Over 81,000 U.S. soldiers are missing from past wars. One may soon be identified

In June, the Department of Defense disinterred the remains of an unidentified WWII soldier who had been buried in Sitka, Alaska for decades. Now, they'll try to confirm who he is.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/3000x2000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F59%2F06%2F12950c0642ddaf91469d17393ea2%2Fimg-8289.jpg' alt='The headstone of an unidentified soldier known as "X-3" is marked as "Unknown" at the Sitka National Cemetery in Sitka, Alaska.'/><p>In June, the Department of Defense disinterred the remains of an unidentified WWII soldier who had been buried in Sitka, Alaska for decades. Now, they'll try to confirm who he is.</p><p>(Image credit: Hope McKenney)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5912226' />