Remains of WWII pilot killed during spy mission identified after 82 years
Summary
The U.S. military has identified the remains of 1st Lt. Franklin H. McKinney, a pilot who disappeared during a World War II spy mission over Thailand and Burma 82 years ago. His remains were found in 2022 at a crash site in Thailand and confirmed using modern forensic methods.Key Facts
- 1st Lt. Franklin H. McKinney was 21 years old and part of the 35th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Redhawks."
- He disappeared on November 5, 1944, during a reconnaissance flight over Burma and Thailand from a U.S. base in China.
- No contact or crash evidence was found immediately after his plane vanished, and his remains were missing for decades.
- A wartime report suggested his plane was struck by lightning and crashed in Thailand's Lampang Province.
- Researchers found a crash site in 2018, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) investigated it in 2019 and 2021.
- Possible human remains were uncovered in 2022 and later identified as McKinney’s through forensic testing.
- His family will be briefed, a rosette will be added next to his name on the Walls of the Missing, and he will receive a military burial with honors.
- McKinney’s name had been listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
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