JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recently completed an excavation of a suspected P-40 Warhawk aircraft crash site form World War II, found in the Hunan province of China.
From early August to mid-September, 12 military and specialized Department of Defense civilians formed a recovery team tasked with searching for and recovering the remains of a pilot lost 81years ago.
There have been approximately 10 recovery missions, including the recent one in Hunan province, since both countries agreed to work together in 1994.
The mission was very complex, with logistical challenges, but the cooperation and assistance from the US Embassy and Chinese officials resulted in successful operations. During the 30-day mission the DPAA team also received support from the People's Liberation Army Archives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, locals, and government officials who worked tirelessly to complete the mission.
Each day consisted of precise mechanical excavation and stacking the soil in a staging area. The soil was placed in buckets and moved by hand 100 meters, or approximately 328 feet, to a screening station. High-pressure water was used to remove the soil so the remaining contents could be thoroughly inspected with the goal of finding aircraft wreckage and human remains.
The team endured frequent rain and temperatures hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit daily, with some days reaching 104 degrees. Great care was needed to shore up footing on slopes and protection from the sun to ensure the safety of all personnel.
“Another challenge was mitigating environmental impact for both the land and a nearby stream,” said Dr. Rene Zielinski, scientific recovery leader for the team. “Excavation planning involves applying preventative techniques to minimize detrimental impacts, which facilitate land restoration back to a functional state post-excavation whenever possible.”
U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns visited both the U.S. and Chinese team members on the final day of the mission. Burns was impressed with the cooperation between everyone to complete the mission.
“I was incredibly impressed to visit the [DPAA] recovery site in China to learn about their painstaking work,” said Burns in a post on the social media site X. “The commitment of this team, led by Capt. Cole Euverard, Master Sgt. Eric Lawson, and Dr. Rene Zielinski, to look for our MIA is simply awe-inspiring,”
There are 678 unresolved cases from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and the Vietnam War in China. DPAA continues to work with mission partners and foreign governments, moving forward in reducing the number unaccounted for and bring answers to the families of the missing personnel.