Help bring them home
They served. They died. Let’s bring them home.
In 1947, across the United States, tens of thousands of American servicemen made their silent return from World War II. Over the next four years, they would be joined by hundreds of thousands of their brothers in arms.
In time, the U.S. would recover more than 280,000 of the fallen from World War II. It was an astounding feat, which has never been matched by any nation.
But more than 73,000 were still missing when the “Return of the WWII Dead Program” officially ended in 1951.
Today, more than 83,000 are missing from all U.S. foreign wars.
If the United States could, in the late 1940s, locate and positively identify our overseas dead from a world war, contact all of their next-of-kin regarding their burial instructions, burying them with honors in American cemeteries at home or overseas, surely we can do it now.
The fact is, the department tasked with locating, identifying, and recovering the remains of the fallen has failed so utterly, the department was disbanded in 2014 by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as directed by Congress in 2013. However, since that time, the department is spending $8 million dollars over 18 months with a consulting firm, rather than on recovery efforts. And their families are still waiting. Even after 70 years.
To the men and women who serve this country in our nation’s wars, and to their families, we owe everything.
I have a question for the American people: If someone died for you, would you walk away and leave them where they fell?Of course not. The American people honor our armed forces in life and in death. I believe that individually, every member of our Congress and certainly the President do the same. But we expect – and now we must demand – that they be brought home without further delay.
Please sign the Change.org petition
Calling all selfies! You can make a difference. Email me your picture holding a sign that says “No One Left Behind.” If you have a relative who is still MIA from an American overseas war, or if you have a loved one currently serving overseas, write their name on it as well.
Email your photo to me at NoOneLeftBehind@WW2Research.com and post it to your social media accounts. Be part of my upcoming video to help bring them home.
To honor their sacrifice,
Bill Beigel #NoOneLeftBehind
Bill
#NoOneLeftBehind
Please see these articles for more information:
- Wikipedia: Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
- Wikipedia: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
- CBS News Washington: “Families frustrated by changes to POW/MIA system”
- Stars and Stripes: JPAC’s critics skeptical that new POW/MIA agency will solve problems
- Stars and Stripes: POW/MIA groups ask Congress to investigate JPAC reorganization
- Associated Press: Pentagon sets up new POW-MIA office
- MissingPatriot.com: WWII Families for the Return of the Missing – March 2015 Newsletter
- WW2Research.com: MIA: No man left behind?
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My father was Paul D Jessop, he spoke of your Grandfather a lot. My father passed away in 2011 .The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Hi Bill, Thanks for putting this together. My grand uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert L. Woolfolk attended UCLA and I believe he graduated in 1936. He was on the waterpolo team. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." There is a B-17G tail gunner's compartment on display at the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to this crew. Regards, Nick VeronicoBill’s WW2 Almanac for January 21: Featuring Col. Randy’s Flying Circus
Hi! Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? I am curious to know more about him.Women in WWII: Cornelia Clark Fort
Interesting....very hard to know the 'who hit who'.....Fort had enough flying time to be a instructor, I know nothing about the other pilot. If Pastor Jeff had information on her being talked into a situation, I would love to know if reliable. Regardless, so many losses in so many ways.... My take is the WAFS/WASPS deserve a bit more of history's 'time in the books'. Many thanks for the commentary, StarrRemembering the Fallen: WWII Veterans of UCLA, Major Robert C. Maze
Bill, Are you still working on this blog? Rosemarie is my mother in law. She passed away 10 years ago. Her (and Roberts') son Robert Maze Jr is alive and well. I was googling Admiral Radford and ended up googling links... Thank you for your efforts here. Kim WoodsFrom Panatella to Ploesti
I’m looking for information on My Great great GRANDFATHER WAS ON A B-24 LIBERATOR CALLED: Diamond li
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