Long-lost WWII soldier from Georgia to be buried in hometown
Pfc. Hood E. Cole (Army Casualty Office)
CANTON, Ga. - More than 70 years after his death during World War II, the remains of a metro Atlanta private first class will finally have his burial in Georgia.
Pfc. Hood Ernest Cole, aged 26, was part of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 276th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division when tragedy struck in January 1945. On Jan. 14, during a fierce encounter with German forces near Baerenthal, France, Cole was killed in action. Unfortunately, the exact location of his death remained elusive in historical records, and the chaos of the battle prevented the immediate recovery of his body.
Following the end of World War II, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), responsible for locating and recovering fallen American personnel in the European Theater, conducted extensive searches around Baerenthal. Despite their efforts, no information regarding the whereabouts of Cole's remains emerged, leading to his official declaration as non-recoverable on May 11, 1951.
DPAA historians, engaged in ongoing research on soldiers missing from combat in the Baerenthal region, recently identified potential leads. X-9441 and X-9442, initially buried in Frankfurt Mausoleum and later moved to Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupré, Belgium, were believed to be associated with Cole. These remains were disinterred in April 2018 and meticulously analyzed at the DPAA Laboratory in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
To confirm Cole's identity, DPAA scientists employed anthropological and dental analysis. Furthermore, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System utilized advanced techniques such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis.
Cole's name currently adorns the Walls of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozé, France, alongside others still unaccounted for from WWII. In a poignant recognition of closure, a rosette will soon be placed next to his name, signifying that he has been officially accounted for.
Cole's remains were transported back to metro Atlanta through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Cobb County Sheriff's deputies joined in the processional to Georgia Funeral Care, where they were met by veterans carrying multiple American flags.
(Courtesy of Georgia Funeral Care)
On Monday, a final, solemn chapter in this long-standing saga will come to an end when Cole is laid to rest in Canton, his hometown.