Pfc. Brotherton was accounted for in April 2020, but his family only recently received their full briefing on his identification, which is why this release is going out now.

Aug. 23, 2021

WASHINGTON—The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Pfc. Clarence W. Brotherton, 20, of Gibson City, Illinois, killed during World War II, was accounted for April 23, 2020.

In October 1944, Brotherton was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Germeter, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest, when he was killed in action on Oct. 14. Brotherton could not be recovered because of the on-going fighting.

Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Brotherton’s remains. He was declared non-recoverable in 1951.

While studying unresolved American losses in the Raffelsbrand area, a DPAA historian determined that one of two sets of unidentified remains, designated X-4491 Neuville and X-4492 Neuville, recovered comingled from Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest near Germeter in 1946, possibly were linked to Brotherton. The remains, which had been buried in Ardennes American Cemetery in 1950, were disinterred in September 2017 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for identification.

To identify Brotherton’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Brotherton’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margarten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Brotherton will be buried Sept. 7, 2021, in his hometown.

For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.

DPAA is grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission and to the U.S. Army Regional Mortuary-Europe/Africa for their partnership in this mission.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.

Brotherton’s personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000001EuUQqEAN.

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Respectfully,

Sean P. Everette

SFC, USA

Public Affairs NCOIC

Outreach and Communications

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

241 18th St. South, Suite 800

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 699-1420

Clarence Brotherton