In its issue of Aug. 7, 2025, the Gazette-Journal reported on the possible pending identification of a Gloucester man whose aircraft was shot down during World War II. He and the rest of the crew had never been found. The story of Ernest Pugh brought to our attention the ongoing work of the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to recover and identify the remains of American servicemen and women who have been missing for many decades. As Memorial Day approaches, it seems appropriate to talk about this agency’s important work. The process of identification in itself may take years after remains have been found and brought back to the United States. It is work guided by compassion and dignity, both in regard to the families who may finally be able to bury their dead, and to the countries where the bodies are discovered. Ernest Pugh, a 1940 graduate of Botetourt High School in Gloucester, joined the Army shortly after he completed school. By 1942 he was a sergeant, working on a ...