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Remains of US soldier killed in PNG identified & to be laid to rest

John E Bainbridge
John E Bainbridge - killed in PNG during World War II, his body remained unidentified for 75 years

KEITH JACKSON | Source: WMTV, Madison, Wisconsin

WASHINGTON DC - In 1942, John E Bainbridge from Sheboygan, Wisconsin in the United States was just 23 when he was killed in a World War II battle in Papua New Guinea.

According to the US government, efforts to find Bainbridge’s body failed but, in 1943, remains of an unidentified American soldier had been interred at a US Armed Forces Cemetery in PNG, where they were designated ‘Unknown X-135’.

After the war, the remains were moved to the Philippines and re- interred at the American Cemetery there.

In 2017, the remains were disinterred and sent to a laboratory for analysis.

They were eventually positively identified as John E Bainbridge.

To identify the remains, scientists from the US Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used anthropological and other forms of analysis unavailable until recently.

Bainbridge will finally be buried on Thursday 29 September at Monona in Wisconsin.

About 7,000 American soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen were killed in the New Guinea campaign.

They include the 2,100 US Marines killed during the landings at Cape Gloucester on New Britain and the fighting on Bougainville.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. There are still 72,674 unaccounted for.

Comments

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Arthur Williams

Sad to see his remains by now obviously in very poor state were dug up three times and carted around the world.
I can never see why there is a need to do this.

As atheists claim it is just messing about with chemicals.
Some Christians and Muslims want to bury the bodies in the ground to rot and return to earth while others just burn the remains of their relatives and turn them to ashes and eventually to also return to the earth as well.

Whichever way you prefer.

'Death is the solution to all problems - No man No problem' said Joe Stalin.

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