Repatriation of remains of US servicemen lost in World War II starts in S’pore
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A repatriation transfer ceremony was held on May 2, 2023, at the United States Embassy in Singapore to formally mark the start of the fallen soldiers' journey.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
SINGAPORE – More than 79 years after their B-24 bomber plane was shot down over the Pacific, the remains of 11 United States service members lost in World War II are finally making their way home.
On Tuesday, a repatriation transfer ceremony was held at the US Embassy in Singapore to formally mark the start of their journey.
It began with active US service members bearing a case containing the remains. Following this, a flag presentation was observed by an audience comprising US servicemen and diplomats.
In a media briefing on Tuesday, Captain Weston Iannone, mission commander of the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) – which records American missing military personnel from past conflicts around the world – said that Singapore was chosen as a base for the recovery operation due to its logistical, diplomatic and regional advantages.
Thanking the Republic for its efforts, DPAA principal director Kelly K. McKeague said: “Although there are no unaccounted-for Americans here in Singapore, we nonetheless appreciate the care and attention afforded to our mission and our team.”
The recovery operation started in 2023 at the crash site in Hansa Bay, Papua New Guinea.
More than 226,000kg of equipment in 17 shipping containers were transported from the US Navy’s base in Panama City to Singapore, then shipped more than 4,500km to the crash site.
The US Navy spent five weeks at depths of more than 60m underwater in search of the remains.
This was made possible by the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit (Nedu), which used a Saturation Fly-Away Diving System that allows divers to reach depths of more than 300m.
“Because of the nature of saturation diving, we are able to expend a significant amount of bottom time to conduct longer operations – which came in handy when we were diving 225 feet (68m) for several days,” said Lieutenant-Commander Daniel Kinney, the diver officer in charge of Nedu.
The remains will now be transported to the DPAA headquarters in Hawaii to begin the arduous process of trying to identify them.
The US Navy had spent five weeks at depths of more than 60m underwater, in search of the remains.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
While the recovery operation began in earnest recently, its seeds were planted in 2013, when Mr Scott Althaus, the cousin of Second Lieutenant Tom Kelly, one of the fallen members, launched a family project to learn more about him.
The bomber, called Heaven Can Wait, was shot down by the Japanese on March 11, 1944.
Mr Althaus passed on his research to Project Recover in 2017, a team dedicated to seeking out military crash sites connected to those listed as missing in action.
This eventually led to the discovery of the crash site in 2018.
“It’s (both) solemn and at once uplifting to be a part of today’s ceremony,” said Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, 64th commander of the US Pacific Fleet. He is in Singapore for a naval defence and maritime security conference.
Adm Paparo said the mission is an example for other nations to redouble efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. “May we be inspired and sustained by their sacrifice and our efforts to keep the peace in the Pacific and in the world.”
