Delaware
Delaware soldier who saved fellow POWs before dying in World War II accounted for, military officials say
A soldier from Delaware who was killed during World War II has been accounted for, military officials announced this week.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Louis E. Roemer, 43, of Wilmington, Delaware, who died while he was being held by Japan as a prisoner of war, was officially accounted for in July 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said on Wednesday. The agency is sharing details publicly now that his family has received a full briefing, the announcement says.
Roemer was assigned to the Army’s Chemical Warfare Service in early 1942 and was stationed on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, according to the agency’s news release. He was captured and held as a prisoner of Japan in the Philippines until 1945, when the Japanese military moved POWs to Manila for transport to Japan aboard a ship called the Oryoku Maru. Unaware that Allied POWs were on board, a U.S. carrier attacked the ship, which then sank in Subic Bay. Roemer was then put on a different ship, the Enoura Maru. The Taiwan-bound ship was also attacked by the U.S. on Jan. 9, 1945 and eventually sank. Roemer was then placed aboard a ship called the Brazil Maru bound for Japan but reportedly died during the journey of acute colitis.
Japanese records from this time contain errors, so Roemer may have died sooner in the transport process or even in the second ship attack, military officials said.
After the war ended, the American Graves Registration Command was responsible for investigating and recovering missing U.S. personnel.
A search and recovery team recovered 311 bodies from a mass grave in Takao, Formosa, in 1946 but was unable to identify them. The remains were then buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, officials said in the announcement.
In 2022 and 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred unidentified bodies tied to the Enoura Maru from the Punchbowl. Scientists used dental records and other evidence to identify Roemer’s remains.
A newspaper clipping shared by officials about Roemer’s death says his wife, Mary D. Roemer, found out he died the day before Japan surrendered. According to another article, a soldier said Roemer slipped away from the camp during the Bataan Death March to get wood to make medicine for soldiers suffering from dysentery. He saved hundreds of lives, it says.
Roemer’s widow accepted two military awards on behalf of her husband, one newspaper article says. He left behind a son, also named Louis.
Roemer’s name is on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be added next to his name to show he has been accounted for, officials said. His remains will be buried again on a date to be determined.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 10:19PM
ASTON, Pa. (WPVI) — Summer camps are in full swing, and on Wednesday the Action Cam was in Aston, where kids are getting some hands-on learning at Delaware County Technical School.
Middle school students are exploring career pathways as they build, cook, design and create in state-of-the-art classrooms.
They are doing everything from carpentry to cosmetology.
By the end of camp, the kids will create STEAM-based projects that they can take home.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Across the State Trained AmeriCorps VISTA members will be on-site at 21 Delaware Libraries providing walk-in assistance for digital literacy
DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Libraries today announced the launch of a 10-week summer program aiming to support Delawareans on digital literacy.
The AmeriCorps Digital Literacy Specialists assist the public with computer and technology questions, including completing online applications, navigating websites, and building basic digital skills. As patrons become more comfortable, specialists can introduce them to the many free computer training programs and learning resources available through Delaware Libraries including in-person classes. This project is an initiative of the Division’s Social Innovation Team.
“Libraries are proud to expand their digital literacy specialist supports this summer with a presence in 21 Delaware Libraries,” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian of Delaware. “The digital landscape is ever evolving, and the Delaware Libraries stands at the ready to help Delawareans navigate AI, software skills, social media concepts, and more.”
There is no appointment needed for a meeting or to ask a question to a Specialist.
The Specialists are trained to support many concepts, including:
- Essential Software Skills
- Personalized Assistance
- Workplace Technology
- AI – Understanding & Help
- Basic Computer Skills & Classes
- Social Media Help
- Navigate Internet, Avoid Scams
- Using Tech in Daily Life, Device Help
- Learning Express, Northstar Certification
- And Much More!
Visit DelawareLibraries.org/Digital to view a full schedule of Specialists. For more services visit DelawareLibraries.org/GetConnected!
Delaware Libraries offer specialty library cards for every age group, including a My First Delaware Library Card for birth to age 5, a Super Library Card for children ages 6–12; a Teen Delaware Library Card for ages 13-17 and Delaware Library cards for everyone.
Sign up for a Delaware Library Card today! It’s Easy! It’s Free! It’s Online!
Instructions in Spanish are also available. (En el sitio web de las bibliotecas de Delaware se pueden encontrar instrucciones en español para obtener una tarjeta de biblioteca gratuita de Delaware)
Programming celebrating the Delaware Libraries’ 125th anniversary will continue throughout the year.
Delaware
Talk & Film Bring Delaware’s Revolutionary Story to Life at Archives’ First Saturday Program – State of Delaware News
On Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., the Delaware Public Archives will host a special First Saturday Program featuring a presentation and a screening of a new documentary exploring Delaware’s pivotal role in America’s founding.
The event will begin with a shortened presentation of Independence or the Bayonet, examining the critical days leading up to July 1776 through the perspectives of Caesar Rodney, George Read, and Thomas McKean.
Following the presentation, attendees will watch Caesar Rodney’s Ride: The Story of Delawareans and the Declaration of Independence, a new one-hour documentary presented by the Delaware Heritage Commission. The film explores Caesar Rodney’s legendary overnight ride to Philadelphia and the important role Delawareans played in the fight for American independence.
This special program is part of the Delaware Public Archives’ ongoing Delaware 250 educational programming commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and highlighting Delaware’s unique contributions to the nation’s founding.
The program is free and open to the public.
For more information about the Delaware Public Archives or to learn more about upcoming events and programs, visit archives.delaware.gov.
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