DPAA in Dover

 Last weekend, Marty and I made the drive to Dover Delaware to attend the scheduled DPAA Family Update Meeting.  For those of you not familiar, DPAA stands for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and our purpose for attending was to receive an update regarding Marty's Uncle Fred who went missing in action on Feb. 9, 1945. 

It has been reported that this was the largest attendance ever, and, believe me, that was certainly obvious by the lines we stood in after entering the doors. 

This meeting was a reschedule...  twice. 

It had been on the calendar for a weekend in October last year, but the government shut down changed that to January 23 of this year.  A huge snowstorm that swept into that area then forced yet another reschedule, and here we were, finally able to hold the meeting. 

Since this was held in Dover, we were afforded the opportunity to take a tour through the forensics DNA lab where the identifications are made. DPAA provided bussing and transferred groups of 40 in school busses from the Bally Casino to the Air Force base where the government lab is held. 

The tour was beyond amazing. We were given first hand insight into the various stages of preparation that go into making identifications from unknowns.

As you might recall, I have been actively involved with the Tokyo Pridin Fire MIAs and it was fascinating to follow the various steps taken to secure those identifications. 

The tour lasted 2 hours start to finish and buses were running from 9:00 am through at least 4:00 pm,  if not later. Obviously the families of the missing are equally interested in learning about the identification process. 

The lab tour was on Friday which was the prior day to the scheduled full day event on Saturday.   The drive from home to Dover, although quite doable, seemed a bit much for us to make twice in two days, especially since we were required to be on site at 8:00 am., so we opted to stay overnight nearby.  Rooms were offered at the Casino hotel, but that didn't appeal to me.  I found a lovely B&B about 30 minutes away in Milford, Delaware.  That was certainly a wise decision on my part as Marty and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this cute town Friday evening, but more about that later. 

Saturday saw a record crowd of people in attendance. Over 70% represented families from WWII missing. Generally, people are invited if they are within a 250-300 mile radius. But this event saw people driving from Michigan and flying in from Florida. People want answers about their loved ones and these family meetings seem to be the only time where families can meet with a historian and ask questions regarding status. 

Our meeting was at 9:00 AM with Mark Russel, a historian who is familiar with Fred's case and has been involved for over a dozen years.   Mark showed us a new technology that he used to survey the crossing area where Marty’s uncle was believed to have gone missing.  The technique is called LIDAR and is being used in Germany.  The images were fascinating.   Mark was able to point out foxholes and trenches in the area.  We still don’t have any answers at this time, but it is comforting to know that DPAA is continuing to keep Fred's case classified as "Active Pursuit." 

After our meeting, there were numerous speakers who gave us insight into the role of DPAA, of which we had been quite familiar.  There was also a detailed review of the newest strategies being implemented with DNA for identification.  

Much to his surprise, as part of the program, Michael Krehl, who was the grass roots impetus into the Tokyo Prison Fire Project, was called onstage to be recognized for his outstanding achievement in regards to his extreme efforts.  He was granted the Superior Public Service Award by the agency.  And it certainly was a proud moment for him. 

He asked me to join in the photo as the genealogist who helped find families so that the DPAA could move forward with the project. 

I feel honored to have been asked to play such an important role, and grateful that Marty and I were able to attend the event to witness Michael's recognition.  How awesome is that? 

As I mentioned earlier, I decided to pick a place to stay separate from the commotion of the event, and we ended up in this lovely victorian B&B in Milford. 

Our room was called the Bird's Nest,

and it even had its own seating area next to a large window overlooking the street. 

The one quirky thing about the room was the three steps up into the bathroom from the main room. We handled it quite fine, but I could see that being rather tricky for some people. 

After checking in, we headed into town for a simple, but delicious dinner in a local diner.  Then, we decided to walk part of the River Walk which apparently is a mile long from start to finish, but we certainly did not walk it in its entirety. 

Isn't it just lovely?

The reflection on the water was amazing!

Milton was known for its ship building as early as 1782.  Boat sculptures designed by local artists and made out of fiberglass, are displayed along the river walk. I took photos of some of them that caught my eye.

 

As you can see, the town is just delightful.

And, I think you'd be hard pressed to argue against this sign. Unless you are lactose intolerant. 

After satisfying our sweet tooth, we headed back to the B&B for the night.  This enormous building stands  across the street.  It was once the Central Hotel.

It is one of the building featured in the Walking Trail and Tour of the town. 

Certainly worth exploring if you find yourself visiting Milford. 

We stayed in the Towers B&B, also noted in the walking trail, which included a lovely breakfast served in a special room overlooking the gardens. 

How is that for delightful?  A yogurt parfait to start with, followed by Eggs Benedict. All in a lovely sun room with calming music enhancing the atmosphere. 

You can bet that wasn't happening at the Casino hotel! 

Hope you enjoyed the recap of our adventures!

Thanks for following along.  Until next time....

 

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.....