pages of history
Remains Found
U.S. divers discovered in July the remains of five U.S. servicemembers who lost their lives when their seaplane went down in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada in 1942.
The remains of five American airmen who perished when their seaplane went down in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 70 years ago were recovered in July by U.S. divers.
Based in Presque Isle, Maine, the PBY-5A Catalina capsized in rough waters Nov. 2, 1942, near the village of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan in eastern Quebec, Canada. Local fishermen rescued four of the nine crew members before the plane slipped beneath the waves and settled on its back 130 feet down.
The plane remained missing until 2009, when divers with Parks Canada found it while they were conducting an underwater survey. This summer, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) sent a 50-person team, supported by the USS Grapple (T-ARS-53), to investigate the crash site.
Divers recovered what are believed to be the remains of the lost crew, which have been sent to a DNA lab for identification. A large number of artifacts, including aviator glasses, film negatives, an intact Listerine bottle, and still-readable pages from the crew’s log, also were recovered. Experts say the artifacts were so well-preserved because of the water’s near-freezing temperature and the depth of the wreckage, which protected the items from damaging light and oxygen.
“To be able to do this and bring some closure to families is pretty rewarding,” said Dr. Stefan Claesson, a JPAC forensic archeologist, in an interview with The Canadian Press. “As long as we find one remain, it’s a success for us. And in this case, we have a significant number of remains to bring back home.”
Pieces of History Auctioned
More than 80 collectible military trucks and vehicles, along with an assortment of more than 100 pieces of war memorabilia, will be auctioned off Dec. 8 in a single-day sale at the National Military History Center in Auburn, Ind.
Of note among the vintage vehicles being auctioned off is a rare World War II-era German Daimler-Benz DB10 12-ton prime mover. “
These vehicles are time capsules, and we hope the new owners will appreciate how symbolic they are to our country, as well as those countries in Europe that were involved in history’s conflicts,” says Tammy Hantz, operations manager of the museum.
MO
— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free-lance writer, authors this monthly column.
History Lesson On Dec. 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson issued a proclamation granting full pardon and amnesty for those who committed the offense of treason against the U.S. during the Civil War.
DECEMBER 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 71
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