of Exercise Unitas XXXIII. Unitas is a five-month-long joint exercise conducted by the U.S. Navy and the navies of various South American countries. Subject Operation/Series: UNITAS XXXIII Base: Valparaiso Country: Chile (CHL)

Special tactics members pay their final respects to Lt. Col. William Bill’ Schroeder during his interment ceremony June 16, 2016, at Arlington National Cemetery, Va. Schroeder, 39, was a special operations weather officer who identified a perilous situation and reacted swiftly by putting himself between an armed individual and his first sergeant. In the process, he saved lives of other squadron members while being fatally wounded.

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct an interment ceremony for U.S. Navy Fireman Second Class Richard E. Casto at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 24, 2022. Casto was assigned to the USS Oklahoma which sustained fire from Japanese aircraft and multiple torpedo hits causing the ship to capsize and resulted in the deaths of more than 400 crew members on Dec. 7, 1941, at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and the nation.

DA-SC-85-12389. Base: Fort Meyer State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Newcomb, a instructor of the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program, teaches his students at the Ike Skelton Training Site, Jefferson City, Missouri, April 26, 2022. Every year the Missouri Military Funeral Honors Program Level Two Course is taught to National Guardsmen.

Members of a U.S. Army flag detail assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, prepare to fold the American flag during an interment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb. 23, 2024. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and attending family members paid their respects and honored the life of U.S. Army Cpl. Adin C. Norris Jr., who was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division when his unit sustained heavy casualties while withdrawing from Taejon, South Korea. Norris was accounted for on Dec. 5, 2022. Air Force

Retired U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Bobby Vincent Page delivers remarks during the memorial of fifth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Robert D. Gaylor Feb. 10, 2024 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Joint Base San Antonio hosted the memorial service and interment services for Gaylor, across JBSA-Lackland, Texas, and Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Gaylor left his home in Indiana to enlist in the Air Force and then called the San Antonio area his post-military home for more than four decades. He is survived by his son, Kenny, and daughters Carol and Elaine. Air Force

The U.S. Armed Forces Body Bearer Team carries the flag-draped casket of U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams, the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient, at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., July 14, 2022. Woody served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded the militarys highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, by President Harry S. Truman in 1945. (Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Karis Mattingly)

Army Cpl. Charles E. Lee, 18, of Cincinnati, killed during the Korean War, was laid to rest on April 11, 2022, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency accounted for Lee on June 14, 2021.In July 1950, Lee was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 20 after his unit was forced to retreat from the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea. He was never found, nor were any remains recovered that could be identified as Lee. He was declared non-recoverable in January 1956.To read more about Lees ID, go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2663104/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-lee-c/

Airman Adebisi Adeleye, member of the 934th Force Support Squadron, simulates the carrying of human remains to a C-130 during an exercise at Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Wis., April 7, 2022. The exercise was held to promote general readiness of the wing and its individual units. (Photo by Master Sgt. Trevor Saylor)

Major General Jerry Curry, right, hosts, an Army full honor wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. General Samuel Doe, Liberian head of state, is in attendance at the ceremony. Base: Arlington State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

031029-F-1740G-004. Base: Yokota Air Base Country: Japan (JPN)

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Noel Palmer, Deputy Commanding General of the 412th Theater Engineer Command, gives remarks at the memorial ceremony for Sgt. Breonna Moffett in Savannah, Georgia on February 17, 2024. Moffett tragically lost her life on January 28, 2024 in Jordan.

The Utah National Guard Honor Guard conducts Funeral Honors for the surviving family of U.S. Army Air Corps Sgt. Elvin L. Phillips, an Airman who was killed 79 years ago during World War II. Family from several states, friends, first responders, and service members gathered to render respect during the funeral at Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park in Bluffdale, Utah, Oct. 11, 2022.

020313-F-5701K-007. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Peter J. Ganci Jr. Air Base State: Chuskaya Oblast Country: Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)

An honor guard prepares to fold an American flag during the dedication service for a memorial to the 343 first responder victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks at Fire Station 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 11, 2015. The ceremony dedicated a monument that includes a section of steel I-beam from the World Trade Center in New York.

The 436th Airlift Wing Honor Guard Team from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, removes the casket containing US Air Force First Lieutenant Michael J. Blassie's remains from the hearse as family members and escorts look on during the pilots POW ceremony. For 26 years the Air Force pilot remained unidentified, and since 1984 he rested in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery until DNA tests confirmed his identity June 30. This image was used in the July 1998 issue of AIRMAN Magazine. Base: Dover Air Force Base State: Delaware (DE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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