"Missing" B-24 Crewman

http://mainichi.jp/area/hiroshima/news/20081108ddlk34040530000c.html

8 November 2008:
On 28 July 1945, after USAAF B-24s bombed the IJN base at Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, a B-24 named Taroa was shot down, and crashed in Ishiuchi, Itsukaichi Town, Saeki Ward, Kure City.
Three of its crew were captured, then A-bombed at Hiroshima City.
Their remains, if any, were not recovered or returned to USA.
A (then) school boy, at a farm near the crash site, collected a piece of metal debris from the wreck.

Recently, a historian named Mori Shigeaki (71) took the debris. 1 m X 24 cm.
In August 2008, he wrote to the relatives of this B-24 crew.
In October 2008, he received two replies from relatives of Charles Baumgartner (then 29), and Julius Molnar (then 21).
He cut about 20 cm off the debris, and on 4 November, sent the pieces to the relatives, as mementos.

Mori wrote a book about what happened to the crew of the two USAAF B-24s and 20 USN aircraft that were shot down on 28 July 1945.

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/7andy/32105774.html

Thats the way to do it:

“The promise of coming home to the States isn’t one that has a statute of limitations on it.”

Every country should be actively searching for their MIA. Either by an official office, or by allowing interested groups and organisations to do so.

Sadly, it is in a way just another indictment against the UK official policy of no pro-active government work to bring home the missing.

Thanks for posting that, Tangmere. Very moving.

Hopefully the site will be investigated again, these lads found and their status changed from MIA to KIA.

Don