Army Pvt Donald E Brown

Army Pvt. Donald E. Brown, 24, of Thompson, Iowa, accounted for on June 20, 2018, will be buried October 6 in his hometown. In July 1944, Brown was a member of Company A, 745th Tank Battalion, fighting in support of the 1st Infantry Division in the European Theater, in World War II. Brown was killed in action on July 28, 1944, when his M-4 Sherman tank was destroyed by enemy fire near Cambernon, France.

Following the close of hostilities, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. service members who were killed in battle.

In July, 1947, an investigation located remains in a tank from Brown’s battalion. The remains, unable to be identified, were designated Unknown X-452 Blosville and were interred in Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

Following thorough research and analysis of American Soldiers missing from ground combat, as well as receiving family requests, the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission disinterred X-452 in August 2017 and accessioned the remains to the DPAA laboratory.

To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this recovery.