Channing R. Whitaker was born Aug. 17, 1925 to Luther and Retta Whitaker. He died Nov. 22, 1943 and is memorialized at the Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii and has a cenotaph in Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, IA.
Pvt. Whitaker served in World War II with the U.S. Marine Corps 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division and was KIA in combat operations on Tarawa. His remains have not been recovered and identified.
Source: ancestry.com
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Pvt. Whitaker’s remains were accounted for on May 29, 2019. A burial site was discovered on Betio Island and the remains were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory. Whitaker’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl (Honolulu, Hawaii). A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Pvt. Whitaker will receive full military burial honors in Des Moines, IA.
Sources: ancestry.com (photo included)
