MIA Update - May 2, 2022

[boardman]

MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced two burial updates and one new identification for service members who have been missing and unaccounted-for from World War II. Returning home for burial with full military honors are:

-- Navy Seaman 2nd Class Laverne A. Nigg, 23, of Browns Valley, Minnesota, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits that caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Nigg. He will be buried on June 4, 2022, in his hometown. Read about Nigg https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2790826/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-nigg-l/.
-- Army Air Force Lt. Col Addison Baker, 36, of Chicago, was commander of the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft Baker was piloting crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire during Operation Tidal Wave. Following the war, his remains could not be identified. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The date and location of his funeral have yet to be decided. Read about Baker https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2997931/medal-of-honor-pilot-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-baker-a/.
-- Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. William F. Teaff, 26, was assigned to the 351st Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. On March 6, 1944, he was serving as a radio operator on a B-17 Flying Fortress when it was destroyed during a bombing mission. The entire crew, except for the navigator, survived and bailed out, but were captured by the Germans and sent to POW camps. Teaff died on July 10, 1944, in a nearby village while receiving medical treatment for diphtheria. Interment services are pending. Read about Teaff https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3012169/airman-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-teaff-w/.