Howard Brisbane

Navy Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class Howard P. Brisbane, killed in World War II, has now been accounted for.

In November 1943, Brisbane was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, which landed a stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded. Brisbane died sometime on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

In June 2015, a nongovernmental organization, History Flight, Inc., notified DPAA that they discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the remains of what they believed were 35 U.S. Marines who fought during the battle.

Lab analysis, in conjunction with the totality of circumstantial evidence available, established Brisbane's remains were recovered at that time.

Ph3c Brisbane was accounted-for June 2nd, 2016, and will be laid to rest on June 9th, 2017 at Arlington National Cemetery.