Proposed changes in DNA collection could help the Pentagon identify the remains of thousands of ‘unknown soldiers’

There are some 6,000 American soldiers who died in World War II but are still unaccounted for. Fifty-two of them are soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division who fought and died in Italy in 1944 and 1945. The 92nd was the only African American infantry division to see combat in Europe during World War II. Current rules require a DNA sample from a blood relative before remains are to be tested. Now, the Pentagon is considering changing that, essentially modernizing the process. It’s looking to Ancestry.com and 23andMe as a model. The World’s host Marco Werman speaks with Timothy McMahon, the director of the Defense Department’s DNA Operations, which is part of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.