Colorado Soldier Identified 74 Years After Korean War

The remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Orace J. Mestas from Colorado, who was reported missing during the Korean War in 1951, have been identified after 74 years. Mestas, initially deemed nonrecoverable due to intense fighting, was among four sets of remains recovered shortly after his disappearance but could not be identified at the time and was buried as unknown in Hawaii. In 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) disinterred and analyzed the remains using dental, anthropological, and DNA methods, ultimately confirming Mestas' identity. His family was recently briefed on the identification, and he will be buried in Trinidad, Colorado. A rosette will be placed next to his name on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl to indicate he has been accounted for.