Veterans DayWednesday, November 11
BYU students are helping find relatives of service members missing from past wars
The Daily Provo team
On Veterans Day, here's a local effort worth knowing. Students at BYU's Center for Family History and Genealogy work with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to find living relatives of service members lost mostly in World War II and the Korean War.
7service members identified with BYU research help since 2017
In each case the remains were positively identified and returned to their families.
Sources: ABC4 Utah, FOX 13 News Utah
Students comb birth, marriage and death records and historical newspapers, many in languages other than English. BYU says its students are a good fit because many learned those languages on missions or other travels.
“We are finding people with ancestors that have been lost to these wars, and we're helping give hope that these soldiers may be exhumed and returned at some point.”
- Started: 2017
- Languages: Czech, German and French, among others
- Identified: Lt. Blaine Wilcox and Lt. Edgar W. Nevois, killed in 1944
- Your family: register as next of kin at dpaa.mil
Four steps turn a missing service member's file into a DNA kit
| Step | Who |
|---|---|
| Sends the personnel file | DPAA |
| Searches family trees | BYU students |
| Contacts relatives | Claudia Sudweeks |
| Mails the DNA kit | Service Casualty Office |
Source: ABC4 Utah
Sources: ABC4 Utah, FOX 13 News Utah