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FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains of U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert T. McCollum, a Soldier killed during World War II, will be interred May 3 at Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose, California. Oak Hill Funeral Home, will perform graveside services preceding the interment.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, McCollum was a bombardier assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater. He went missing in action June 20, 1944, at age 22, when the B-24J “Liberator” bomber, he was aboard crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark after colliding with another B-24 in the same formation. The U.S. War Department issued a finding of death for him of June 21, 1945.
McCollum was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Dec. 10, 2024, after his remains were excavated from the crash site between 2022 and 2024 for laboratory analysis and identification.
The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.
Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process including burial with full military honors.
For additional information about 2nd Lt. McCollum go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/4078502/airman-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-mccollum-r/
Media interested in covering and/or obtaining more information about the funeral and interment should contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490 and/or Oak Hill Funeral Home, 408-297-2447.
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| Date Taken: | 04.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2025 08:51 |
| Story ID: | 496305 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | CLEVELAND, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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