After 80 years, WW2 B17 pilot found at his crash site in France & returning home for burial in Utah

May 19, 2025, 01:07 PM

Gustofer

quote:
"He connected with a local reporter and several townspeople in Monchy-Cauyeux, who helped him search a nearby field. On July 8, 2018, they found the plane's wreckage."

I find it remarkable that any wreckage would still be around after 75 years and not cleaned up/disposed of decades ago. Makes you wonder how many of the other thousands of bombers shot down over Europe are still laying around with remains inside.

May 19, 2025, 01:13 PM

Sig2340

quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
Makes you wonder how many of the other thousands of bombers shot down over Europe are still laying around with remains inside.

And possible unexploded ordnance (UXO).

If going down the bombardier would salvo the bombs to clear the bomb bay for an exit. When salvoed, the bombs arming wires were NOT pulled, meaning the fuzes did not activate and the falling bomb would simply burrow itself into the ground.

The French démineurs do crazy work collecting and destroying UXO from two world wars. Their estimate is they have another 200 years of work on Verdun, alone.

May 19, 2025, 01:35 PM

SIG4EVA

What a heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing.

May 19, 2025, 10:21 PM

drill sgt

Moving story.... Welcome Home......For 10 years I rode motorcycle escort with the "Patriot Guard Riders" preforming military escorts for welcome home returns and or departures for individuals or entire units..... My motorcycle displayed a 3 ft x 5 ft flag that waved PROUDLY.... Stood honor guard at the funeral homes / escorted to cemetary / honor guard at cemetary / pallbearer if needed........... One escort was for a Korean War POW who was later ID"d from a military cementary in Hawaii... Baton Rouge, La to Church Point, La.... 13 motorcycles left funeral home.. Along the route the number of motorcycles doubled / numerous fire trucks / ambulances / police cars joined the escort... The home town folks lined the city streets........................ Another Korean War POW ID"d from a military cemetary in Hawaii was attended by a surviving squad mate who hand been removed from the front line fighting to receive medical treatment.. the unit was attacked /got over run and all were either killed or captured....................... God bless our troops be they past / present / future........... drill sgt.

May 19, 2025, 10:27 PM

Rey HRH

And it wasn’t happenstance that got him found but instead dogged determination.

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.

May 19, 2025, 10:44 PM

BB61

^^^^
And love for his wife and her family. It was the SIL so to speak that did the initial legwork.

May 20, 2025, 10:09 AM

12131

Great story, but I find it ridiculous that they had AI generated "Key Takeaways" for such a short uncomplicated story.

May 20, 2025, 11:16 AM

tacfoley

I'd love to be there for the funeral of this brave flier - his homecoming will be a huge occasion, as indeed it ought to be.

My own namesake, 2Lt Thomas A Foley, lost on 25th February 1945, lies somewhere off the coast of Norfolk, still in the remains of his B24 - 'Chris's Crate'.