Gallivanting Geismom: Rest in Peace 2nd Lt Charles E Carlson

Those of you who follow my blog know that the content generally describes my gallivanting adventures, whatever they may be. I tend to write a "happy" spin as I have the opinion that people see enough of the opposite in the news media daily. And, since I publish these events for my future entertainment, why would I want to dwell on depressing events?

However, today's blog diverts from my usual postings, and shows an entirely different aspect of my life. Many of you might not realize that I am an avid WWII MIA research analyst and that I have been responsible for finding relatives of men whose bodies have been recovered. But I have never attended a reinterment, despite being invited, primarily due to schedule conflicts or distance.

But, on Monday of last week, the opportunity presented itself, as 2nd Lt. Charles E Carlson was scheduled to be buried on Friday, Aug. 4, at Ft. Indiantown Gap Cemetery.

One of my team members, Jana, had informed me of the burial, and since she was instrumental in finding Charles' maternal line, she wanted to attend herself. Since she was driving from her home in Rocky Mount, I invited her to stay with me, which gave us the perfect chance to finally meet face to face.

Although we had left with plenty of time to spare, we ended up arriving at the cemetery just 5 minutes prior to the scheduled ceremony, due to Keystone Pipeline construction delays along the highway.

And, to complicate issues, the funeral procession had departed early and was nowhere in sight upon our arrival. I will admit that I was driving through the cemetery at a higher rate of speed than one would consider to be appropriate, but I managed to find the chapel location just as the family was entering.

Among those in attendance were Lt. Col Peter Lee, representing the 62nd Fighter Squadron. He had flown from Arizona specifically to attend the service. Carlson had been a member of the "62 Spikes" and Lee felt an obligation to offer his respects to this man who had crashed on Dec 23, 1944 in the German village of Buschhoven. Lee explained that Carlson would have been flying a P47 Thunderbolt, actively engaged in a "dog fight" with a German Messerschmitt, when the two planes met face to face, resulting in Carlson's plane crashed into the ground, bursting into flames.

Although the Germans had recorded the spot of the crash and claimed to have buried Carlson's body in a specific location, the US Army Graves Administration was not able to find his body after the war.

Four years after his death, his wife received a letter stating that every attempt had been made to locate him, but they had not been successful.

In 2016, a local German historical society contacted History Flight who sent a team that was able to verify that Carlson's plane had crashed in a particular location. After several months of field work, the group was successful in locating several parts of the plane in addition to Charles' remains. He was officially declared identified on Jan. 10, 2017.

As part of his tribute, Charles' family received several medals for his service: A Purple Heart, Air Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with a Bronze Star, WWII Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Medal, and US Army Air Corps Pilot Wings.

After the medals were presented, a Catholic Priest offered prayers for Carlson and his family.

The flag was lifted while Father sprinkled the casket with holy water.

Following a final blessing, the honor guard team, standing at a distance, fired the three volleys from rifles, a military tradition that indicates that the dead were cleared and properly cared for.

Then, we all stood at attention while the Bugler eloquently presented Taps.

Finally, the ceremonial folding of the flag began.

And as the final fold was complete, four F-35's suddenly broke the silence as they appeared out of nowhere, flying in formation overhead. Then one of the planes veered away from the others, symbolic of someone who went into battle and never returned, commonly known as the Missing Man Formation. Only now, Carlson was no longer missing.

I must admit, that at this point, I was digging through my purse in search of tissues, as I found myself welling up in tears. I had not been prepared for this type of emotional reaction on my part. It was as if I could feel the enormity of this family's loss. It was truly a deserving tribute to this fallen hero.

At this point, the ceremony was complete, and those in attendance quickly departed. Since I had arrived in a rush, I decided to take this opportunity to walk around a bit. The casket had stood just in front of this memorial to POW/MIA's that is imbedded in the ground.

2nd Lt. Charles E Carlson was no longer part of the group upon which that stone pays tribute.

Just outside the chapel, but within the walls of the building, I spotted these markers on the ground.

There was a cross representing every county in the state of Pennsylvania.

Here is a close up view of the entrance.

And once through the doors, only the bubbling of the fountains can be heard in this haven of solitude.

This was an amazing experience for me, and one worth sharing. My time spent with Jana was priceless, not to mention quite entertaining. We formed a special bond in the few hours that we spent together.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Patrick, the History Flight photographer who attended the ceremony as well.