POW/MIA update

[jerry]

MIA Recoveries: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of U.S. Army Air Corps 2nd Lt. Augustus J. Allen of Myrtle Springs, TX, Staff Sgt. James D. Cartwright of Los Angeles, CA, and Cpl. Paul R. Stubbs of Haverhill, MA, missing in action since 1941, were identified and returned to their families for burial.

[Dale]

I heard that at the District VFW meeting on Sunday.

Great news.

Although it might bring some closure for some members of their families it probably is too late for some others.

I'd be interested in reading about the process used to identify the remains, Jerry, if you have a link.

[jerry]

Sorry Dale, No link on the details.
I can share a personal experience. When I was stationed in Okinawa in '85 they used to have a search in the jungles every year. As many know, we would normally take our dead from the battlefield. The Japanese typically did not in most cases. We would dig around in the jungles, looking in old caves, some with the char marks of the flame throwers still on the entrance holes. We would uncover mostly Japanese war dead remains or equipment. Once found, we would call over the ID experts. They would look for ways to ID the remains, dog tags, a payroll stamp, anything usefull. As mentioned, American servicemen were rarely found. There was an old lady, in '85 she must have been 75 years old. She seen an airman parachute from a US plane on Okinawa. She watched the Japanese soldiers kill the airman. She lived with the knowledge of this all of her life. I guess she thought she was getting up there in years enough that she needed to get it off her chest. She informed the search party leaders where to look. The remains of our US serviceman were recovered that day on Okinawa.

[Outriderdark]

Amazing....I'm always humbled by things such as this.