Latest news with #U.S.ArmyAirForces
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Utah family prepares to bury WWII pilot who was MIA for 80 years
PARK CITY, Utah () — A Utah family is getting ready to lay to rest U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. George Frank Wilson on the 81st anniversary of his plane being shot down over France during WWII. Lt. Wilson, the pilot of a B-17G 'Flying Fortress' bomber, was killed when his plane crashed in northern France after being hit by anti-aircraft fire on July 8, 1944. For 80 years, he was considered missing in action. Now, his family has some closure. Brian Frank Wilson, who shares the same middle name as his grandfather, told that even though he never met his grandfather, he feels close to him, especially now that the family knows what happened and is preparing to bury him on the 81st anniversary of his death and disappearance. 'It's like the stars are aligning, you know, it's crazy,' Brian Wilson said. 'I feel his soul. I feel there is a purpose to all of it.' Like the tides of war, a turning point is bringing relief to 1st Lt. George F. Wilson's descendants. Santaquin Police Department remembers Sgt. Bill Hooser's legacy one year later 'When he fell out of formation, and everyone was bailing out, one of his closest friends, the engineer, lost his parachute,' Brian Wilson stated. 'I guess Frank (Lt. Wilson) was still alive and gave him his parachute, the last one, and told him to get out.' Brian Wilson told that this happened on July 8, 1944. His grandfather, a young 22-year-old pilot, saved his crew after taking enemy fire. 'They were certain he went down with the plane. It exploded. It was on fire, and that was the last of it,' he added. Then radio silence. In 1951, Wilson was declared non-recoverable. In 2018, the family would start to get some answers as to what happened to Lt. Wilson. 'Eric Bornemeier, who we owe a ton of gratitude towards, married my cousin years ago,' Brian Wilson stated. 'He's in the military. He thought this was a cool story, and he went out and spearheaded a search to find George in this field in northern France. Lo and behold, they found him.' At least, they hoped it was him. 'In July 2018, a member of Wilson's family provided DPAA with new information about a potential crash site for Wilson's aircraft,' explained the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. 'One of Wilson's family then traveled to Monchy-Cayeux and met three witnesses who remembered the crash.' The DPAA added: 'In 2019, a DPAA investigation team visited Monchy-Cayeux and discovered a concentration of wreckage consistent with a B-17 at the site, which they then recommended for excavation.' It would take a few more years for all the questions to be answered. 'From Aug. 6-30, 2021, DPAA partner Colorado State University excavated the site and accessioned all recovered evidence into the DPAA laboratory,' DPAA explained. 'They returned to the site for another excavation from July 25 to Aug. 13, 2022, finding additional evidence which was also accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.' Then, in 2024, the government reached out to Brian Wilson requesting a sample of his DNA. 'To identify Wilson's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence,' DPAA stated. 'Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.' It was a match. 'They said there's a one in 84 billion chance it's not him,' added Brian Wilson. 'So pretty positive match it's him, they said.' Lt. Wilson was considered accounted for on Nov. 21, 2024. 'Wilson's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII,' stated DPAA. 'A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.' The family got a full government briefing about what happened to Lt. Wilson on May 15, 2025. At that time, Brian Wilson accepted medals, including a Purple Heart, on his grandfather's behalf. 'I just feel an immense amount of pride being his grandson,' he said. 'After seeing and receiving those medals and reading the whole accounting, I'm just totally blown away.' On July 8, 2025, George F. Wilson will finally be laid to rest in Bountiful next to family. 'To have this all come around 81 years to the day, there's something, there's a higher source that's in control,' Brian Wilson stated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Michigan WWII soldier buried 83 years after death
ALTO, Mich. (WOOD) — This Memorial Day weekend takes on a whole new meaning for one West Michigan veteran, as he is remembering a fallen hero much closer to home. After more than 80 years of unanswered questions, Bob Buys' family finally got the closure they've been waiting for. Buys grew up hearing stories about his great uncle, U.S. Army Air Forces Sgt. James W. Swartz of Webberville. Swartz served during World War II. He was captured in the Philippines and survived the brutal Bataan Death March, only to later die at the Cabanatuan POW camp in 1942 at just 21 years old. 'His mother searched frantically through the government to try to get his remains returned, but of course they didn't know where he was buried, they just knew that he had died,' said Buys. Years ago, Buys said the U.S. Army reached out, asking for a DNA sample to identify Swartz's remains. 'I gave my DNA and then it became personal to me,' Buys said. 'Maybe my DNA can help identify him and bring him home, something the family has wanted for over 80 years.' Buys, a Navy veteran himself, submitted the sample, but never heard back. It wasn't until last week, while searching online, that he learned his uncle had been officially identified in late 2024. His remains were laid to rest earlier this month at Summit Cemetery in Williamstown Township. 'Personally, I wish I could've been notified,' Buys said. 'I would've loved to have been at the funeral. But that wasn't to be the case. I'm just glad he's home.' Swartz's return marks the end of a long chapter for a family that spent generations searching for answers. In the 1950s, Swartz's mother had written letters to the Army, pleading to know where her son might be buried. 'Dear sirs,' she wrote. 'Would you please let me know if there's any kind of cemetery or burial grounds for the boys who died in World War II in the Japanese prison camp?' That question went unanswered for more than 80 years. Through a combination of DNA, dental records, and historical evidence, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency was able to confirm Swartz's identity. 'Knowing that I supplied my DNA…that small act on my part helped identify his remains,' Buys said. 'And now that he's back, his remains are back on American soil. I feel like this story comes to a happy ending in a way.' Now, Buys is looking forward to visiting the grave, finally connecting with his family's history in person. As we mark Memorial Day, he hopes we don't forget the meaning behind it. 'He's one of thousands of men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms,' Buys said. 'And Memorial Day, as much as we want to celebrate with cookouts and family get-togethers, in the back of our minds as Americans, we should remember that somebody paid a price for our freedom.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers gather in De Pere to discuss impact and importance of educational funding
DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Unified School District of De Pere has seen its past two referendums approved by voters, both providing funding for various aspects of the education system in the area. In April 2024, a $4.75 million operational referendum was passed and then seven months later in November 2024, a $22 million critical maintenance, safety and security referendum was approved by voters. But many other communities have not seen such success. Shawano native and U.S. Army Air Forces Private killed in World War II accounted for On April 1, 2025, 89 school referendums were on the ballot statewide, and a majority of them failed to receive enough votes to go through. On Tuesday evening, multiple legislators hosted a discussion with parents, local leaders, school district representatives and teachers to give thoughts on educational funding and its impact on the communities, beyond just students. District 30 State Senator Jamie Wall said that public schools are the foundation of our society, adding that the state can do better at ensuring schools can succeed. Cellcom CEO addresses outage: 'We experienced a cyber incident' 'Everybody in this room and almost everybody in our community cares about public schools,' Sen. Wall (D-Green Bay) said. 'At the state level, we can do a better job than we have to make sure schools have the tools and resources they need to succeed.' Sen. Wall added that he personally wants to ensure class sizes are smaller so that students can get better educations while also lessening the burden of property taxes on communities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lithium battery charging issue causes estimated $125,000 in damages at commercial building in Bellevue
BELLEVUE, Wis. (WFRV) – Over 30 firefighters responded to a fire in Bellevue on Tuesday morning, which was deemed to be caused by a lithium battery charging failure. The Green Bay Metro Fire Department reported that it responded to a report of smoke and flames at a commercial space in Bellevue around 8:53 a.m. Tuesday. Former Green Bay tennis coach gets 15 years for child enticement & sexual exploitation Crews found heavy smoke and fire from a vehicle inside the building. Crews aggressively fought their way inside to extinguish the fire, which had extended into the attic. Initial responders struggled to access the attic space due to steel sheeting that covered the ceiling. The fire was knocked down and nobody was found inside as it was declared under control at 9:09 a.m. Shawano native and U.S. Army Air Forces Private killed in World War II accounted for 31 firefighters and six engines, with one ladder truck, responded along with a pair of ambulances. Three command officers and three fire investigators were present. Officials deemed the cause of the fire to be due to a lithium battery charging failure, and initial estimates report the damage at about $125,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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.
