Capt Arthur Lingo, 8th AF P-51 pilot, MIA since 1944

[DavidIsby]

Press Release | Aug. 4, 2025
Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Lingo, A.)
WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Capt. Arthur M. Lingo, 24, of Fellows, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 10, 2025.
In late 1944, Lingo was assigned to 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, 66th Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Command. During a bomber escort mission to Sorau, Germany, the P-51 Mustang fighter he piloted was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed near Miesterhorst, Germany. Lingo was reported missing in action on April 11, 1944, and his remains were not identified after the war. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Lingo for Oct. 18, 1945.
In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command team was tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. During their investigations, teams of investigators interviewed local residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen. They were able to locate aircraft wreckage with serial numbers associated with Lingo’s aircraft from a bog. However, due to the swampy terrain, the team could not perform a full excavation of the site. Lingo was declared non-recoverable on June 14, 1950.
In 2022, a DPAA team with assistance from local researcher Werner Oeltjebruns as well as the U.S. Army Geospatial Command conducted investigation and survey operations in the Miesterhorst area. The team interviewed local residents and administrative officials, who confirmed the location where the aircraft crashed. The team conducted a full site survey of the crash site, where they located aircraft wreckage consistent with Lingo’s aircraft. All material evidence found at the site was accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification.
To identify Lingo’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.
Lingo’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Lingo will be buried in Arvin, California, in October 2025.
Source/Photo:
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

[Teresa Maria]

Rest in peace.