After 80 Years, This WWII Hero’s Story Finally Uncovered – You Won’t Believe What They Found!

In a historic announcement, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) confirmed that Staff Sgt. John A. Tarbert of the U.S. Army Air Force, who was killed during World War II, has been identified nearly 80 years after his death. At just 24 years old, Tarbert tragically lost his life while serving as a waist gunner aboard a B-24J Liberator bomber, known as Mairzy Doats, over Germany in 1944. His remains were officially accounted for on May 10, 2024.

Tarbert, from Port Deposit, Maryland, was assigned to the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group, part of the 8th Air Force. On September 27, 1944, during a mission over Bassenheim, Germany, his aircraft was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire, which ultimately led to the tragic loss of all onboard. The wreckage of Mairzy Doats scattered in the aftermath, and local villagers collected some of the fallen remains from the crash site and buried them nearby.

In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), tasked with recovering fallen soldiers in Europe, recovered remains from the Bassenheim Cemetery. These remains were labeled as X-2360 and were believed to be from the aircraft crash that claimed Tarbert’s life. Over time, some remains were identified as belonging to the tail gunner of Mairzy Doats, but several others, including those thought to be Tarbert’s, remained unidentified for decades.

In 1951, additional remains were recovered from the crash site, designated as X-9048. Despite exhaustive efforts, no positive identification was made, and those remains were eventually interred at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunisia. Decades passed, and Tarbert’s family and friends remained in the dark about his fate.

It wasn’t until the DPAA revisited the case in September 2022 that there was new hope. A DPAA investigation team, along with the Army Geospatial Center, went to the crash site near Bassenheim. They uncovered new remains, which were sent to the DPAA laboratory for detailed analysis.

In the same month, X-9048, the remains previously buried in Tunisia, were exhumed and transferred to the DPAA lab for further testing. The breakthrough came when DPAA scientists used advanced anthropological methods and cutting-edge DNA technology to finally confirm that these remains belonged to Staff Sgt. Tarbert. Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis helped conclusively identify him.

This identification marked a monumental moment in closing a chapter for the Tarbert family and the nation. His name, which had been etched on the Walls of the Missing at Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg, will now bear a rosette to signify that he has been accounted for, joining others who have been brought home.

DPAA’s recovery mission continues to bring closure to families, and the return of Staff Sgt. Tarbert is a testament to that commitment. His remains will be laid to rest in Schuylerville, New York, on November 8, 2024, honoring his bravery and sacrifice.

While Staff Sgt. John A. Tarbert’s life was tragically cut short in the horrors of war, his story, like so many others, serves as a powerful reminder of the cost of freedom. The work of DPAA, in conjunction with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, ensures that these heroes are never forgotten, and their sacrifices are forever honored.