Military Honors for Harry Younge, a Tokyo Prison Fire victim

If you have been following my blog lately, you might realize that this is the third post about an identified airman from the Tokyo Prison Fire.  

My connection with the story began in 2018, when Katie Rasdorf, a historian and personal friend, introduced me to Michael Krehl, whose grandfather was Missing in Action and was one of 37 airmen who died in a Tokyo Prison Fire in May of 1945.  He had approached DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) in reference to the possibility of exhuming 37 unknowns directly connected with this fire, and attempting to identify them.  The facts showed that there were unknown graves directly attributed to those who perished in the fire.  There was a list of names of those men, and it seemed conceivable that the two could be matched. 

Obviously, the procedure would be much more complicated than simple matching, but his idea seemed feasible. Michael, a private citizen,  was tasked by DPAA to find 60% of the families of the casualties.  Katie, another private citizen,  asked if I would help, and I never hesitated.   It would take a lot of footwork on the part of Michael and Katie, and a contingent of United States Senators to get the project rolling, but in 2022, the bodies were moved to Hawaii to begin the process.  

I really hadn't given much thought to my role in this, but it became quite obvious at the Ellington funeral in June that I played a vital part in this project moving forward.  If I had not established contacts for Michael to connect with, these airmen would be sitting in Manila for the unforeseeable future.  That opinion has been reinforced in recent days when I decided to delve into two families whom I had not found seven years ago, only to realize that DPAA had not connected with them either.  But that will soon be remedied. 

We were in Arlington for the funeral of Henry (Harry) Younge at the request of his niece, Janet, who had urged us to attend.  Harry was a talented musician who excelled at playing the trumpet.  He had taken his instrument with him after joining the air force, and was known for playing tunes on it during the flong lights leaving and returning from strafing missions.  

He had been scheduled to perform with his trumpet on the Eddie Cantor Show on April 24, with a remote connection to his base in Guam.  His family was getting ready to attend the special event in New York, when they were told that Harry would not be scheduled.  They would learn two weeks later that he was missing in action. 

On April 16, Harry's plane was shot down by Japanese forces, and he parachuted to safety.  He was captured, interrogated, and interred in a Tokyo Prison.  On May 26, 1945, flames from nearby strafing from American bombers, would spread to the prison.  The 62 American airmen were locked in their cells, unable to escape.  All 62 perished that day.  Harry had been one of the 37 who could not be identified. 

On August 14, 2025, his identity was announced by DPAA, and here we were, nearly a year later, celebrating his return to his country and final closure for his family. 

We met his niece, Janet in the lobby of our hotel early Monday morning. 

 Marty was the driver this time, with Janet and Michael our back seat passengers. 

The funeral was held in the chapel on Fort Myers Army base, and that had required pre-registration with our real ID's a few days earlier.  The trip to the entrance was relatively easy, our ID's were all scanned, and we arrived at the chapel with well over an hour and a half to spare.   We decided to explore as there was no worry about interference. 

Walking through the front doors, one can't help but feel the peace in this beautiful venue. 

Along either side of the chapel there are commemorative stained glass windows that were commissioned in the early 1970's.  The five service windows are featured on the right, with scenes from the Old Testament, while the Chiefs of Chaplains are opposite, reflecting scenes from the New Testament. Each one was brilliant with so much attention to detail.

United States Coast Guard

United States Naval Academy

United States Air Force

United States Marine Corps

 and the United States Army

United States Navy Chaplain  Window

United States Army Chaplain Window

And, finally, the United States Air Force Chaplain

The windows above the altar have been in place since 1935. 

It certainly seemed appropriate that Harry have his final send off in this tranquil sanctuary.  

The casket was brought to the church doors by a special honor guard while a large band played tribute outside the chapel. 

He was laid ever so gently upon a stand

Then the procession to the sanctuary began while an organist played Amazing Grace.

All stood in silence. 

The casket was turned for all to view while bible versus were read and prayers were issued. 

The service was far different than others that we've attended.  Each are unique. Each evoke an indescribable feeling in me as I close my eyes and absorb the enormity of what this event entails.  After 80 plus years, this airman who lost his life in a tragic incident is finally home.  He endured captivity and suffered at the end in a way that none of us can even imagine.  That memory of his final days will never be lost or forgotten by his family.  But they are here, now, in this chapel, offering prayers for peace and consolation, knowing that their beloved Harry is right there with them.  They finally have the closure that they have been yearning.  Promises fulfilled to loved ones who have moved on.  Sadness, but satisfaction.  It's what they truly deserve. 

The chapel ceremony ended with the casket once again being rolled to the back

out the doors

and onto the caisson for the horse-drawn walk to the gravesite. 

The band was there to accompany him. 

Once near the gravesite, the band set up at a distance, playing a tribute song. 

A prayer was once again, said at the site, followed by the traditional 21 gun salute. 

Finally, taps were played 

and the ceremonial folding of the flag took place. 

Finally, the flag was handed to Harry's niece for safekeeping. 

The ceremony was finished, and as the family dispersed, Marty and I walked over to offer one last prayer. 

Note that a dog tag hangs from the handle, a symbol of Harry's service. 

We had been invited by the family to a luncheon immediately afterwards.  Our delay in leaving resulted in us getting very lost in Arlington (google maps let us down repeatedly),  and we passed through the same gates at least three times before finally making our way to yet another Fort Myer entry gate.  Luckily, we had a slip of paper that granted us access, although I will admit that the guard seemed as confused as we were, but finally relented and let us through.   It's always something with us, isn't it?

But, we finally made it, enjoyed a delightful lunch, met more of Harry's family, and even managed to get a photo with Katie and Michael. 

Michael had requested the photo and it touched my heart that he considers me to be part of the "team" that worked so hard to bring this day to fruition.  

Katie's historical experience in researching records, and her sage advice gave Michael hope and encouragement to push forward.  Michael's tenacity and willingness to pound the pavement and seek out US Senators for help was a huge contribution to getting us here.  And my genealogy skills found the necessary family connections required to satisfy the criteria demanded by DPAA.  The families found by me, and contacted by Michael, were critical to increasing the DNA database so that these airmen could be identified. 

DPAA has officially announced identifications for eleven of the 37 missing airmen, although there is recent news that there might be as many as fourteen.   If that is the case, then we should applaud DPAA for working so diligently to get these identifications made.  We've still some work to do, but, hopefully, I will be writing a blog sometime in the not so distant future, announcing that all have been identified.  That is our goal. 

In the meantime, I appreciate you following along.  I don't foresee any exciting adventures in the near future, but you never know, do you?  Marty and I certainly do seem to find more than our fair share of entertainment. 

Until next time.....

A Whirlwind Weekend

I'm a bit delayed in posting,  but I wanted to share some of the special memories made while late July slipped into August.  The annual "Harvey" Reunion, always scheduled the first Saturday in August, fell on the 1st this year.  This is one event we try to schedule simply because we always receive such a warm welcome. 

As a brief background, In the 1880 time period, one Harvey family, who hailed from County Donegal, saw five of their nine siblings emigrate to the US, first landing in Philadelphia for a few years, then setting up permanent residence in the Pittsburgh area by 1900.  Families grew, with one of the descendants having ten children with the surname of Walters.  It's this family that has kept the reunion running into present time. 

My mother-in-law would often reminisce about the camaraderie, and how her father, Fred Goempel, would drive many of the family members to the event as they didn't have a vehicle of their own.  There's even a photo of a bus that was used for transport among the precious collection of memorabilia that was saved all of these years.  (That's Marty's mom on the left). 

It continues to be a big deal for the Walter's family and we look forward to joining them when we can make it. 

With it falling on a Saturday, I booked the Riverside B&B in Bridgewater for two nights prior so that we could spend some time with my mom.  We love this place, and Kathy and Russ actually make us feel like family when we visit.  And, you have to admit, the view is quite pretty, and with a full moon rising over the river, it was even more spectacular.  

Unfortunately, my cell phone camera does not take great night shots to share that  magnificence.  

We had a lovely visit with Mom and even managed to squeeze in some special time with my high school friend, Tammy, who has been in town helping her parents. 

We had a lovely, relaxing evening enjoying a meal while sitting outside in a magical oasis just a few blocks from the B&B. 

And on Saturday, we headed to West Mifflin to join the family at was now referenced as the Walter's family reunion, which makes perfect sense, as it is this group that continues to organize the event.  Their exuberance and enthusiasm just cannot be matched. 

This year, the group embraced our country's 250 year celebration.  

The crowd was less than previous years, but we still all managed to have a great time. 

 I brought the genealogy boards and there was a rekindled interest in those who established this great family over a century ago. 

Mary Lou, the appointed photographer, managed to get a group photo of most of those in attendance. 

You might need a magnifying glass to spot us.  Hint:  We're just to the right of center, in the back. 

Now, any other year, we'd be making our way back home on Sunday following this festive event.  But this year, it just so happened that a Tokyo Prison Fire casualty who had been recently identified, was being interred in Arlington Cemetery. His niece, Janet, had asked us if we could attend, and we decided that we could make this work by driving to Arlington on Sunday.  It was a bit more adventurous, but something this important deserved our attention. 

So, Marty gripped the steering wheel and maneuvered through some heavy downpours and obnoxious drivers, getting us to our destination with time to spare.  We were able to visit with the family for some time at the funeral home, and meet up with Michael Krehl (the man who spearheaded all of this effort) and Katie Rasdorf (the historian whom I've known for years and who asked me to help Michael with the project back in 2018.) 

We were there to honor Henry (Harry) Younge who had finally been returned to his family. 

Harry had been a trumpet player, and was known to entertain the flight crew while traveling the long hours on missions.  He had been invited to play on the Eddie Cantor show, a world renown radio venue, on April 24, 1945. But that would never come to fruition.  Harry had departed on a mission with the crew on April 16.  The plane was shot down, Harry parachuted to safety, but was capture and interred in the Tokyo Prison Fire.  He died during an inferno in the prison on May 25, 1945 and has been buried as an unknown in the Manila American Cemetery.  His remains had finally been identified in October 2025. 

Here's a group photo of those at the funeral home, with the special banner made by Michael that features all 37 of the Tokyo Prison Fire victims.  

On the drive down to DC, I had stumbled upon information pertaining to the National Military Monument, which stands between the reflection pool and the Lincoln Memorial.  It is sponsored by the insurance company, USAA, and the information showed that it was open only through August 23, 2026. A quick search found my father in the system, and I was intent on seeing it.  After all, we were nearby, and we certainly hadn't planned on returning before the 23rd.  It was now or never in my mind!

When I mentioned it to our small group, all were eager to visit, and Katie even offered to drive!   Since she is a local, she maneuvers like an uber driver without hesitation. So, we all piled into her car, with three of us kind of squished in the back seat.  Well, I was squished since I was in the middle.  

Before I proceed with this story, I need to mention that as soon as the decision was made, the heavens broke open and torrential rain began to fall.  So much so, that feet were soaked prior to getting into the car, but everyone else was still game to humor me. 

Traffic was actually quite light.....probably because it was 4:30 on a Sunday and the rain was falling in buckets, and we got there in short time.  Katie said she would circle around while we jumped out of the car, popped open the umbrellas, and began our trek to the memorial.  

It was rather impressive, considering that it is supposed to be temporary. 

My fellow cohorts were asking me what we were supposed to do, and I told them that the website said to generate this code, then give it to one of the operators on site who would set it up for us.  Easy....right? 

But guess what?  All of the people who SHOULD have been there to help had left.  Despite the website stating "rain or shine", they were long gone according to the park information desks.   So, here we were, literally soaked, standing in the rain, eager to see our loved one's name on the monument, only to be let down due to some people afraid of the rain.  What's with that? 

We managed to get some photos in the rain.

Obviously, the rain didn't melt US! 

Disappointed, we plodded back to the car with sandals squishing under feet, and popped inside.  Katie then returned us to the funeral home, where Marty and I could retrieve our car, and we all headed to the hotel where we had scheduled to stay the night.  

I was so soaked that even my underwear was wet!  (Umbrellas cover only so much, and I'll admit that a rain poncho hadn't been on my packing list.)

To add insult to injury, when we arrived at the hotel, it had stopped raining.  But, I have the feeling that the USAA ambassadors had all gone home for the day, and had we gone later, we would have still been disappointed.  

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at a local Lebanese Restaurant, compliments of Janet, and laughed about the antics of the day.  

We walked back to the hotel, and settled in for the night as we needed to be out bright and early in the morning. 

I'll post a separate blog highlighting the military honors for Harry.

Before I wrap this up, let me share a photo of what the memorial looks like at night.

How impressive is that? 

If you find yourself in DC before August 23, would you mind capturing a photo with my dad's name?  

Just don't bother to go if it's raining. 

Until next time....