Posted on 03/19/2008 7:44:58 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The United States will search for remains of several World War Two aircraft and airmen lost over the forested mountains of India's northeast, a U.S. commander said on Wednesday.
The U.S. military says it lost some 430 Americans in 90 planes in India while they were on missions to resupply China's besieged army in the city of Kunming, desperately trying to hold out against the invading Japanese during World War Two.
The wreckage of six U.S. planes have been found in the jungles of India's Arunachal Pradesh state, giving the U.S. Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Accounting Command (JPAC) a starting point for its first recovery mission in India.
JPAC's commander, Rear Admiral Donna L. Crisp, met Indian defense officials on Wednesday, and said she was hopeful of mounting the expedition before the snows set in this year.
"We go as a team into the areas to find the remains," said Crisp, adding the Indian military would also help with the search.
She also appealed to Indians in areas where the planes are believed to have crashed to report sightings of any wreckage.
If remains are recovered, the JPAC will conduct DNA tests on the bones to match them with records of the crewmen's relatives. All will be entitled to a burial with military honors at a National Cemetery if relatives wish.
The JPAC has run similar recovery operations in Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, China and several countries in Europe.
(Reporting by Krittivas Mukherjea; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Warbird recovery and restoration projects should get a goldmine out of this. I’d love to have the money for an old B-24 restored to flight ready status. Takes millions though.
These aren’t likely to be restorable since they crashed into the Himalayas.
The project will bring closure to families who never really knew what happened to their loved ones.
The Hump.....
I'm sure that in China this is forbidden knowledge.
Otherwise known as “The Aluminum Trail”.
Make that *many* millions... and one heck of an insurance policy.
The Kee Bird recovery attempt in Greenland was a real heartbreaker.
JPAC is only going because of the findings of a private citizen, Clayton Kuhles,who has located nine airplane wrecks in the area and has brought back proof of the plane’s ID and photos of crew remains. He has brought information to surviving family members and their letters to him are very touching.
See miarecoveries.org for the stories and photos.
They are fascinating. It is a shame this person was not given credit in the article.
Not necessarily, there are companies out there that take a crash that looks like maybe 1/4 of the plane is there and fabricate the parts necessary. Lots of planes from Siberia they’ve recovered and restored.
ping
My father-in-law was a B-24 pilot flying the hump for almost three years. His was the first group in India and he was only one out of thirty pilots to survive in that first group. Ended up a capt. because it was not considered the “real” war. If he had been in Europe or the Pacific he would have come out of the service as a higher rank. He did receive many flying awards, some after the war because India was not where America was fighting the war. He still has his “Flying Tiger” bomber jacket and all the priceless antiques given to him by delegates of both India and China.
I am very proud of him and the sacrifices of his generation.
No2
Bring our boys who gave their lives there home... it’s the least they deserve.
Wow, amazing!
Thanks for the input!
China thanked us for our help in WW2 by entering the Korean War to help out, remember???
Oh...Wait...They were helping the ENEMY in that war...no...wait...they WERE the enemy in that war!
That’s about right...But hey, they’re our buddies now, remember??? “Most Favored Nation” status???
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