KINGSTON, Tennessee — Military officials say the remains of a World War II soldier from Tennessee who was killed in Germany have been identified.
Department of Defense officials say Army Pfc. William F. Delaney of Kingston had been declared unrecoverable before dental and DNA analysis identified his remains.
Officials said the 24-year-old Delaney was fighting with the 4th Infantry Division when his battalion launched an artillery strike against German soldiers near Grosshau in the Hurtgen Forest on Nov. 22, 1944. An artillery shell struck Delaney's foxhole, and he was killed.
Delaney's remains were deemed unidentifiable after the war. After further investigation, the remains were disinterred in 2017 and they were analyzed. He was officially accounted for in December.
Officials say more than 72,000 U.S. service members remain unaccounted for from World War II.