Remains of WWII Soldier Identified for Burial in Oregon

Federal authorities announced Thursday that the remains of U.S. Army Private William Calkins, a soldier missing since World War II, have been identified and will return to Oregon for burial. Calkins, who was only 20 years old, survived the infamous Bataan Death March but was later captured and held at Cabanatuan POW Camp #1, where he died on November 1, 1942. His remains were among those exhumed from the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, where he had been buried as an unknown soldier. Calkins' story was highlighted in various Oregon newspaper clippings from the war, including reports confirming his status as a prisoner of war. After the war, his remains were relocated to the Manila American Cemetery, where they remained unidentified until recent efforts by the Department of Defense. In 2018, the agency exhumed remains associated with Common Grave 704, where Calkins was buried, and sent them to a laboratory for analysis. Using DNA testing and other scientific methods, researchers successfully identified Calkins' remains. A rosette will be placed next to his name on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery to signify that he has been accounted for. His remains are scheduled to be returned to Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland, for burial in September, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery for his family and community.