Current News

Marines come home.

Remains of Missing WWII Veterans Return

Story courtesy of KHON.com & info from “Goodbye Darkness” by William Manchester

PEARL HARBOR (KHON2) — 39 U.S. marines who were missing in action during World War II were honored in a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam on July 26th.

These veterans were reunited with their families after 72 years as unidentified remains. After the Battle of Tarawa during World War II the marines were considered to be missing in action.

Crews of scientists, historians, and surveyors from the non-profit History Flight have combed through Tarawa for the past decade. This is considered to be the largest recovery of missing in action veterans ever recorded.

Four of the veterans received the Medal of Honor; including 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr.  Bonnyman, an engineer officer, along with 5 of his men, were responsible for approximately 200 enemy KIA, including the commanding Japanese admiral.  A link explaining the actions of Medal of Honor winner Bonnyman.

“We stand here humbled before you today to receive, honor and commemorate our fallen courageous Marine Corps warriors who on the field of battle fought and died to preserve our freedom,” Capt. Mark Hendricks, U.S. Marine Corps Pacific Chaplain, told KHON.

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Pearl Harbor

USS Oklahoma – Pearl Harbor

HONOLULU (AP) — The military on Monday exhumed more caskets containing the unidentified remains of USS Oklahoma crew members killed in the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred five coffins from four grave sites at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, where they have rested for decades. The work is part of an effort announced in April to account for up to 388 Oklahoma sailors and Marines still classified as missing.

The cemetery and the military allowed media to observe a ceremony afterward during which flags were draped over the coffins. An honor guard and cemetery staff transported the coffins to trucks that carried the remains to a laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Michael Linnington, a retired Army lieutenant general who currently leads the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, told reporters the lab in Hawaii will identify some remains using dental records. The remains will then be sent to another lab in Omaha for DNA analysis.

He said family members of those missing are eager to have their fathers, grandfathers and uncles identified.  “They want their loved ones home, and we’re happy to help them in that process,” Linnington said.

The Oklahoma identification project involves disinterring 61 caskets at 45 grave sites at the Honolulu cemetery commonly known as Punchbowl. About 15 caskets have been exhumed.

The Oklahoma capsized after being hit by torpedoes during the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack. Altogether, 429 sailors and Marines on board were killed. Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after.

Hundreds were buried as unknowns at cemeteries in Hawaii. In 1950, they were reburied as unknowns at Punchbowl.  The military is acting now, more than 70 years after the men died, because advances in forensic science and technology as well as genealogical help from family members have made it possible to identify more remains.

The agency expects to identify about 80 percent of Oklahoma crew members now considered missing. It expects the work will take about five years.

Some of analysis will conducted at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

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Christmas in July

Story condensed from the Palm Beach Post by Olivia Hitchcock

Last Saturday, over 30 volunteers from Florida Power & Light Co. packed 300 boxes filled with donated goods to send to US troops.  They gathered in the Forgotten Soldiers Outreach warehouse to stuff boxes with a bit of holiday cheer for a Christmas in July.

Each month, the nonprofit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach aims to send out care packages to the 1,000 or so soldiers registered with the program.  Most often it is the Chaplains officers and family who register the servicemen.  But soldiers do sign themselves up too, “which shows you that they’re looking for that little bit of home.”

The online registration asks for deployment dates, an address and any specific requests.  The organization is asked for anything from Kleenex to socks to beef jerky.  The org. works with companies, schools and families to get these boxes filled and shipped out.

Christmas in July aims to let the soldiers know they haven’t been forgotten – Merry Christmas to ALL our servicemen – from Pacific Paratrooper!!

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A Hero’s Welcome Home 

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Joseph Birk – Port Washington, NY; US Army, WWII, CBI

John Cumpstone – Otorohanga, NZ; 11th Reinforcements # 448794, WWII

Ted Earle – Toronto, CAN & FL; Merchant Marine, WWII/RC Navy, Korea, HMCS Haida

Branislav Kapitan – Cheshire, CT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, radio operator/gunner

Frank Miale – Johnston, RI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Sgt., 82nd Airborne, Purple Heart

Michael Runyun – Newark, OH; US Army, Lt., Iraq, 25th Infantry Division

Jimmie Smith – Milton, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 457th Artillery (Ret. 21 years)

Jordon Tuttle – W.Monroe, LA; US Army, Iraq, 256 Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sgt.

Daren Vick – Great Falls, MT; US Army, Korea, 340th Engineer Regiment

Margaret Wood – UK & Louisville, KY; British Royal Air Force, WWII

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