pagesofhistory Remains Located

Scientists are working to identify the recently discovered remains of 36 U.S. Marines who died on Tarawa in 1943. Among those recovered is a Medal of Honor recipient.

T

he remains of 36 U.S. Ma- rines who died during heavy fighting in the 1943 siege of Tara-

wa atoll during World War II finally have returned home to the U.S. The remains were discovered in what

is known as Cemetery 27, located on the small Pacific atoll of Betio in Kiribati, by researchers with History Flight, a civilian organization that helps recover military personnel lost in action. Among the re- covered was Medal of Honor recipient 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., one of three servicemembers killed on Tarawa to earn the posthumous citation for valor. Bonnyman’s grandson, Clay Bonnyman Evans, was at the site when the recovery was made in May. A variety of forensic tools will be used to positively identify the deceased Ma- rines. “Although we have dental matches to known missing Tarawa Marines for more than half of the recovered individu- als, we are seeking DNA reference sam- ples from families of the Tarawa missing,” said Ed Huffine, the board secretary for History Flight, in a statement. “We plan to have all of these recovered heroes identified by the end of summer.” According to History Flight, the Quar-

termaster General’s Office declared in 1949 that the missing Marines were un- recoverable. It took History Flight nearly a decade, at a cost of millions of dollars, to locate their remains and return them to the U.S. History Flight said it will con-

PHOTO: DOD

tinue its work in the region because the remains of other American soldiers are still buried there.

Medal of Honor Museum Plans Unveiled

T

he National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation re-

leased in April conceptual architectural renderings and exhibit designs for the museum and education center to be constructed at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C. The National Medal of

Honor Museum will com- prise three buildings: a pavilion that will house the museum entrance and lobby, an exhibit space that will feature eight permanent and two special galleries, and a chapel for public and personal events. Throughout the space, visitors will be able to meet, interact with, and learn from Medal of Honor recipients through multimedia and interactive elements. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s

highest military award for valor in combat. To view the museum design concepts, visit http://bit.ly/1G4xxei.

MO

— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.

NOVEMBER 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 87

History Lesson On Nov. 17, 1924, USS Langley (CV-1/AV-3), the Na- vy’s first aircraft carrier, was announced ready for duty after successfully launching, recovering, and catapulting aircraft earlier that year.

1st Lt. Alexan- der Bonnyman Jr., USMC, died while forcing his way into enemy territory to se- cure victory on Tarawa Atoll.