PLYMOUTH — A World War II soldier who died at a prisoner of war (POW) camp has been identified as a soldier from Plymouth, Indiana.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) says U.S. Army Pvt. David Whipple is now accounted for.
Whipple was captured after months of intense fighting when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in 1941.
According to DPAA, thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and held at POW camps. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March.
Officials say more than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
Records show Whipple died in July of 1942. He was just 23-years-old.
The remains of Whipple and other soldiers were found in 2018 and sent to Pearl Harbor for analysis. He was identified through dental and DNA evidence.
Whipple’s remains will eventually be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
