The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Morton Sher, 22, of Greenville, South Carolina, killed during World War II, was accounted for on June 11, 2025.
Sher's family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In the summer of 1943, Sher was a fighter pilot assigned to 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, 14th Air Force. On Aug. 20, while intercepting an Imperial Japanese aircraft enroute to attack Hengyang, where the 76th was stationed, Sher’s aircraft reportedly crashed in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. Although the crash site was located by U.S. forces, Sher’s remains were not recovered or identified after the war.
In 2012, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, DPAA’s predecessor, was contacted by a private citizen who provided a photograph of a memorial dedicated to Sher in Xin Bai Village, Hengdong County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province, which initiated over a decade’s worth of research into the crash.
From Aug. 7 to Sept. 11, 2024, a DPAA recovery team excavated an aircraft crash site believed to be associated with a World War II loss in Bai Vi village, Hengdong County, Hunan Province. The team excavated approximately 96 square meters of the area and discovered possible remains as well as possible life-support equipment. Additional excavation of the site was recommended.
In April 2025, DPAA staff accessioned the discovered remains into the DPAA Laboratory for scientific analysis.
To identify Sher’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism analysis.
Sher will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
**Information credit: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency news release**