PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) — A local soldier who gave his life during World War II is finally coming home.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that U.S. Army Tech5 Edwin E. Ross, 24, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, has been officially accounted for as of July 18, 2025. Ross was captured and later died as a prisoner of war in 1942.
His family recently received a full briefing on his identification, allowing officials to release additional details about his story.
Ross served with the 17th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, during the early days of World War II in the Pacific. When Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941, American and Filipino troops fought for months under harsh conditions. However, the situation grew increasingly dire.
The surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, marked a turning point in the campaign. Less than a month later, Corregidor Island also fell to Japanese forces. As a result, thousands of service members were taken prisoner, including Ross.
He was held at the Cabanatuan prisoner-of-war camp, where conditions were brutal. More than 2,500 prisoners died there during the war. According to historical records, Ross died on July 27, 1942. He was buried in a common grave at the camp cemetery.
After the war, recovery teams worked to locate and identify those who had died in captivity. They exhumed remains from the Cabanatuan cemetery, including those from Ross’s burial site. While some were identified, many—including Ross—could not be confirmed at the time. As a result, his remains were buried as unknown at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Decades later, advances in science made new identification efforts possible. In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, remains from Ross’s burial site were disinterred and sent for analysis.
Scientists used a combination of anthropological analysis and DNA testing to confirm Ross’s identity. This included mitochondrial DNA analysis, genome sequencing, and other advanced methods conducted by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
Although Ross was listed as unknown for more than 70 years, his grave was carefully maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Now, a rosette will be placed next to his name at the cemetery to mark that he has been accounted for.
After more than eight decades, Ross will finally return home.
He is scheduled to be laid to rest on April 17, 2026, in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
Photo’s courtesy of The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)