Missing in Action: WWII US airman's remains finally reunited with family after 78 years

[webfact]

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Representatives from both the Thai and American armed forces held a ceremony on the tarmac of U-Tapao airport yesterday as a transport plane prepared to reunite a downed airman with his family after 78 years. 

 

The unnamed pilot was identified after locals found remains of a downed aircraft in Lampang, northern Thailand some years ago.

 

Work was done by the DPAA - the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency - a US defence department organization that searches for and verifies those missing in action.

 

There are 82,000 veterans from the US missing in action in conflicts from World War 2 to the present day.

 

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Picture: Siam Rath

 

This airman - not named -  was flying sorties from China patrolling northern Thailand by a group known as the Flying Tigers.

 

Acting US ambassador james L. Wayman appeared with Air Chief Marshall (ret.) Sakphinit Phromthep at the ceremony, reported Siam Rath.

 

Mr Wayman praised the spirit of cooperation  between Thailand and the US and thanked the citizens of Mae Kua in Lampang for their assistance. 

 

The return of the remains To Honolulu, Hawaii, will help bring closure after 78 years. 

 

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[ThailandRyan]

Wow an honest to goodness Flying Tiger.  They were the heroes of the day back then.  Many were volunteers. They were also known as the AVG

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2017/09/14/the-flying-tigers-12-amazing-facts-about-americas-famous-volunteer-fighter-squadron/

Edited May 19, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[John Drake]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

The unnamed pilot was identified after locals found remains of a downed aircraft in Lampang, northern Thailand some years ago.

Not yet identified. A much better, fuller coherent story available here:

 https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/05/18/thai-archival-find-may-resolve-fate-of-missing-wwii-us-pilot/#:~:text=U-TAPAO%2C Thailand — The,flood-threatened archives in Thailand.

[John Drake]

39 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wow an honest to goodness Flying Tiger.  They were the heroes of the day back then.  Many were volunteers. They were also known as the AVG

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2017/09/14/the-flying-tigers-12-amazing-facts-about-americas-famous-volunteer-fighter-squadron/

The crash apparently is from 1944, two years after the Flying Tigers ceased operations. And Flying Tigers piloted P40s, not P38s, which is what this plane was. 

Quote

 It was a handwritten police officer’s report dated November 1944. It detailed the crash of a U.S. P-38 plane, reported to have been struck by lightning during a storm.

 https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/05/18/thai-archival-find-may-resolve-fate-of-missing-wwii-us-pilot/#:~:text=U-TAPAO%2C Thailand — The,flood-threatened archives in Thailand.

 

[ThailandRyan]

42 minutes ago, John Drake said:

The crash apparently is from 1944, two years after the Flying Tigers ceased operations. And Flying Tigers piloted P40s, not P38s, which is what this plane was. 

 

I did not read the article in its entirety as I wanted to believe the headline tag, but after reading one of your links it was indeed an aha moment much like the museum archive docent who found the initial file after checking all to ensure none were damaged by a flood that had inundated the museum.  I also found that it was not just a regular P-38 but the plane was an F-5E, which was a P-38 stripped down and modified for reconnaissance duty.  

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

I did not read the article in its entirety as I wanted to believe the headline tag, but after reading one of your links it was indeed an aha moment much like the museum archive docent who found the initial file after checking all to ensure none were damaged by a flood that had inundated the museum.  I also found that it was not just a regular P-38 but the plane was an F-5E, which was a P-38 stripped down and modified for reconnaissance duty.  

Yes, it's actually a fascinating story. The Military Times article makes it all come to life. And good to see credit going to the RTAF Museum. I haven't been there in about six years, but the people running it then were very pleasant, eager, and helpful. Lots of Vietnam era aircraft you can walk right up to or into. Old WW II aircraft used in Vietnam, such as a Douglas Skyraider. They had Ravens' Bird Dogs, a C123, and I even remember seeing a Spitfire parked out for exhibition. There is a lot of drama in this story and the OP doesn't do it justice.

[ThailandRyan]

Here is a good Photo of one following some corsairs.  

 

More, but limited information 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-5E_Lightning_1944.jpg

[dddave]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wow an honest to goodness Flying Tiger.  They were the heroes of the day back then.  Many were volunteers. They were also known as the AVG

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2017/09/14/the-flying-tigers-12-amazing-facts-about-americas-famous-volunteer-fighter-squadron/

I remember avidly reading: "God Is My Co-Pilot" by Robt. L Scott, himself a Flying Tiger when I was about 12.  I would read any book about WW-2 fighter pilots I could get my hands on. Not just our guys.  By that time, middle 1950s, books by German ("The First and the Last" by Adolf Galland) and Japanese pilots ("Samurai" Saburo Sakai") were becoming available.  Every time I'd read one of these autobiographies, I'd buy a model of the aircraft they flew (Scott, a P-40), assemble it and add it to my collection.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The return of the remains To Honolulu, Hawaii, will help bring closure after 78 years.

Which is a good thing, irrelevant of the reasons for the crash.

[wwest5829]

6 hours ago, John Drake said:

Not yet identified. A much better, fuller coherent story available here:

 https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/05/18/thai-archival-find-may-resolve-fate-of-missing-wwii-us-pilot/#:~:text=U-TAPAO%2C Thailand — The,flood-threatened archives in Thailand.

Thanks, reposted on my FB wall ...

[Sydebolle]

Well, what was the US air force doing in this part of the world during WW2?

82,000 MIAs Americans; anybody ever counted the MIAs of the Indochina desaster and I mean Indochinese (Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese) MIAs? 

[Moonlover]

59 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, what was the US air force doing in this part of the world during WW2?

82,000 MIAs Americans; anybody ever counted the MIAs of the Indochina desaster and I mean Indochinese (Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese) MIAs? 

It was not the US air force, neither does the later conflict have anything to do with this topic.