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FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains of U.S. Army Maj. James J. O’Donovan, a Soldier who died a prisoner of war during World War II, will be interred April 15 at Mirimar National Cemetery, San Diego, California. Clairemont Mortuary will perform graveside services preceding the interment.
A native of Cohoes, New York, O’Donovan was a member of 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. He was among thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members who were captured, subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and interned at POW camps after U.S. forces fell to the Japanese. According to historical records O’Donovan died a POW Oct. 18, 1942, at age 34.
He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Feb. 4, 2024, after his remains were exhumed in 2019 from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines, 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 Maj. O’Donovan go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/4121766/soldier-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-odonovan-j/
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 Clairemont Mortuary, 858-279-2211 (ext., 20302).
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| Date Taken: | 04.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2025 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 494871 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | ALBANY, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | COHOES, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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