Three soldiers who went missing during their service have been identified by a US agency.

The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency is striving to provide closure to families of those who went missing in action on Memorial Day by honoring their sacrifices.

According to Kelly McKeague, the agency's director, it is truly an honor to fulfill the commitment made to the service members who were sent to war and did not return home.

2nd Lt. Fred Brewer

Over 2.2 million airmen served in World War II, with 355 of them being Tuskegee Airmen who served overseas.

McKeague stated that it is a renowned unit, which was separated and undertook valiant deeds during World War II.

One of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen previously thought to be missing in action, 23-year-old 2nd Lt. Fred Brewer, was the second from the unit to be identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

In October 1944, Brewer left Ramitelli air base in Italy with 57 other fighters to escort bombers to Regensburg, Germany. While attempting to climb above thick cloud cover, his engine stalled and he was believed to have crashed near Moggio Udinese, Italy. It wasn't until more than 70 years later that the story of what happened after the crash would begin to emerge.

Lt. Brewer's unknown remains were discovered in an American cemetery after being moved from a German cemetery to an Italian cemetery, where a memorial was built by an Italian villager who took remnants of his plane in the 1940s.

In December, Brewer was given a proper burial and laid to rest in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

After the wars, some cases remained unsolved. Now, historians and scientists are searching, finding, and hopefully identifying them, as McKeague stated.

An event will take place in October near the Italian town where Brewer passed away, as announced by the Moggese Historical Photographic Archive in Italy.

McKeague stated that our capacity to employ historical references and scientific technology may help us identify the remains and return them to their family.

Army Cpl. Luther Story

In late 1950, a 19-year-old Army Cpl. Luther Story bravely sacrificed his life to protect his comrades during a battle against enemy soldiers. Last Memorial Day, his remains were identified and a funeral was held in his honor.

"The inscription on Story's Medal of Honor reads, "During the withdrawal, the company was attacked by such superior numbers that it was forced to deploy in a rice field. Realizing that his wounds would hamper his comrades, he refused to retire to the next position but remained to cover the company's withdrawal. When last seen, he was firing every weapon available and fighting off another hostile assault.""

At 16 years old, he joined the Army by convincing his mother to falsify his documents.

"At 19, he demonstrated valor and performed a heroic action, enabling his unit to escape to safety," McKeague stated.

In Georgia, where Story's parents were sharecroppers who worked on farms in the middle part of the state, including one owned by the former President Carter's father, the story began.

In April 2023, Carter began hospice care and was informed that Story would be returning to the U.S.

McKeague smiled broadly and said, "I remember that young man," when he learned that Luther Story was returning home.

As conflicts wind down, investigators must work through environmental factors and foreign governments to identify those killed in action.

McKeague stated that Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are extremely difficult due to the acidic soil that rapidly degrades and almost destroys remains, resulting in teams frequently discovering only teeth.

Air Force Col. Ernest De Soto

During the Vietnam War, Col. Ernest De Soto, 37, piloted an F-4D Phantom II in the Air Force.

"He was born in San Francisco and was a phenomenal athlete with a partial scholarship to Stanford. However, his parents could not afford Stanford, so he enlisted in the Air Force. As a result, he qualifies to go to pilot training and becomes a fighter pilot, eventually finding himself in Vietnam."

In 1969, De Soto's plane disappeared while returning from a canceled strike mission near Quang Nam Province. Despite the lead aircraft in his unit searching for him, they were unable to locate him. The ongoing fighting prevented teams from searching the ground.

In March 2023, De Soto was finally accounted for after a recovery mission and further DNA testing, which had been ongoing since the crash site was discovered in the Giang District in 1995.

"McKeague stated that in the case of Col. De Soto, they had to repeatedly send teams to investigate and excavate the site due to the unpredictable nature of aircraft losses, which often occur off radar, making it difficult to determine the last known location. This leaves them with no choice but to take a risk in some cases."

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency estimates that 38,000 of the 81,000 missing soldiers from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam will be recoverable.

"McKeague stated that each of them has a unique story, including Lt. Brewer, Cpl. Story, and Col. De Soto."