Happy Memorial Day! Before the trip
to Kansas City for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency meet and greet
conference in April 2017, I spoke with Cindy Holland from the Agency via phone
re: my Uncle Bruce’s case. I was able to inform her that I had contact with
retired Brigadier General Jon Reynolds and that we were not in high hopes of
finding Bruce’s remains. Cindy sent me Bruce’s personnel file and a DNA kit.
She also sent my mother, Grace a DNA kit. Cindy was very kind and helpful. I
felt I could call her at anytime with questions. The file contained detailed
accounts from crash witnesses and past efforts to find Bruce and bring him
home.
My grandmother, Edwina had received
official army letters that told her in minimal detail about the crash, where and
how he died. She wrote to the Army several times requesting more details of the
crash as well as any info on efforts to find him. The area where he was shot
down was still enemy occupied territory. Edwina was aware that it was too
dangerous for someone to go into the area to find his remains. What she didn’t
know was that the local village people buried her son, saving his body from the
enemy at the crash site. There was a second burial by the American catholic
missionary. The Priest was concerned about communist militants taking the
remains. According to the Army, the first burial was by the Japanese, which
wasn’t really a burial. The second was by the local villagers. The Army
considered the missionaries to be a third burial. Though she lived to the age
of 87, when Edwina died in 1978, I believe she was not aware of the efforts being
made on her son’s behalf.
I had already seen many of the
reports contained in the file, however there was new information for me. As far
as what his mission was, what might have caused the crash and how he may have
been killed, there wasn’t anything new, but there were detailed witness
accounts of the crash that were helpful in understanding what happened to him. Particularly
what followed after the crash, the condition of his body and the burials. It
was good to learn that there were efforts by the Army and underground groups to
recover him and his dog tags in 1945 and again in 1947.
At the conference in our one on one
meeting, we met with Cindy Holland and Erin Epp, Analyst with the DPAA assigned
to Bruce’s case. She nicely gave Grace their account of what happened to Bruce.
At the point where we discussed what she considered to be his final burial, I
was able to tell Erin about Jon Reynolds and his story about efforts to find
Bruce’s remains in 1987. Jon had nicely offered to have a phone conference
during our meeting. I suggested this to Erin and she was very glad to do so.
Jon was available, as I expected and we had a conversation with him regarding
his experience as China liaison in1987. Erin was able to have further
discussion privately with Jon. They shared contact info and Erin said she and
Cindy would work with him on Bruce’s case. There is more to the story. Stay
tuned.
Grace was present for the full
meeting, as well as John Cambridge and Dan Cupak. I asked Grace a long time ago
if she’d like to have a phone conference with Paul Crawford (Bruce’s tent mate)
and/or Jon Reynolds. She declined because she felt she would not be able to contain
her emotions. As I expected when Grace began to talk about Bruce with Erin and
Cindy, she became emotional and cried. She enjoyed talking about him and when
Erin commented that her brother Bruce was quite handsome, Grace gave her usual
response, “He was also a gifted artist”. My mother also wanted to tell Jon how
much she appreciated his work but was unable to gather herself at that moment. At
this meeting, my mother was honored to hear Jon Reynolds speak for the first
time about her brother.
I learned more details about Bruce
through the work of the DPAA. I am sure Edwina would be pleased to know that
there are people who care and are devoted daily to bringing fallen soldiers
home to their families. They were organized, respectful and kind. I am glad to
have met Cindy and Erin and will continue working with them on my mother’s
behalf. Grace may not ever be able to see her brother’s remains returned, and
without remains there is no repatriation. What this trip did for my mother is it allowed her to feel that she herself made efforts to help in the search for her brother's remains. I think she should feel good about that. Also that he is not forgotten. There are people who work very hard to bring each of them home. There are still some 2000 unaccounted for in China and thousands more lost in the Pacific. Those remains may never be recovered. What Grace has always wanted is simple. She just wants her brother to be remembered. This is my task.
This year we celebrate the centennial
of Bruce’s birth and we will celebrate my mother’s 88th birthday on
Memorial Day.
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| Left to right Harryette, Chris, Edwina, Grace. Taken in Omaha at the Connor's residence about 1944. This photo was sent to Bruce in China. It was the last photo he would see of his mother and his sisters. |
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