MIA Project

The long way to identify X-3144

 

         S/Sgt Robert G. Rudd

        Company C

      38th Infantry

   Gatesville, Texas

After the accidental recovery of Alfonse Sito in 1988 and the subsequent creation of the MIA Project, the collection of specific and accurate information became vital for future research. From the early beginning of the project, a number of X-files were considered and studied. The most significant was X-3144 (more on X-files)

The remains of X-3144 were removed from a temporary cemetery erected by civilians of Wirtzfeld, Belgium, in the spring of 1945. The cemetery was established at the southern edge of a forest known to locals as the Elsenbüchel Forest. The site has been the scene of extremely bitter combats during the fights for the Elsenborn Ridge and once again on January 30 and 31, 1945, when it became one of the objectives of the large US Vth Corps attack. This large scale attack was aimed at recapturing the ground lost in December. The Elsenbüchel Forest, for its part, was the objective of the 393rd Infantry of the 99th Division. Immediately to the south of the forest, the twin villages of Rocherath and Krinkelt were swept by the 38^th and 9^th Infantry Regiments of the 2nd Division. Extreme winter conditions and a bitter German resistance generated a high rate of casualties.

The little temporary cemetery contained the remains of 7 US servicemen and 53 German soldiers. On March 27, 1946, the seven US remains were disinterred and transferred to Neuville-en-Condroz US Military Cemetery, Belgium, by the GRS (Grave Registration Service). Six of the seven remains were identified, the seventh remained unidentified and was eventually buried as Unknown X-3144. The remains were disinterred once more on October 30, 1948 by Detachment B of the 7887 AGRC. Anthropologists at the chemical laboratory of the Central Identification Point conducted additional forensic examinations to identify the remains. No major progress were made and on December 22, 1948, a board of 3 GRS officers declared X-3144 non identifiable and the body was definitely reburied.

 

The file of X-3144 contained a number of disturbing information. The remains were found with a helmet named to John T. Puckett. Sgt Puckett was indeed missing in action in that same vicinity and for sometime associated with X-3144. But Puckett’s physical description, such as hair color and estimated height, didn’t match with X-3144. This was later confirmed when our team recovered Puckett in a common grave at the forest edge (see Cold Case). The near total absence of skull and teeth on X-3144 was pertinent with a head wound caused by a shell fragment and rendering the dental chart useless. Also, the remains described as “crushed” and “mangled” would correspond in result to the concussion of a shell detonating at very close range. Despite an advanced stage of decomposition, remnants of US Army ground forces uniform were still present on X-3144 remains. We tried to match those details with a number of servicemen reported missing in action in the same vicinity.

With the location of the temporary cemetery at the southern edge of the 99^th Division sector and the number of 99^th Division missing servicemen recorded in that specific area, several names of potential individuals could be associated to X-3144. Those cases were studied and one specific 99^th Division soldier shared a number of similar physical description with X-3144. The height, hair color and known cause of death were similar. In addition, the dental charts of this individual showed a number of inconsistancies, rendering all of them useless. Over the last two decades, the case was discussed with all the different US accounting agencies, CILHI (Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii) and its successor, the JPAC (Joint POWMIA Accounting Command). Many interesting discussions and promises but nothing took place.

In December 2017, in a last attempt to solve the mistery, team members Bill Warnock and JP Speder provided a very detailed 33 page report to DPAA (Defense POWMIA Accounting Agency). The report presented reasonable similarities between X-3144 and a specific individual of the 99^th Infantry Division. The report was reviewed by a DPAA board and a disinterment procedure was granted. After a long quest, X-3144 was eventually disinterred from Neuville-en-Condroz American Cemetery, Belgium, in 2021 and transferred to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska where DPAA identification facility is located.

It took about two years to establish a positive identification. Surprisingly, not to the specific individual we had previously expected, even not to a 99th Division soldier. X-3144 was identified as S/Sgt Robert G. Rudd, a squad leader in Company C, 38th Infantry, 2nd Division. S/Sgt Rudd was reported MIA on January 30, 1945 north of Rocherath, Belgium.

Although our report was focused on the wrong individual and although it didn’t concern a 99th Division serviceman, our team is proud to have contributed in bringing closure to another family. In its press release, DPAA, as usual, congratulates itself on having carried out this research and the subsequent identification but we all know that without our report, S/Sgt Rudd would still be an unknown in Neuville-en-Condroz military Cemetery.

The 34 year old resident of Gatesville, Texas, is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten Military Cemetery, Netherlands. A rosette will be soon placed next to his name to confirm he is no longer missing.

After resting almost 78 years as an unknown in a military cemetery overseas, S/Sgt Robert G. Rudd is now back home. He was buried on December 9, 2023, at Bethel Cemetery in Gatesville, Texas. The little cemetery had been closed for many years and was reopened for S/Sgt Rudd to finally be laid to rest beside his parents.

 

 

 

Sources:

MIA Project collections
KCEN News video
Photos credit : DPAA, KCEN News, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Det Fort Kavazos, TX.