WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — The remains of a 19-year-old who joined the Marines four months before Pearl Harbor were identified by Defense Department authorities this week, 74 years after the man died during the Battle of Tarawa.
Pfc. William F. Cavin of Ewing, Virginia, fought against the Japanese during the critical World War II battle, and was killed during the first day of fighting.
Fellow Marines buried Cavin on the islet of Betio, part of the secluded Tarawa atoll. But his body and gravesite were lost for two generations.
Navy construction battalions removed grave markers weeks after the November 1943 battle, in order to rebuild a decimated Japanese airbase.
The non-profit group History Flight discovered Cavin’s skeleton in 2013, turning over all remains to the U.S. government. History Flight continues to find remains on Tarawa to this day, with formal burials then held at Arlington National Cemetery or at the fallen service member’s hometown.
It is unclear if Cavin has any living relatives, with his next of kin listed on military records as Henry T. Cavin of Ewing. The small Virginia town is a seven-hour drive southwest of Washington, D.C.
Military records show William Cavin was born on Dec. 4, 1923 in Ewing. He enlisted with the Marines on Aug. 5, 1941 in Charleston, W.Va.
