See update to item 5, Identification has been made!

1. Maj O'Donovan served with the 31st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese after the fall of Bataan in April 1942 and died at the Cabanatuan POW camp in October 1942 from beriberi and other illnesses. He was buried individually at the camp cemetery. 

2. After the war, the Army removed his remains from the POW Camp cemetery and housed them in differing locations as they attempted to certify they belonged to Major O'Donovan. Confusion reigned and many other remains were mixed up. False positives were made creating embarrassment for the Army and heartache for families. Despite all efforts, the army closed the case, classifying the remains as "Unknown X-1350". His wife was notified that his remains were non-recoverable. 

3. In February 2018, the family of Major O'Donovan learned that the DPAA was using DNA to identify unknown remains, and that they held remains associated with Major O'Donovan. The family submitted DNA reference samples to aid in potentially identifying X-1350 as being Maj O'Donovan's remains.

4.  X-1350 was disinterred in late 2019 and brought to the DPAA laboratory in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to establish identification.

5.  On February 5, 2025, the Army notified the family that X-1350 are indeed the remains of Major O'Donovan!

6. On April 15, 2025 Major O'Donovan was buried with full military honors a Miramar National Cemetery, he is home at last. 

Updated 6/23/2025