WW2 soldier from SC identified more than 80 years after capture

Washington, D.C. (WOLO)– Officials with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency say U.S. Army Private Cecil Hinson, 20, of Rock Hill, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II was accounted for on Nov. 15, 2023.

According to the group, in 1942 Hinson was captured during the Japanese invasion of the Philippine Islands.

Prison camp and other records show Hinson died on July 28, 1942 and was buried in a mass grave.

Officials say Hinson’s remains were ultimately identified through dental records, anthropological analysis, and circumstantial evidence.

Hinson will be buried in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on a date to be determined.

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