Briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
MIA
WW II remains to return Friday
A repatriation ceremony was scheduled Friday at Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for what are believed to be the remains of at least 13 American servicemen who died during World War II.
Two U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawai'i search and recovery teams recovered the remains, which were found in mountain jungle in the Lae region, and are thought to be those from two B-24 crash sites.
Both B-24s and their crews disappeared on April 16, 1944. One of the aircraft was part of the 5th Air Force, 22nd Bomb Group, which departed Nadzab, Papua New Guinea to conduct a bombing mission over Hollandia, New Guinea.
Following the completion of its mission, the B-24, with an 11-man crew, was in a five aircraft formation. The last sighting was off the coast of Saidor.
The second B-24, of the 43rd Bombardment Group (H), 403rd Bomber Squadron (H), also left Nadzab to conduct a bomb strike over Hollandia. Returning as part of a formation of four aircraft, the group was forced to separate due to bad weather, and the bomber never returned.
Since 1979, the Papua New Guinea government has been instrumental in working with the United States to recover remains of World War II service members, CILHI said.
About 109 service members have been recovered and identified by CILHI from Papua New Guinea. More than 250 American World War II crash sites are believed to be located there.
The recovered remains are being brought to the CILHI lab at Hickam Air Force Base for possible identification.
AIR FORCE
U.S., India leaders to meet
Senior leaders from the U.S. and Indian air forces will meet at Hickam Air Force Base today through Friday for a conference whose goals include promoting cooperation.
The conference is the first of its kind between the air forces since the United States lifted sanctions against India in October.
Gen. William J. Begert, Pacific Air Forces commander, will host Air Marshall Satish Govind Inamdar, the Indian vice chief of air staff, and other senior Indian staff members.
