Latest news with #320thBombardmentSquadron
CBS News
26-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Washington County World War II veteran identified 81 years after disappearance
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has announced that a Washington County World War II veteran has been positively identified 81 years after his disappearance. U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lieutenant Donald W. Sheppick, 26, of Roscoe, Pennsylvania, was killed during World War II after the aircraft he was on crashed into the water off the coast of present-day Papua New Guinea. Sheppick was accounted for on Sept. 20, 2024. His family recently received their full briefing on his identification, which has prompted the release of additional details. In March 1944, Sheppick was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present-day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Sheppick was onboard a B-24D Liberator bomber called "Heaven Can Wait" that departed Papua New Guinea as part of a bombing mission against enemy forces at Boram Airfield and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea. With the bomber in the air, observers soon saw flames erupt from a bomb bay, likely caused by anti-aircraft fire that ignited undropped ordnance. The aircraft pitched up, eventually crashing into the sea. Despite several aircraft circling the crash site, no survivors were found. Following the war, the American Graves Registration Service continued to search battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea, concluding their search in late 1948. By 1950, officials concluded they could not locate any remains of Sheppick or the rest of the crew, and the crew members were declared non-recoverable. From 2013 to 2017, the family of Heaven Can Wait bombardier 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, with Dr. Scott Althaus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, continued to research the incident, gathering historical documents and eyewitness accounts of the incident. In 2017, Project Recover located B-24 wreckage in Hansa Bay while making sonar scans as part of a surveying effort, and by 2019, a DPAA underwater investigation team conducted several wreckage surveys. The crash site was successfully excavated in 2023, with teams sending the recovered materials away for review and analysis. Scientists from the DPAA and Armed Forces Medical Examiner System later identified Sheppick using dental, anthropological, and DNA analysis. Sheppick's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. He will be buried in Belle Vernon, Fayette County.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania airman killed in WWII now accounted for, to be buried in Belle Vernon
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Washington County soldier who was recovered in 2017 is now set to be buried in Pennsylvania. U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Donald W. Sheppick, 26, of Roscoe, Pennsylvania, was serving during World War II when he was deployed as part of a mission. In March 1944, he was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present-day Papua New Guinea. On March 11, he was on board the B-24D Liberator bomber called 'Heaven Can Wait' as part of a bombing mission against enemies on the northern coast. Observers from another aircraft reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. 19-year-old Pennsylvania soldier killed in WWII bomber crash accounted for Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing into the water. It is believed that fire from the enemy hit the plane, causing an explosion. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none were found. After the war, military units started recovery missions for missing Americans in the Pacific Theater, and extensive searches were conducted, but the Heaven Can Wait crew members were not found. Then, between 2013 and 2017, a family member of another crew member worked to collect historical data about the accident and present that information. In 2016, Project Recover located the wreckage of the ship in Hansa Bay using sonar scans. In 2019, a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency underwater investigation team conducted several surveys of the wreckage, performing visual inspections and clearing the site of any dangers. From March 9 through April 13, 2023, an underwater recovery team excavated the crash site, where they recovered possible osseous materials and material evidence, including life support equipment and identification tags. The recovered evidence was sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis. Sheppick was then identified using dental and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial evidence. His family received a full briefing from the DPPA. His name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to show that he has been accounted for. He is set to be buried in Belle Vernon at a later date. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
