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SAILOR MISSING FROM WWII IS IDENTIFIED
Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office ^ | Dec. 1, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 12/01/2008 11:49:49 AM PST by Stonewall Jackson

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Ensign Robert G. Tills, U.S. Navy, of Manitowoc, Wis. He will be buried on March 23, 2009 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Navy’s Mortuary Office met with Tills’ next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy.

On Dec. 8, 1941, two PBY-4 Catalina Flying Boats moored in Malalag Bay, in eastern Mindanao, Philippine Commonwealth, were strafed and sunk by Japanese aircraft. All of the crew on board the PBYs escaped the aircraft with the exception of Tills, who was seen by another crewman to have been hit and killed by machine gun bullets. Tills was the first Navy officer to be lost in defense of the Philippine Islands. His body was not recovered.

In October 2007, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) was notified by U.S. authorities in the Philippines that aircraft wreckage had been discovered in Malalag Bay. A fragment of the wreckage bore the markings “PBY-4.”

In November 2007, a JPAC team, along with the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group-Philippines and the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG), surveyed the site and recovered human remains and non-biological evidence. Later that month, the PCG recovered additional remains from the site.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Tills’ remains.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; jpac; mia; miapow; navair; welcomehome; ww2
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Welcome home, Ensign Tills, you have been gone far too long.
1 posted on 12/01/2008 11:49:49 AM PST by Stonewall Jackson
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To: Stonewall Jackson

God Bless you and your family, Ensign Tills.


2 posted on 12/01/2008 11:51:37 AM PST by SueRae
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To: Travis T. OJustice; E.G.C.; Aquakat; oh8eleven; beachn4fun; lakey; Kathy in Alaska; bmwcyle; ...

If you want on or off my POW/MIA ping list, please ping or FReep Mail me.

3 posted on 12/01/2008 11:51:52 AM PST by Stonewall Jackson (We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.-Robert E.Lee)
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To: Stonewall Jackson; tubebender; glock rocks; NormsRevenge; NYTexan

Welcome home.

Prayers for the family.


4 posted on 12/01/2008 11:56:24 AM PST by SouthTexas (Remember, it took a Jimmy Carter to bring us a Ronald Reagan!)
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Welcome home, sailor.


5 posted on 12/01/2008 11:57:01 AM PST by NonValueAdded (once you get to really know people, there are always better reasons than [race] for despising them.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson
Soldier rest, Gently pressed,
To the calm, Mother Earth's
Waiting breast;
Duty done, Like the sun:
Going West.

Photobucket
GOD BLESS YOU

6 posted on 12/01/2008 12:01:11 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Welcome Home, Ensign Tills.
R I P


7 posted on 12/01/2008 12:01:48 PM PST by beachn4fun ("Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.")
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To: Stonewall Jackson
Welcome home, Shipmate.


8 posted on 12/01/2008 12:04:05 PM PST by pabianice
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Welcome home and rest well, Brother!


9 posted on 12/01/2008 12:04:31 PM PST by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines, RVN 1969. St. Peregrine, patron saint of cancer patients, pray for us.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Thanks so much for the add.


10 posted on 12/01/2008 12:07:40 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

God bless him and his family. They are in my prayers.


11 posted on 12/01/2008 12:08:42 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: Stonewall Jackson

BTTT


12 posted on 12/01/2008 12:12:21 PM PST by E.G.C. (Click on a freeper's screename and then "In Forum" to read his/her posts)
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To: Stonewall Jackson; SouthTexas

Welcome Home Sailor and God Bless You for giving the ultimate sacrifice for your country...


13 posted on 12/01/2008 12:25:28 PM PST by tubebender (Retirement...The art and science of Killing time before it Kills you...)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

One of the primary purposes of the PBY was search and rescue of downed pilots and crew. Their crews were noted for risking all to make those recoveries. It seems appropriate that he has been found and returned at last. I’m sure he wouldn’t have given up.


14 posted on 12/01/2008 12:27:24 PM PST by CrazyIvan (If you read only one book this year, read "Stolen Valor".)
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To: Stonewall Jackson
Welcome home,Shipmate,you can rest easier now.

May God bless you and your family.

15 posted on 12/01/2008 12:33:16 PM PST by oldsalt (There's no such thing as a free lunch.)
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Welcome home, Ensign

Your country has missed you. Rest in peace.

16 posted on 12/01/2008 12:35:09 PM PST by llevrok (Feral Conservative)
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Gods
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Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
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17 posted on 12/01/2008 12:35:52 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______Profile finally updated Saturday, October 11, 2008 !!!)
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To: Dubya

Thank you Dubya.


18 posted on 12/01/2008 12:55:58 PM PST by unkus
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Thank you Stonewall Jackson.


19 posted on 12/01/2008 12:57:23 PM PST by unkus
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Thanks,

PGR is on it, however not mission yet.

Welcome Home you are not forgotten


20 posted on 12/01/2008 1:06:51 PM PST by Aquakat (The Media is the enemy of America; ACT ACCORDINGLY.)
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