BALTIMORE — The remains of a Maryland soldier killed during battle in World War II are coming home.
On May 23, 1944, U.S. Army Pfc. Kenneth L. Carpenter was helping to clear German forces out of Italy when his unit, came under heavy fire leaving him dead.
Carpenter was just 22-years-old. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.
Upon recovering his remains in November of 1944, military officials could not identify Carpenter and so they designated him as "X-646 Nettuno," before burying him nearly four-years later at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.
Carpenter was considered unaccounted for until June 18, 2026.
In September of 2021 the Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission dug up Carpenter's remains to undergo DNA testing.
Using anthropological and dental analysis, as well as mitochondrial genome sequencing data, scientists concluded the remains belonged to Carpenter.
Now that he's officially been identified, Carpenter's name which had been listed on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, will have a rosette placed by it symbolizing his recovery.
Carpenter will be buried in Flintstone, Maryland, at a later date.
