A lost sailor's possible return to North Dakota

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert tells us how a long-lost World War II sailor from North Dakota may finally be identified and returned home more than 80 years after his death.

Michael’s reporting follows the work of retired Marine Ted Darcy, who has dedicated years to identifying unknown World War II service members. Darcy reached out to NDNC with information suggesting that the remains of Orlin Robert Kuhl may be buried in Long Island National Cemetery. Kuhl is a sailor from Newburgh who died when the USS Pollux sank off Newfoundland in a February 1942 winter storm.

Through outreach to local newspapers and collaboration with cemetery researcher Marie Sagsveen, Michael helped locate Kuhl’s gravesite in Newburgh and connect with his niece, Gail Peterson, who now lives in St. Paul.

“Someone at that meeting knew the niece of Orland Robert Kuhl … and she called me, and I put her in touch with Mr. Darcy, and they’ve kind of gone from there.” – Michael Standaert, NDNC

The renewed interest also surfaced an earlier DNA submission from another family member that had not previously resulted in a confirmed identification.

Cases like Kuhl’s are often difficult to advance outside of larger, group-based recovery efforts, but the new connections may help move the process forward as federal agencies review available evidence.

Read the full story.