Madera WWII Vet Identified, Laid to Rest at Arlington
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Madera man, missing in action since World War II, has been identified and is being buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Tuesday that a U.S. Marine missing in action from World War II has been identified and is being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
The man is Sgt. John H. Branic, U.S. Marine Corps.
Branic was a platoon leader for L Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division on Aug. 19, 1942, when a Japanese force overran his defensive position on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. During the attack, Branic was killed, but the Marines of L Company counterattacked and succeeded in driving the Japanese back. The location of Branic’s remains was not reported to headquarters, as the L Company executive officer was also killed.
In February 1992, the U.S. Embassy, Solomon Islands, reported to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command that remains believed to be those of an American had been recovered at a construction site on Guadalcanal. JPAC took possession of those remains the following month and excavated the site where they found additional remains. In the same general area, they found World War II-era ammunition, but no additional remains.
In 2004, an American researcher with the First Marine Division association reported to JPAC that a Solomon Islander had possession of a ring with the inscription "JHB" on the inside. The ring was found at the initial burial site.
JPAC scientists and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory specialists used mitochondrial DNA as one of the forensic tools to help identify the remains. Laboratory analysis of dental remains also confirmed the identification as Branic.
Volunteer BeautyOn April 06, 2006 Semper Marine Deatachment #205 has the finishing touches put on their all tile Marine Corps League Seal, at their entrance, by Sasha Kissoondath. Sasha Kissoondath, president of S&S Tile Contracting Co. Inc., puts the finishing touches on the Marine Corps League tile emblem at the Semper Marine Detachment #205 building on Thursday (April 6, 2006). Kissoondath, himself a former Marine and a detachment member, donated all the materials and labor to install the Marine emblem of Eagle, Globe and Anchor in tiles. The emblem, in the traditional Marine colors of red and gold, is at the entrance to the new detachment headquarters on Landis Avenue Vineland, NJ. 
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NEWSLETTER8 May 2011 First and foremost.. I need your email addresses as soon as possible! Our next meeting will be held on 18 May 2011 at 1930 hrs(7:30 PM) at the DuBois Legion On May 1st, The March of Dimes walk was held at the Clearfield Driving Park and around Clearfield. It appeared as though there were some 250 people who came to this event to walk the 3.2 mile course for someone they knew. They had volunteers helping to hand out water and snacks during the walk and at the Agricultural Building at the fairgrounds. When all of the walkers came back they were treated to Hot dogs and buns, hoagies, cookies, meat and cheese trays and veggie trays. The members of the Marine Corps League, both of us helped with the handing out of food and snacks. Marine Charlie Rothrock and Maring Dan Robbins were there to represent the Sgt William L. Dixon Detachment On the 21st of this month, Armed Forces Day, our Detachment will be manning a table at the #1 Expo Building at the Clearfield Fairground. We are looking forward to having as many members of our Detachment there as possible. We will be selling tickets for the Veterans and Scholarship funds sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of the Marine Corps League. We have 500 tickets, so we need a maximum effort. The time will be 10:00 am. This months featured Campaign will be "Iwo Jima of WWII" Quote of the Month: The battle of Iwo Jima has been won, among the Americans who served on Iwo, "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue" (Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz) Semper Fidelis Daniel W. Robbins Sgt William L. Dixon Det #289 Marine Corps League |
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