From DNA To Dog Tags: The Remarkable Effort Identifying Remains of WWII Heroes

Have you ever wondered what happens to the bodies of those who never came home from war? What if I told you that for over 81,000 American service members, their stories remain unfinished – but a dedicated team of modern-day detectives is working tirelessly to write their final chapters?

This week's episode of Stories That Live In Us introduces us to Emily Paulson, a contractor with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Her role as a case coordinator combines the precision of genealogy with cutting-edge DNA science to fulfill a sacred promise: that no American service member will be forgotten.

A Mission Born from Personal Connection

“One very unique part of my job is I get to learn about every single person that has paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I get to learn about their stories and their families and their final moments, but also the 23 years prior to that that made their final moments so significant.”

For Emily, this isn't just a job – it's a calling that grew from her early passion for genealogy and DNA research. As we mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, her work reminds us that behind every unidentified service member lies a family waiting for answers, a story waiting to be completed.

The Whole Story

Take a moment to listen to Emily's moving account of this vital mission:

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🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• The staggering number of missing service members: 72,000 from WWII alone
• How modern DNA science and family reference samples help identify remains decades later
• The remarkable story of Lt. William McGowan and his family's legacy of service
• Why French citizens still tend to crash sites of American heroes
• The emotional impact of bringing closure to waiting families
• How families can contribute to the identification process

The Power of One Story

Through Emily's work, we meet Second Lieutenant William Joseph McGowan, whose P-47 Thunderbolt was shot down on D-Day, 1944. His story embodies the deep connections between family service, sacrifice, and memory that echo through generations. From his father's service in WWI to the French villagers who still tend his crash site memorial, Lt. McGowan's story reminds us that the impact of service ripples far beyond a single life.

Your Story

While not everyone has a missing service member in their family tree, we all have stories of service, sacrifice, and remembrance waiting to be discovered and shared. These stories connect us to our past and help us understand our present.

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. For older relatives (parents, aunts, uncles): "What do you remember about our family members who served in the military? Did they ever share stories about their experiences when you were growing up?"
2. For grandparents: "Do you have any letters, photographs, or mementos you have from when our family members were in service? What's the story behind each one?"
3. For siblings or cousins: "Do you remember Dad or Grandpa talking about their military service? What traditions or memories do we share about honoring their service?"
4. For in-laws: "Were there any service members in your family? I'd love to hear about how your family remembers and honors them, so we can share these traditions with our children."

Story Sparks 🔑

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. All men in the U.S. had to register for the WWI and WWII draft.  That doesn’t mean they served but it can be a great starting point to learning more.  Have you found draft cards on Ancestry for all of the adult men in your family living during the time of those two wars? 
2. Next, search Ancestry's military records collections. Look for clues to military service in  veterans’ records, on tombstones, or in obituaries for them or their family members.
3. If a family member served, you can order a copy of their service record (if it survived the 1973 fire) from the National Archives.  Where these exist, they contain rich details of the individual’s time in the military.
4. Use MyTreeTags on your Ancestry tree to identify all family members who served, making it easier to trace patterns of service across generations.
5. Document any family members who were lost or missing in action, and consider reaching out to organizations like DPAA if you or a family member are a DNA match that might help identify missing service members.

As Emily reminds us, "We'll never stop, we'll always try, we'll always keep searching and honor the story of your family member and their sacrifice." Her work with DPAA shows us that it's never too late to complete a family story, to bring closure to those who wait, and to honor those who gave everything for our freedom.

For families of missing service members who might be reading: if you're contacted by a service casualty office about providing a DNA sample, please consider participating. Your DNA could be the key to bringing someone home and helping multiple families find closure.

Learn more about the DPAA Casualty Service Office here: 

https://www.dpaa.mil/families/contact-information/ 

Ready to discover more stories of service and sacrifice? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. If this episode touched your heart, please leave us a rating and review – it helps other family story seekers find us.