News-Info-Alerts

Re: CILHI News Release

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: July 15, 2002

"July 15, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release #02-011

INVESTIGATIVE TEAM HEADS TO CHINA

HICKAM AFB, Hawaii – An investigative team is going into Jilin, China to locate the crash site of a C-47 aircraft and the remains of 2 pilots.

The investigative team will be made up of eight CILHI members. They departed Hawaii on July 15 and are expected to spend approximately three weeks getting to the crash site then investigating the area for possible remains. The team will survey the site and speak with witnesses in an attempt to locate the remains of the pilots. The CILHI team will consist of members who possess highly specialized skills in forensic anthropology, logistics, photography, medicine, and mortuary affairs.

The CILHI team will attempt to locate the crash site of a C-47 that was shot down in November 1952 (Cold War loss) while flying a night mission for the CIA to extract an anti-Communist Chinese agent from Antu, also known as Songchiang, in the northern foothills of the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China. While attempting the mission the aircraft was met by heavy enemy fire from Chinese forces on the ground. The aircraft subsequently crashed and two crewmen were captured while the two pilots died in the crash. The two individuals that were captured were imprisoned until 1971 and 1973. The mission of CILHI is to search for, recover and identify remains of American military and civilian personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and the Vietnam War. CILHI also performs other humanitarian missions as directed. The Central Identification Laboratory maintains 18 search and recovery teams and has the largest staff of forensic anthropologists in the world.

There are more than 78,000 service members still unaccounted for from World War II, over 8,000 service members missing as a result of the Korean War, 1,908 service members unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, and approximately 120 service members missing as a result of the Cold War. While the recovery and identification process may take years, the CILHI is committed to the fullest possible accounting of all service members killed in defense of their country

For more information please contact the CILHI Public Affairs Officer Ginger Couden at (808) 448-8903 ext. 109 or Staff Sergeant Sebastian Harris at (808) 448-0583.

U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii
310 Worchester Ave, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 96853"