US War Department Completes WWII Remembrance Mission in Biak

Jakarta (ANTARA) — A team from the United States Department of War has completed a retrace mission to search for historical artefacts and the remains of US military personnel who died during the Second World War on the island of Biak, Papua.

The US Department of War, specifically the Defence Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA), regarded the mission, which took place from 20 to 23 July 2026, as a step towards enhancing personnel capability and strengthening its partnership with Indonesia.

According to a written statement from the US Embassy in Jakarta on Monday, the DPAA team, accompanied by the Embassy’s Defence Attaché Office (DAO), carried out investigations and field surveys, area traverses, and gathered oral histories relating to the 1944 Battle of Biak during the mission.

The mission held personal significance for the DPAA Deputy Director for the Indo-Pacific region, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Smith, whose great-grandfather died in a C-47 transport aircraft crash in Biak on 27 September 1944.

“Standing where my great-great-uncle fell 82 years ago, not only as a Marine on an official mission but also as a family member paying tribute to him, is the honour of a lifetime,” he said.

In addition to the field mission, the DPAA team visited the Second World War memorial in Biak and delivered interactive presentations on the history of the 1944 Battle of Biak and the DPAA’s mission to schoolchildren in Parai Village.

The tracing effort on Biak Island was supported by DPAA historians Dr Kyle Bracken and Dr Alex Peterson.

On that occasion, they presented a certificate of appreciation and a command plaque in recognition of support for the recent handover of artefacts and the remains of US citizens to the DPAA.

“Our partnership with the Government of Indonesia, particularly the extraordinary support from leaders such as Air Marshal TNI Azhar Aditama, is the foundation of our success in this region,” said Lieutenant Colonel Smith.

According to the US Embassy in Jakarta, the mission was a follow-up to the relevant memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Indonesia on 13 April 2026.

The carrying out of the mission in Biak also reflects the commitment of the United States to work with Indonesia and to lay a strong foundation for humanitarian and historical cooperation in the future, according to the US Embassy in Jakarta.