English: Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment Caisson Platoon, and the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own” conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Army 1st Lt. Myles W. Esmay in Section 36 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug. 1, 2022. Esmay was killed on June 7, 1944 during the siege of Myitkyina, Burma in World War II.

        From the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) press release:

In the spring and summer of 1944, Esmay, an infantry engineer, was a member of Company B, 236th Engineer Combat Battalion, reinforcing the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as Merrill’s Marauders. Esmay’s battalion arrived at the recently captured airfield in Myitkyina, Burma, on May 28, where they were tasked with holding the airfield and taking part in the siege of Myitkyina. On June 4, the battalion attacked Japanese forces at Namkwi village northwest of the airfield. The fighting lasted until June 7. Esmay was reported to have been killed on the last day of fighting. The remains of servicemen killed during the battle were buried in at least eight different temporary cemeteries and numerous isolated burial locations. Eventually, all known burials were concentrated into the U.S. Military Cemetery at Myitkyina, including the remains of those who were not identified. In January and February 1946, all of the remains at the U.S. Military Cemetery were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda, India. The exhumation of the U.S. Military Cemetery at Kalaikunda was conducted in September and October 1947.

       One set of remains, designated Unknown X-64 Kalaikunda, was unable to be identified and was subsequently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, in March 1949.
       On April 15, 2019, DPAA disinterred Unknown X-64 Kalaikunda from the Punchbowl and transferred the remains to the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

To identify Esmay’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

         Esmay was accounted for on May 25, 2021. Esmay’s nephew, Peter Esmay, received the U.S. flag from his uncle’s service.

(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)