Remains of airman found on King's Canyon glacier
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:04 pm
From Fresnobee.com
National Park Service officials confirmed today that they have retrieved the remains of a World War II-era serviceman on the Mount Mendel glacier, about 100 feet from where the remains of another airman were found two years ago.
Officials said they will have the remains flown to Hawaii for identification by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.
Body was found Wednesday by a Seattle-area author who was doing research on a book about the airman found in 2005, park service officials said today.
Peter Stekel was hiking in the backcountry when he found the body. He started hiking out Thursday and arrived at a ranger station Friday to let them know what he found. Rangers flew to the area Saturday to confirm the find, and again Sunday to begin making arrangements to get the remains off the mountains.
J.D. Swed, chief ranger of Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Parks, said there are indications the remains could be from the same plane as the one that carried Leo Mustonen, 22, of Brainerd, Minn. His remains were discovered by hikers in October 2005. But Swed said they will have to wait for positive ID to know for sure.
Park Ranger Debbie Brenchley said the airman's parachute was still folded up and the pull cord was on his chest.
A blizzard is believed to have caused the crash on the 13,691-foot Sierra Nevada peak, according to weather reports on Nov. 18, 1942. When the crash occurred, the training flight was about 200 miles off course. Others on that flight were: Army cadets John Mortensen, 25, of Moscow, Idaho; Ernest Munn, 23, of St. Clairesville, Ohio; and the pilot, 2nd Lt. William Gamber, 23, of Fayette, Ohio.