Michigan man killed in World War II identified

MrLiberty · #1 (**permalink**) 02-10-2011, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Washington— The Defense Department said today the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II — including a Michiganian — have been identified.

The military said the men — including 1st Lt. Richard T. Heuss, 23, of Berkley — are being returned for burial with full military honors almost 70 years after they died after their plane crashed in the Pacific Theater.

Advertisement

Heuss and nine of those will be buried in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on March 24.

Seven of the 11 are having individual burials as well, but there are only fragmented remains for four of the dead, including Heuss.

The cause of death was unknown, said Larry Greer, director of Public Affairs at the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office.

On Nov. 20, 1943, Heuss, along with 10 other B-24D Liberator crewmembers, took off from Jackson Airfield in New Guinea, on an overwater mission near the northern coast of the country.

During the mission, the only radio transmission from the crew indicated they were 20 miles northwest of Port Moresby, but they never returned to Jackson Airfield.

The men were killed in a crash but the cause was unknown. It could have been weather related, Greer said.

From The Detroit News: Michigan man killed in World War II identified | detnews.com | The Detroit News

I'm glad we are still looking for our hero's after all these years.

saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 02-11-2011, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. Charles A. Bode, 23, Baltimore, will be buried Friday in Arlington National Cemetery.

A group burial for Bode and his 10 comrades will be March 24 at Arlington National Cemetery. The other crew members whose remains have been recovered are those of: 1st Lt. Richard T. Heuss, 23, Berkley, Mich.; 2nd Lt. Robert A. Miller, 22, Memphis, Tenn.; 2nd Lt. Edward R. French, 23, Erie, Pa.; 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach Jr., 21, Green Bay, Wis.; Tech. Sgt. Lucian I. Oliver Jr., 23, Memphis, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Ivan O. Kirkpatrick, 36, Whittier, Calif.; Staff Sgt. William K. Musgrave, 24, Hutsonville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. James T. Moran, 21, Sloatsburg, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. James B. Moore, 21, Woburn, Mass.; and Staff Sgt. Roy Surabian, 24, Medford, Mass.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/...9851297394055/

Quote:

During the mission, their only radio transmission indicated they were 20 miles northwest of Port Moresby, but they did not make it back to their base. Subsequent searches failed to produce any evidence of the crew or their aircraft.

In 1984, the government of Papua New Guinea notified U.S. officials of a World War II crash site in a ravine in Morobe province. A subsequent search located B-24 aircraft wreckage and human remains but time constraints and the threat of landslides prevented their recovery.

During a site visit in 2004, local villagers turned over human remains they had previously removed from the areas. Those remains were used to identify Bode.

There are still more than 74,000 Americans listed as missing in action from the war.

Wow. I was totally unaware there were still that many.

AK Gandy · #3 (**permalink**) 02-11-2011, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Wow. I was totally unaware there were still that many.

That blows me away too.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to MrLiberty For This Useful Post:
AK Gandy, saltwn, Spencer Collins