Private first class William Edward Brandenburg was only 17 when he died fighting in the Pacific during WWII.
Patricia Moore didn't know her Uncle William, but she certainly remembers her mother, Mae Black, talking about him all her life. The family was from New Miami, Ohio.Bradenburg was Black's youngest brother and he enlisted in the Marines on November 27, 1942. He was only 16 at the time. That meant he had to lie on his enlistment forms so he could join the war effort.William Edward BrandenburgWhen the Battle of Tarawa began on November 20, 1943, Brandenburg was there.
After all the calls, year after year, Black finally found some success.About eight years ago, a group took their DNA to be tested against remains that had been recovered and brought back to Hawaii.For eight years, they didn't hear anything -- until one day, Moore got a phone call.Their DNA samples had helped identify her uncle's remains."When the woman called me I fell down in a chair and had a meltdown," she told CNN by phone."I couldn't even talk to her.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Father who stabbed son 76 times believing child was the Devil found not guilty of murderThe unnamed man will be held indefinitely in a mental health unit following the brutal slaying of his son in Sydney, Australia.
Read more »
Body found behind cooler at Iowa supermarket was employee who vanished 10 years agoAuthorities on Monday said they have identified the man as Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada who was reported missing in November 2009.
Read more »
Oh what might have been 15 years ago, had Kobe Bryant joined the ClippersKawhi Leonard and Paul George will be introduced as the Clippers' newest stars Wednesday, but oh what might have been 15 years ago had Kobe Bryant joined the team, writes AndrewGreif.
Read more »
Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge II died at 67Candlemaker Michael Kittredge II, who founded Yankee Candle as a teenager in his family home in 1969, has died, according to a spokesman. He was 67.
Read more »
Father who stabbed son 76 times believing child was the Devil found not guilty of murderThe unnamed man will be held indefinitely in a mental health unit following the brutal slaying of his son in Sydney, Australia.
Read more »
Russia may be testing the U.S. military's world order following an air fight over AsiaA dramatic episode involving Russia, Chinese, South Korea and Japanese warplanes over the Pacific may be the latest effort by Moscow to challenge Washington's global military order.
Read more »