A lost sailor's possible return to North Dakota
In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert tells us how a long-lost World War II sailor from North Dakota may finally be identified and returned home more than 80 years after his death.
Listen here:
Michael’s reporting follows the work of retired Marine Ted Darcy, who has dedicated years to identifying unknown World War II service members. Darcy reached out to NDNC with information suggesting that the remains of Orlin Robert Kuhl may be buried in Long Island National Cemetery. Kuhl is a sailor from Newburgh who died when the USS Pollux sank off Newfoundland in a February 1942 winter storm.
Through outreach to local newspapers and collaboration with cemetery researcher Marie Sagsveen, Michael helped locate Kuhl’s gravesite in Newburgh and connect with his niece, Gail Peterson, who now lives in St. Paul.
“Someone at that meeting knew the niece of Orland Robert Kuhl … and she called me, and I put her in touch with Mr. Darcy, and they’ve kind of gone from there.” – Michael Standaert, NDNC
The renewed interest also surfaced an earlier DNA submission from another family member that had not previously resulted in a confirmed identification.
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The North Dakota News Cooperative is a nonprofit news organization providing reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans. The organization increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state. For more information about NDNC or to make a charitable contribution, please visit newscoopnd.org. Send comments, suggestions or tips to michael@newscoopnd.org. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDNewsCoop.
