Wiles, Vincent J.
Army Private 1st class

Vincent J. Wiles from Douglas County Superior, Wisconsin .

Parents: Delia Wiles

Service era: World War II
Military history: 128 Infantry 32 Division

Date of death: Saturday, November 21, 1942
Death details: In November 1942, the U.S. Army’s 32nd Infantry Division regained control of Buna, Papua New Guinea, with its goal of neutralizing an enemy threat to Port Moresby and, ultimately, to the Australian mainland itself. The rugged terrain that the soldiers faced was fiercely defended by Japanese troops and included tidal swamplands with a labyrinth of camouflaged trenches and bunkers. In December 1942, when the 32nd Infantry Division was reinforced with Australian soldiers, Buna finally fell to the Allies; however, malaria and other tropical diseases contributed to a high number of casualties and deaths for the 32nd Infantry Division. Private First Class Vincent J. Wiles entered the U.S. Army from Wisconsin and served in Company B of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On November 21, 1942, Company B launched an attack against enemy positions on the edge of a coconut grove at Cape Endiadere, Buna. Private First Class Wiles was last seen during this attack, and other members of his unit reported that PFC Wiles most likely died during the attack or after being taken prisoner. However, specific details regarding his loss could not be confirmed, and a finding of death was issued as of December 9. Attempts to recover his remains have been unsuccessful, and he was not identified among the remains disinterred from the area following the war. Today, Private First Class Wiles is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency