Remains of teenage US soldiers killed in World War II identified 80 years later

Remains of teenage US soldiers killed in World War II identified 80 years later

The remains of two American soldiers killed in World War II have been identified, U.S. Army officials said Wednesday.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jack Zarifian and U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews were both 19 years old when they died in combat in Europe, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said.

Zarifian, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was killed in action with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division near Buchhof, Germany. Heavy fighting broke out, a DPAA news release said, and Zarifian was reportedly killed in action after being hit by a missile on April 6, 1945. His body could not be recovered due to the fighting and his remains were not recorded for during or after the war.

After the war ended, the American Graves Registration Command worked to bring home the remains of fallen soldiers, and several recovery teams went to Buchhof as part of this effort. Several U.S. soldiers buried in the city’s cemetery were exhumed shortly after the war, but Zarifian’s remains were not among them. His name was recorded on the walls of the missing at the Lorraine American Cemetery in France.

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U.S. Army Sgt. Jack Zarifian.

Defense Prisoner/MIA Accounting Agency


Zarifian’s remains were not found until 2023. DPAA officials received a call on October 18 from German officials who said they had found possible American remains near Buchhof while technicians were clearing a construction site. The remains were excavated, and officials also found “items used by U.S. personnel during World War II, as well as various personal items believed to belong to Zarifian.” All items were transferred to DPAA custody and analyzed by the agency.

Andrews, from Gravette, Arkansas, was assigned to Company C, 37th Engineer Combat Battalion during the war. He served during Operation Overlord in Normandy, France, to clear German defenses, obstacles and mines Omaha Beach and on June 6, 1944, establish exit roads for invading ground troops. He was killed at some point during the invasion, but it was unclear how due to the intensity of the fighting, according to the DPAA.

His remains were not identified after the battle, but in 1946 the American Graves Registration Command began searching for missing personnel in the area. A number of remains marked “X-48 St. Laurent” and a belt with Andrews’ initials were found. However, officials believed that the belt may have been traded between soldiers, and that other remains bore a physical similarity, so no identification was made at that time and the remains were buried at the Normandy American Cemetery on December 11 as the of an unknown soldier were buried. 1948. His name was recorded on the wall of the missing in the cemetery.

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U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews.

Defense Prisoner/MIA Accounting Agency


In December 2014, Andrews’ family asked the DPAA to devote more time to his case. Historians reassessed the circumstances of his death and examined the belt and other clothing he had worn. After they had enough evidence to believe the X-48 remains could be Andrews, they exhumed them and had them transferred to the DPAA lab in 2019.

Both Andrew’s and Zarifian’s remains were analyzed using several methodsincluding anthropological and dental analysis as well as mitochondrial DNA analysis. Circumstantial evidence was also examined in both cases.

Zarifian’s remains were discovered on May 10, the DPAA said. Andrews’ remains were found on June 5th. Rosettes were placed next to both names on the walls of the missing persons, where they are recorded.

Both will be buried at a later date. The DPAA said Zarifian would be buried in Providence, Rhode Island, but did not specify where Andrews would be buried.