The United States Department of Defense’s Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) has launched new recovery missions across Papua New Guinea, running from July 12 through September 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to locate and repatriate American service members missing from World War II.
The DPAA has been active in Papua New Guinea since 1978, seeking to account for the approximately 3,300 U.S. personnel who went missing in the country during the war. This year’s missions focus on areas within Madang, Morobe, East New Britain, and Oro provinces, where significant WWII battles occurred.
DPAA teams are working closely with a wide range of partners including the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, the National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG), the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), and local and provincial leaders in the targeted regions.
“DPAA is grateful for Papua New Guinea’s continued support in the search for our missing,” said Captain Cole Euverard, mission lead.
“Every mission brings us closer to accounting for our nation’s heroes and bringing them home to be laid to rest by their families.”
He added that without the ongoing assistance from PNG’s institutions and communities, the recovery efforts would not be possible.
The DPAA’s global mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting of U.S. personnel missing in action from past conflicts. Their investigation and recovery teams operate worldwide, including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Europe, searching for those still unaccounted for.
These latest missions reaffirm the longstanding partnership between the United States and Papua New Guinea, rooted in a shared history and mutual respect for the sacrifices made during World War II.
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