This book is not about Lt. Bird's crash, but is about another crash that took place in New Guinea during WWII.
A fantastic story.
Posted on 09/28/2013 3:53:38 AM PDT by Doogle
SALT LAKE CITY – Only a sole surviving sibling has a distant memory of a World War II pilot whose recently identified remains will be buried Saturday with full military honors in Utah.
U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Vernal J. Bird had more than a dozen brothers and sisters when he crashed over a Pacific Ocean island nearly 70 years ago. He disappeared over Papua New Guinea on a 1944 bombing run of Japanese airfields there. He was 25.
The crash site was discovered 12 years ago, but it wasn't until this summer that the Air Force was able to identify partial remains found there as belonging to Bird.
This week, about 150 distant relatives showed up at the Salt Lake airport as those remains -- only a single leg bone was recovered -- arrived inside a flag-draped casket on an airliner.
None of them knew Bird personally. His younger sister, Elaine Bird Jack of Eugene, Ore., is his lone surviving sibling and the only one who has a memory of him, said Lorna Bird Snyder, the airman's 66-year-old niece.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Gone a long time but never forgotten. Thanks brother for your service .
U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Vernal J. Bird had more than a dozen brothers and sisters when he crashed over a Pacific Ocean island nearly 70 years ago. He disappeared over Papua New Guinea on a 1944 bombing run of Japanese airfields there. He was 25. The crash site was discovered 12 years ago, but it wasn't until this summer that the Air Force was able to identify partial remains found there as belonging to Bird.
for photo sideshow
Thanks Doogle.
There are many dozens of US aircraft that went down into the jungles and mountains in New Guinea with their crews not surviving. May they all be resting in peace.
/johnny
Rest in Peace, Hero.
Thanks for the ping. Yes, may they all be resting in peace.
RIP.
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