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Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Discovering the Remains of a WWII Pilot in Southeast Asia
After nearly eight decades, military scientists have finally identified the remains of an Army Air Forces pilot from Michigan who lost his life during a World War II bombing mission in Southeast Asia. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency revealed on Monday that the remains of 2nd Lt. John E. McLauchlen Jr. of Detroit have been positively identified and will be laid to rest this summer at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
The Fateful Mission
McLauchlen, aged 25, was the pilot of a B-24J Liberator bomber that took part in a bombing mission on December 1, 1943, from India to target a railroad yard in Myanmar, which was then known as Burma. During the mission, his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to catch fire. Despite their best efforts, the crew could not evade three enemy aircraft that followed them into the clouds, and they were declared missing in action.
A Long Road to Discovery
In 1947, remains believed to be from a B-24 Liberator crash were recovered in present-day Myanmar, but they could not be identified at the time. These remains were laid to rest as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. However, in October 2020, one set of these remains was exhumed and sent to DPAA scientists for analysis.
Identification and Closure
Through a meticulous process of anthropological analysis, circumstantial and material evidence examination, and DNA analysis, the remains were positively identified as belonging to John E. McLauchlen Jr. This discovery brings closure to his family and honours his sacrifice in service of his country.
Finally, after all these years, 2nd Lt. McLauchlen will be laid to rest with full military honours at Fort Leavenworth, where he will be remembered for his bravery and dedication to duty. May his memory live on in the hearts of all who honour his sacrifice.
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