ASHLAND, Ore. — For 76 years the disappearance of World War II solider Dale W. Ross remained a mystery to the Ross family, until now.
Dale W. Ross was fighting in the battle of Guadalcanal in the British Solomon Islands in 1943 when he was killed by Japanese forces.
Soldiers tried to find him but had no luck.
He was declared missing in action, until dog tags and bones in a bag were found at the site of the battle two years ago.
After some tests, that soldier was just identified as Dale W. Ross of Ashland.
“Oh it was overwhelming,” said the niece of Dale W. Ross Peggy Freitas. “It just brought around closure because it was just a family life-long mystery.”
The Department of Defense said an eight-year-old boy found the remains and gave them to a visiting American who helped find the Ross family.
Ross had no children, but his next of kin who still live in the Rogue Valley said it’s great to have this family mystery solved.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.