604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company (604th QM GR Co)
United States Army (USA)

Background
On April 26, 1943 the U.S. Army 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company (604th QM GR Co) was activated at Vancouver Barracks Quartermaster Unit Training Center in Vancouver, Washington. After training, the 604th deployed overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and served in New Guinea and the western Pacific. Postwar, part of American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) tasked with recovering American bodies and investigating Missing In Action (MIA) personnel in the Pacific.

Background
Between August 9, 1947 until October 27, 1947 a team from the 604th QGRC with three officers and 32 enlisted men searched Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. During their search and investigations on Guadlcanal, they interviewed British authorities, U.S. troops, local planters and native people. Investigations were also made on surrounding islands.

On September 9, 1947 in the afternoon USS LST-711 left Hog Harbor off Espiritu Santo and proceeds to Leke Bay and at 4:30pm landed a team from 604th QM GR Company that camped for the night. On September 10, 1947 at 5:30am the team treks to investigate SBD-4 Dauntless 06796 (AGRS-PAZ Case 1324) but were unable to find the crash site.

Between December 1, 1948 until January 31, 1949 a team from the 604th QGRC led by Lt Col. F. R. Bryan conducted S&R Expedition Number Two operating off USS LST-711. The team interviewed hundereds of missionaries, government officials, plantation owners and manangers and locals.

During January 1949, AGRS Search and Recovery Expedition Number 2 embarked aboard USS LST-711 for a search mission around Bougainville. On January 21, 1949 a team led by Sgt Bizub with Cpl Nesmith, Cpl Neal and Pfc Kolasa departed USS LST-711 to search the upper Laruma River visiting the Piaterapaia where they located 13 villagers and a Police Boy to assist them in their search for Missing In Action (MIAs) roughly three miles away including case 7-1167 related to the loss of U.S. Army Americal Division, 182nd Infantry, Company B including Pfc Tommy Garrett, 38220894, Pfc Henry L. Kemp, 37620697, Pvt Vest C. Martin, 37646956 and Pvt Gordon L. Rose, 34658205 that were ambushed and went Missing In Action on September 24, 1944. The patrol leader was the sole survivor. Possibly, one of the missing was captured by the Japanese.

During April 1949, a team from U.S. Army 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company including Sgt Sotan and Cpl Cramer trekked from Rabaul to the crash site of B-17E "Naughty But Nice" 41-2430 to recover the remains of the crew. During their visit, they recovered three sets of partial remains in a shallow grave and a ring with the initials 'H.G.' (Henry Garcia) engraved on it. The remains were assigned the code "IB-28 unknown (Group)" and transported to the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) at Schofield Barracks. These remains were incorrectly disproved to be associated with this aircraft and were instead deemed to be unknowns. Even the ring with initials they did not associate with Henry Garcia. The recovered remains were interned in a group burial at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at graves 607, 610 and 612.

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References
WW2 US Medical Research Centre - Quartermaster Graves Registration Service
"604th QM Graves Registration Company (activated 26 April 1943 > New Guinea, Western Pacific)"
Missing Air Crew Report 14590 (MACR 14590) created retroactively circa 1945-1946
Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) Tommy Garrett