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. 
|
|
|
NEWSLETTERAs you can see, we are selling lottery tickets for the April drawing for those of you who have received them with your letter. If you cannot sell them, please return them to Bill Smith. If you did not receive tickets and would like to help by selling them, please let Bill or me know The Pa Department meeting will be at the Indiantown Gap Headquarters building on March 16 and 17 for anyone interested. A Marine group from Boalsburg is going to the National Marine Corp Museum on March 11, 2007. Tentative itinerary: Fast Food breakfast stop enroute, arrive at Museum at 11:30am, on your own for lunch and free time until 5:00pm. Departure for home at 5:00pm with supper stop (on own) enroute. Arrive back late that night. $40.00 per person. For more information call Fullington Bus, Clearfield 814-765-7871. Our next meeting will be at Clearfield VFW on February 21st at 7:30pm. Refreshments kto follow meeting. Hope to see you there.
William E. Smith Jr, Past Commandant
|
|
|
|
