News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: China Returns US Airmen Remains

Date: September 21, 1999

The excavation was a secret one, and the ravine held a secret... American MIAs lay quietly there for 55 years. And now the government of China has turned over what is believed to be 2 sets of remains of the 10 missing men. The B-24 crashed while returning from a bomb run on Japanese war ships, and all 10 men aboard were presumed killed.

According to DoD spokemen, with this turnover, the US believes it now has all 10 sets of remsin and is 'very close' to identificatiosn of most of the men. The 2 new sets were turned over in a repatriation ceremony and sent on to CIL-HI, and were recovered during one of the 'many' recovery efforts since fragments were originally found in 1996. AS we reported some years ago, photographs of five dog tags as well as video of the crash site were turned over to the US shortly after discovery.

DoD lists the crewmembers as -

Pilot 2nd Lt. George H. Pierpont;
Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Franklin A. Tomenendale;
Navigator 2nd Lt. Robert L. Deming;
Bombardier 2nd Lt. George A. Ward;
Engineer Staff Sgt. Anthony W. DeLucia;
Radio operator Sgt. Ellsworth V. Kelley;
radar observer Pfc. Fred P. Buckley;
Gunner Staff Sgt. William A. Drager;
Gunner Sgt. Robert L. Kearsey;
Gunner Pvt. Vincent J. Netherwood.