Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Body Of WWII Airman Removed From Sierra Glacier
KTVU.com & AP ^ | October 20, 2005 | AP

Posted on 10/21/2005 3:13:19 PM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL

Body Of WWII Airman Removed From Sierra Glacier

POSTED: 11:17 am PDT October 19, 2005 UPDATED: 10:48 am PDT October 20, 2005

FRESNO -- A glacier-encased body believed to be a World War II airman who crashed into the Sierra Nevada in 1942 was flown off the mountain and into a Fresno laboratory for identification, the county's deputy coroner said Thursday.

Blustery conditions kept rangers at Kings Canyon National Park from reaching the frozen remains for two days after two ice climbers reported last weekend they had seen a man's head, shoulder and arm protruding from the thick ice.

About 80 percent of the body was buried in the glacier on the side of the 13,710-foot Mount Mendel. The remote wilderness area can only be reached by hiking two or three days, or by helicopter when the weather allows, rangers said.

click link above to read the rest

(Excerpt) Read more at ktvu.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; US: California
KEYWORDS: airmen; archaeology; ernestmunn; frozen; history; lost; mia; pilot; veteran; wwii
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
I guess you can thank Global Warming for his find. Now he can be returned to his family and they can rest somewhat easier knowing that he has been recovered.
1 posted on 10/21/2005 3:13:20 PM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL

It's probably due more to the movement of the glacier. There was a story not long ago about an aircraft spit out by a glacier many miles from where it had crashed. On Everest, there is a recurring body of an explorer, whose name escapes me, that is seen at different times.


2 posted on 10/21/2005 3:22:41 PM PDT by somemoreequalthanothers (All for the betterment of "the state", comrade)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL

Actually if the global warming myth were true, then the glacier he hit would have been steadily receding since the time of the crash. Since that is clearly not the case, then global warming is indeed a myth, and not all the glaciers are receding overall, as claimed by the global warming hysterics. In fact, this incident would tend to suggest that glacier extent is cyclical on observable cycles, which is, in fact, true!


3 posted on 10/21/2005 3:24:07 PM PDT by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL
May god bless this airman.

If he were alive today, he would be appalled by the blatant anti-americanism from the MSM and the other major party.

4 posted on 10/21/2005 3:30:03 PM PDT by lormand (Dead people vote DemocRAT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lormand

I would say welcome home old timer and sorry about the way we handled things since you left.


5 posted on 10/21/2005 3:45:05 PM PDT by mountainlyons (Still angry after all these years!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL
This is an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of those who have died in the service of their country.

Photos here.

6 posted on 10/21/2005 3:45:20 PM PDT by concentric circles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL

He gave all.

Would suggest that they positively identify him, if possible.
Notify any family.
Then bury him close to where he has been all these years.
Full military honors, proper tomestone etc.


7 posted on 10/21/2005 4:18:35 PM PDT by 76834 (There's nothing wrong with sobriety in moderation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 76834
They don't know who he is. They felt that the 1942 plane that crashed while being flown to CHICO from Rancho Cordova (sacramento) might pose a problem. In 1947 they recovered the body parts of four people who crashed at speed into the hillside. This would make that a fifth person.
8 posted on 10/21/2005 4:41:38 PM PDT by Domangart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Domangart

Didnt know that but still:
Apparently they found the body in an unstable glacier.

Would be good to find an area on solid ground as close to where the made the find.

Set it up as a small cemetary and bury them all there.


9 posted on 10/21/2005 4:44:48 PM PDT by 76834 (There's nothing wrong with sobriety in moderation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: somemoreequalthanothers
...a recurring body...

Interesting phrase! Don't know if I've ever seen those two words together like that! ;>)

10 posted on 10/21/2005 4:44:55 PM PDT by Husker8877
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 76834
Then bury him close to where he has been all these years.

There really isn't any place up there that you could bury him. There's nothing but rocks and ice. Anyway, it's within a National Park and they probably have rules, ya know.

11 posted on 10/21/2005 4:46:59 PM PDT by sangoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: sangoo

Rules Shummles.

Somehow I have pictured something like the last scene of the movie "Red Dawn"

If not a cemetary then at least a memorial.


12 posted on 10/21/2005 4:53:22 PM PDT by 76834 (There's nothing wrong with sobriety in moderation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: mountainlyons

I think he would be mighty proud of our Military, and what they are accomplishing today!

LLS


13 posted on 10/21/2005 4:57:55 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GOP_1900AD

Your comment reminded me of this:

A New Alpine Melt Theory

By Hilmar Schmundt

The Alpine glaciers are shrinking, that much we know. But new research suggests that in the time of the Roman Empire, they were smaller than today. And 7,000 years ago they probably weren't around at all. A group of climatologists have come up with a controversial new theory on how the Alps must have looked over the ages.

He may not look like a revolutionary, but Ulrich Joerin, a wiry Swiss scientist in his late twenties, is part of a small group of climatologists who are in the process of radically changing the image of the Swiss mountain world. He and a colleague are standing in front of the Tschierva Glacier in Engadin, Switzerland at 2,200 meters (7,217 feet). "A few thousand years ago, there were no glaciers here at all," he says. "Back then we would have been standing in the middle of a forest." He digs into the ground with his mountain boot until something dark appears: an old tree trunk, covered in ice, polished by water and almost black with humidity. "And here is the proof," says Joerin...

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,druck-357366,00.html


14 posted on 10/21/2005 5:04:56 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (Understand islam understand evil - read THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free pdf see link My Page)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lormand

Don't know how old you are but I can assure you that as far as I remember and have read, the media has been anti American since the 30s at least.


15 posted on 10/21/2005 5:08:52 PM PDT by OldFriend (David Gelernter ~ American Patriot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Husker8877

Yeah, I wasn't sure if that made any sense whatsoever, but I figured I'd go with it.


16 posted on 10/21/2005 5:41:41 PM PDT by somemoreequalthanothers (All for the betterment of "the state", comrade)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL

This is really something. Our paper had pictures of his body yesterday and today. A miracle he was found after all of these years.


17 posted on 10/21/2005 5:43:35 PM PDT by ladyinred (It is all my fault okay?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: somemoreequalthanothers
On Everest, there is a recurring body of an explorer, whose name escapes me, that is seen at different times.

That would be George Leigh Mallory, the Brit who said he had to climb Everest "because it's there." An expedition found the body in 1999 and brought it off the mountain. There's some evidence he made it to the summit.

Wikipedia article : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Leigh_Mallory

18 posted on 10/21/2005 7:22:32 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (He's the guy who doesn't know things and he's gonna eat your dog!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MAD-AS-HELL

BEECHCRAFT AT-7 NAVIGATOR

"The AT-7 had a crew of two and seats for one instructor and individual chart tables for three navigation students and a rotatable astrodome just behind the cockpit. "


19 posted on 10/21/2005 7:57:54 PM PDT by wolficatZ (Higgens - "Zeus...Apollo...Patrol!"....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Domangart
"They don't know who he is. They felt that the 1942 plane that crashed while being flown to CHICO from Rancho Cordova (sacramento) might pose a problem. In 1947 they recovered the body parts of four people who crashed at speed into the hillside. This would make that a fifth person."

==================================================

I'm sure that this man will be identified. He's in the Army---probably wearing dogtags, has his wallet on him and likely has his name stenciled on his clothes. Could even have his logbook with him.

Possibly survived a crash and was trying to walk out. Maybe fell into a crevasse or just plain froze to death or maybe expired after a while from injuries. If he was killed in a crash outright and body expelled then there ought to be an airplane in the general vicinity.

20 posted on 10/21/2005 7:58:16 PM PDT by Rockpile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson