Remains of World War II airman Glenn H. Hodak identified after decades

In March 1945, during World War II, U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Glenn H. Hodak was serving as a gunner aboard a B-29 "Superfortress" aircraft targeted at Tokyo. His plane was shot down while on a mission, and he was taken captive by Japanese forces at the age of 23. Initially reported as missing in action, it was later confirmed that he was imprisoned at the Tokyo Military Prison. Tragically, in late May 1945, U.S. aircraft heavily bombed Tokyo, resulting in vast fires that engulfed the prison, killing all inmates present. Military officials noted that none survived the devastating blaze, leading to a significant loss of life among captured American service members. Following the end of World War II, the American Graves Registration Service exhumed 65 remains from the prison in early 1946. Of these, only 25 were identified, including one Japanese individual, while 39 sets of remains were classified as Unknowns and interred at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. As the years passed, efforts continued to identify the unidentified remains, with advancements in forensic science aiding these endeavors. In 2022, the remains were disinterred once again and sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) laboratory for analysis. The agency employed a variety of scientific techniques, including dental analysis, anthropological evaluation, and DNA sequencing, to positively identify service members who perished in the Tokyo prison fire. In 2024, the NPAA launched the Tokyo Prison Fire Project, aimed at accounting for the Americans who died as a result of this tragic event. Recently, the DPAA successfully identified Glenn H. Hodak's remains and informed his surviving family members of this significant development. His remains are set to be buried in Spring Creek, Pennsylvania, in May, providing closure for Hodak's family after decades of uncertainty surrounding his fate.