J BOYLE, in response to your post. I try very hard not to assume anything. My suspicion that the relatives were not informed in 1962 is based on my 25+ years working both directly and indirectly with CIL-Hi, JPAC and now DPAA. They have a huge workload and a limited budget. If the initial investigation of the P-47 site revealed no human remains or personal effects (as was the initial finding), then my experience suggests that they would not contact the relatives. As the bottom line would be ,”your loved one remains Missing in Action”. Single pilot aircraft (predominantly fighters) create problems for DPAA, as there is always the very real likelihood that the pilot bailed out. The decision makers go to great lengths to gather all available data before committing to dig a MIA fighter where human remains have not been found. It is a very costly exercise. I know of at least 8 such cases in PNG. In three of them the recovery was successful, one was unsuccessful and four are still under consideration.
My comment about hard to criticize, relates to all involved wanting the same goal. I don’t believe criticism will assist in reaching that goal. DPAA is effectively the public service, some of their SOP’s whilst operating in remote areas in foreign countries leave me perplexed. But, as Matt points out, the US Government is more proactive in this field than any other. I do get frustrated with the long time periods involved between discoveries, initial investigation, recovery, identification and formal burial. But patience is a virtue, and when I look back across my 25 years working in PNG, quite a few of the aircraft and crews that were missing when I first arrived have been located and numerous repatriations have taken place. So in hindsight, progress is being made.
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