WWII US airmen's remains found in PNG

news.com.au ^ | 5th March 2007

[naturalman1975]

A US military recovery team has found the remains of American servicemen who died in plane crashes in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

The bones and personal effects of aircrew were found in recent weeks during excavations of crash sites in the mountains of Morobe Province.

Three recovery teams from the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC) based in Hawaii have been in PNG since January 18 employing local labour and PNG police as security as they excavated the sites.

The recovery teams' chief, Major Albert Tabarez, said they were looking for the remains of 14 US servicemen at the three aircraft crash sites.

So far, two teams had found remains and personal effects, he said.

Forensic scientists in Hawaii would examine the teeth and bones they had found to determine the identities of the servicemen.

"We are here to find every bone, every tooth and personal effect and bring them back to their families," Maj Tabarez said.

[endthematrix]

God rest their souls.

[JerseyJohn61]

My father will find this information interesting as he
had about 4 combat landings on the shores of New Guinea.
He also flew through those mountains when on leave. He
just turmed 89 on January 18th, the date that these new
excavations began.

I hope that these good, lost men may have some family
who can take some comfort in this news. God rest these
good soldiers....JJ61

[highlander_UW]

Must have been a pretty remote spot to have taken this long to stumble across.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

This is a never ending task and will go on past our lifetime.A very honorable task by the way. God rest their souls.

[JerseyJohn61]

Yes there are many remote areas in New Guinea.
Mosquito infested jungles and soaring mountains.
Until recent years, there were still headhunters
in those jungles. Lots of shrunken heads....JJ61

[smoketree]

Go to pacificwrecks.com. They are salvaging a nearly intact B-17 from a swamp in PNG.

[rabscuttle385]

To those whose remains are being found: may God bless your souls, and...thank you.

[JerseyJohn61]

Thanks for the link.

[Lorianne]

I have a great uncle who was lost somewhere in the Pacific theater. Never found.

[Eclectica]

This story isn't in any American newspaper?

Here's the only link Google has at 7AM EST: http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter26/in210706lost.html

[JerseyJohn61]

Do you know what service branch your great uncle was in?

Or if he was at sea, land or air when lost?....JJ61

[Lorianne]

My mother knows that stuff. He was in a plane in that area. They never had a trace of them and no sighting of the plane going down, no radio message, nothing. I think there were 6 on the plane.

I've forwarded this article to her. There are practically no relatives left who know of him. His parents died in the 70's I think. Each was buried with a picture of him.

[JerseyJohn61]

Okay. I asked because I think it's great when some of those
folks, lost so long ago, are remembered. Most were so young
when they died and are little remembered by today's
selfish generation. God hold your Great Uncle....JJ61