Exactly. There was one specific case I recall where a duffle was found in the corner of an attic, unopened, and contained a soldier's belongins and a number of film rolls. I could only imagine the emotions that had driven the person who tossed the bag, unexamined, up into an attic and left it there for decades.
If he was killed or seriously injured in action, then any possessions he had with him would have been returned to his family in the U.S.