TULSA, Okla. — A previously unknown soldier from WWII is now identified and his remains made the trip from overseas to the Tulsa International Airport.
According to prison camp records, U.S Army Air Force Staff Sgt. David E. Holeman died on July 19, 1942 in Manila, Philippines. During the war, records show Holeman was in a prisoner-of-war camp after the Bataan Death March where he died along with 2,500 other soldiers.
Holeman's remains were buried in a grave known as Common Grave 312 until they were exhumed and placed in U.S. custody at a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. In 1947 there were attempts to identify remains, only twelve people were identified.
In 2018, the remains of Common Grave 312 were sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory for new attempts at identification. They used DNA analysis and anthropological evidence to identify Holeman.
As Holeman made the journey back home, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association pulled together to create a special welcome. On Tuesday a large crowd from CVMA welcomed Holeman home and escorted him to his final resting place in Independence, Kansas.
Funeral services for Staff Sgt. Holeman are at 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023, at The First Church of the Nazarene, 3835 County Rd. 3900, Independence, Kansas 67301, with burial to follow in Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas.
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