World War II Remains Arrive at Air Base in Hawaii

AP ^ | Mar. 25, 2004

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World War II Remains Arrive at Air Base in Hawaii

Mar 26, 2004

The Associated Press

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AP) - The remains of what are believed to be seven World War II servicemen arrived on American soil Friday, 60 years after their transport plane crashed in Southeast Asia. The remains now go to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Central Identification Laboratory, where scientists will attempt to identify them.

The remains are believed to be those of a crew whose C-47 transport plane crashed in 1944 during an air supply flight between India and Burma, now called Myanmar. They were brought home in an American flag-draped coffin by a team of investigators who made the discovery at a Burmese crash site last fall.

The location of such crash sites and the subsequent excavation of remains can involve years of work, but some said the most difficult part was yet to come.

"The hardest part is finding the families," said Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, the command's public affairs chief. "In World War II cases and some in Korea, it's a big hurdle."

The remains arrived at the Hickam Air Force Base along with a second set of U.S. World War II remains that was turned over by the Burmese government. Unlike the first set, there was no identifying information about the dead.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command lab identifies about two men each week, more than 100 a year in all. About 78,000 Americans from World War II are unaccounted for.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My dad flew the Hump in the China-Burma-India Campaign. I think this was the most distant part of the war in Asia but kept over 1 million Japanese troops pinned down in China and greatly contributed to the war effort.

[blam]

"My dad flew the Hump in the China-Burma-India Campaign. I think this was the most distant part of the war in Asia but kept over 1 million Japanese troops pinned down in China and greatly contributed to the war effort."

My hat is off to your dad. Most people have never heard about this part of the war.

The Chindits that your father supplied were some tough ole boys

[Skywarner]

As the son of a now passed WWII Pacific theatre veteran to another, let me say kudos to your dad. His was no easy mission.

[azcap]

My grandfather's C-47 crashed in Burma in May of 1945. His cargo was gasoline for forward airfields. Upon impact he and all 6 crewmembers were killed. He left three sons, 5, 3, and unborn who have only vague memories of a man they saw only a few days at time at the 5 airfields they lived at in the states. Comparing that generation of men to my own is somehwat dubious. Sacrifice, duty, and service are by no means lost in my generation but what today is noted was then the norm.

[blam]

Chinthe Statue

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

My dad flew the Hump, too, but in P-40s and P-38s. He passed in 1990, but until the end, when he would have a bad night, he would dream of being back flying his P-40 over the mountains. But I think the C-47 guys carrying gasoline had it even worse. We have some great heroes putting it on the line today, but thankfully none of them seem to be forced to try to do it with as little as the scraped together resources of the CBI in '43, '44.

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pong

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the pig nuconvert.

Welcome home, warriors.

[Wilhelm Tell]

My father flew with what I believe was called the Air Transport Command during the war. He had various routes, one of which covered north Africa, to Tehran, to Karachi India (now Pakistan) using mostly DC-4's. Fortunately, he was not part of the group that flew the Hump from India to Burma to China. The Hump was the most dangerous route. I recently spoke with a veteran who flew that route and he said it was littered with werckage of downed planes. He said the wreckage almost made a path one could follow. Even without the war it would have been a dangerous route because of the mountains and weather and because only very basic navigation equipment was available at the time.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think ATC began as the Ferry Command or FC was merged into ATC. Dad flew a C-46 with Nationalist Chinese stars on the wings, then the plane was re-painted with US Army stars and a big "Chung" Chinese character on the fuselage. He liked the C-47 better than the C-46 but was in a 46 when he crash-landed on his 25th mission.
Dad was a little too old to step forward in WW II. He was born in 1906 and was working as a pilot for China National Airline Company (owned by American Airlines at that time). He was a civilian pilot for the AAF--he wore an officer's uniform with the CBI patch but without rank insignia. There were many civilians in the CBI (a tradition that lasted thru the SE Asia conflict). He was treated for burns at a Veteran's burn center but never got Vet's benefits or a Purple Heart.
btw, ATC was the basis for the Berlin Airlift

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[Burma]

To Eric in the Ozarks and others who wish to know more of the MIA US aircraft recovery project in Burma, please let me know. I am a Burmese and currently I am helping the friend who actually discovered the crash site to locate the other 2 crash sites in Northern Burma.
My father was from the Burmese Air Force.

I can be reached at ktun@juno.com and my name is Khine.

[Burma]

Dear Azcap,
I just posted a general comment in regards to WWII remains in Burma. I am a Burmese and if you wish to know more of Burma, please let me know.
My name is Khine and I can be reached at ktun@juno.com

[csvset]

Interesting link re the Chindits.

[blam]

The Chindits