International partners joined U.S. Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock and LtCol Jeremy Smith, the Indo-Pacific Deputy Director for the Defense P.O.W./M.I.A. Accounting Agency (DPAA), at a repatriation ceremony for servicemembers who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Guadalcanal Campaign, at the Guadalcanal American Memorial in Honiara on September 8, 2025.
Solomon Islands National Museum Senior Field Officer Stephen Manebosa represented the Solomon Islands Government. After the ceremony, a DPAA team honorably brought the fallen on their final journey home to the United States.
Ambassador Yastishock explained that following a firefight with Japanese troops near Mount Austen, U.S. Marines buried 10 of their comrades-at-arms who fought heroically, noting “the United States’ commitment to them remains unchanged: they may have lost their lives and been quickly buried, but they were never forgotten, and we will not rest until every effort has been made to bring them home.”
The Ambassador also recognized Solomon Islands National Museum, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, and the people of Gilbert Camp as partners in that “sacred promise” and thanked the government and people of Solomon Islands for this shared effort, noting that “Over the past ten weeks, American and Solomon Islander colleagues have labored side by side under the sun and through the soil, driven by a common duty: to recover what may be the remains of the fallen.”
“The people of Solomon Islands have been our stalwart partners in every aspect of the mission to bring our grandfathers home” said LtCol Smith in drawing attention to the valuable collaboration between Solomon Islanders and Americans, which also resulted in forging long lasting relationships created by “working alongside each other, eating together, and celebrating success together.”
LtCol Smith highlighted the leadership of Solomon Islands National Museum Deputy Director Lawrence Kiko and Steven Manobosa, instrumental to the team’s accomplishing the goals of their mission. He also recognized the contributions of Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, who provided security and assisted in working with the local community for the safe conduct of DPAA operations.
LtCol Smith added that “The grief of a missing warrior from battle is hard to understand for those of us that have not experienced it” and explained why 83 years on that the mission of bringing remains of fallen servicemembers remains important to the American people because, as some family members have shared with him, grieving without a body is difficult. The repatriation of these remains is often the last step for families who wish to remember their family members with the honor that they deserve – unforgotten after so many years.
The enduring relationship between Solomon Islands and the United States is grounded in shared history, which paves the way for a future of continued cooperation and reinforces the deep bond of friendship and commitment between the two nations.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) provides the fullest possible accounting for missing U.S. personnel to their families and the United States of America.
DPAA strives to give U.S. POW/MIA families solace and answers by providing information about their loved ones’ service and ultimately their sacrifice. DPAA is determined to do all that is possible to bring these unaccounted-for Americans home.
For more information about DPAA, please see https://www.dpaa.mil
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