Remains of Colorado World War II vet to be buried in California

FORT KNOX, KY. (KRDO) -- The remains of United States Army Private James B. McCartney, a World War II veteran who was killed in action, will be interred March 30, 2024 at Hillcrest Memorial Park & Mortuary in Bakersfield, California. Hillcrest Memorial Park & Mortuary will perform graveside services preceding the internment.

McCartney, a native of Ridgeway, Colorado, was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division. He was killed in action March 1, 1945, at age 22, while on patrol with his unit near Wildenguth, France. McCartney was declared "non-recoverable" on October 8, 1951, after investigators searching for fallen soldiers in the European Theater failed to recover any leads regarding his remains.

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency historians conducted research into soldiers missing from combat around Wildenguth and found that remains designated to X-6492, buried in Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, could be associated with McCartney. X-6492 was disinterred for laboratory analysis in August of 2022.

McCartney was accounted for by the DPAA on September 21, 2023, after his remains were identified using dental, anthropological, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis.

For additional information about Pvt. McCartney, go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3699337/soldier-accounted-for-from-wwii-mccartney-j/