Robert Till's sister, Jean Alpin, 78, was 11 at the time he was killed. When she was notified of his body's identification, she searched for and found Lee in Hendersonville, North Carolina. She said "Airplanes and flying, that was his passion."
Until 2008, he was one of 78,000 World War II veterans still marked as missing.
Vicki had mourned the loss of her love, but later married Robert E. Lee for 53 years until he died. He was to return from duty on Christmas 1941 and they were to be married. There was no wedding.
Till's remains were buried March 23, 2009, in Arlington National Cemetery and Lee planned to attend. Both women sat together at the ceremony. Ensign Till is buried in Section 60, Site 8998.
In 1943, a Navy destroyer escort, the USS Till (DE-748) was named after him. It provided escort duty to convoys during World War II then became a training vessel before being sunk in a training exercise of the US east coast in 1969.
These Are Good Stories. --DaCoot
Showing posts with label missing in action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missing in action. Show all posts
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
World War II Soldier, Missing for 88 Years, Is Buried
From the Dec. 10th WHTM ABC 27 in Pennsylvania.
Fourteen military funerals a day are held at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, but this one was different as it was a World War I soldier, only the second from that war to be buried at the place which opened in 1982.
Private Henry Weikel was killed during fierce fighting in a French forest in 1918. His remains were not discovered until 2006 and it then took the military four years to identify the body.
Private Weikel was even forgotten by his family. No one at his funeral had ever met or spoken with him.
I Think It is Great That the United States Never Stops Looking for the Remains of Those Missing Heroes. --Cooter
Fourteen military funerals a day are held at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, but this one was different as it was a World War I soldier, only the second from that war to be buried at the place which opened in 1982.
Private Henry Weikel was killed during fierce fighting in a French forest in 1918. His remains were not discovered until 2006 and it then took the military four years to identify the body.
Private Weikel was even forgotten by his family. No one at his funeral had ever met or spoken with him.
I Think It is Great That the United States Never Stops Looking for the Remains of Those Missing Heroes. --Cooter
Monday, July 13, 2009
US and Wreck Hunters Race to Find World War II Planes
The June 1st San Francisco Chronicle had an article about the growing conflict between the United States government and wreck hunters over the locations of downed US World War II planes. The government wants to reclaim the remains of the pilots and the hunters are after the money that can be made for recovering these aircraft whose value is fast-rising. There is great demand among wealthy American collectors.
In recent years the US has found the remains of nearly 500 American flyers, about half in Papua New Guinea, site of many air battles between Japan and the US.
A P-38 Lightning was recently offered for $495,000 and a rare twin engine P-38 Lightning goes from $3.8 to 7 million.
Treasure and wreck hunters are flocking to PNG, as Papua New Guinea is called, where there are 2,200 missing American World War II flyers.
Let's Hope the Treasure Hunters Do the Right Thing and Turn Any Remains They Find Over to Authorities. --Cooter
In recent years the US has found the remains of nearly 500 American flyers, about half in Papua New Guinea, site of many air battles between Japan and the US.
A P-38 Lightning was recently offered for $495,000 and a rare twin engine P-38 Lightning goes from $3.8 to 7 million.
Treasure and wreck hunters are flocking to PNG, as Papua New Guinea is called, where there are 2,200 missing American World War II flyers.
Let's Hope the Treasure Hunters Do the Right Thing and Turn Any Remains They Find Over to Authorities. --Cooter
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)