Question About Removal and ID of Casualties

I looked through the General Information and have researched it on the web, but I still cannot find a good answer to the following question.

Non referenced information tells me that my Uncle Sylvester (Able Company, 141st, 36 ID) Died on Feb 21, 1944 at the Rapido River crossing. However, when looking at the dates for the Rapido Crossing (Jan 21/22). There is a month missing. The only explanation I can come up with is that either it took a while to identify and remove the bodies from the site, or that he made it through and was killed on Mt Cassinno, where the 141st ended up next. I am impatiently awaiting his IDPF, and records from St. Louis, but this is nagging me. One note of reference, a search of the NARA, showing a listing of soldiers who died by state (Kentucky) identifies him as FOD, not KIA. Other documents show KIA. I now understand the acronym FOD means Found out Dead. This may mean that he last known whereabouts was the river, and that his body was not located until much later. Can someone elaborate, as I realize the Rapido had a very high casualty rate....

Would it have been a normal routine to set the date of death as the date the body was located?

 

Actually, Findings of Death were often issued a year and a day from the date
the person was MIA.

I understand your impatience, but the IDPF should satisifactorily explain
the circumstances - and date - of his death.

Background info:

Final Disposition of World War II Dead 1945-51

The Graves Registration Service in World War II

http://www.bentprop.org/grs/


Dave

 

Thank you.

I am not frustrated, only impatient! I am trying to learn all that I can while waiting for the records. At this point I am stuck between which battle to focus, i.e. was he killed at Rapido, as my dad says, or was it Cassinno, as the date of death indicates. I appreciate your response, because it allows me to know what policies were in place.