thedrifter
07-19-07, 07:17 AM
Marine buried next to son he never met
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 19, 2007 6:58:12 EDT
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A Marine who went missing in the Vietnam War more than 40 years ago was buried in his hometown with full military honors Wednesday.
Cpl. Jim Moshier, 23, was one of 11 men on a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that came under enemy fire in South Vietnam on June 11, 1967, according to the Defense Department. After the helicopter crashed, pilots nearby who witnessed the incident reported that no one could have survived, and ground patrols never recovered any remains, the Pentagon said.
Then in May 2005, Vietnamese officials notified the U.S. that they had confiscated possible human remains and other items, including Moshier’s identification tag, from a citizen, according to the Defense Department. They turned over the items to U.S. military officials, who used DNA to link the remains to Moshier.
More than 300 mourners filled a chapel at Hillcrest Memorial Park on Wednesday to lay Moshier to rest.
“I didn’t think at that time he was actually gone,” said Moshier’s sister, George Ann DeMarco. “I held hope in my heart that he would show up someday.”
Moshier’s wife, Jan, had given birth to the couple’s only child just two months before he was killed. Eric Moshier was later killed by a drunken driver during his senior year of high school. Jim Moshier was buried Wednesday beside the son he never met, family members said.
Officials also linked recovered remains to another Marine on the ill-fated helicopter. The remains of Pfc. James Widener, of Chili, N.Y., were positively identified last August.
Ellie
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 19, 2007 6:58:12 EDT
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A Marine who went missing in the Vietnam War more than 40 years ago was buried in his hometown with full military honors Wednesday.
Cpl. Jim Moshier, 23, was one of 11 men on a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that came under enemy fire in South Vietnam on June 11, 1967, according to the Defense Department. After the helicopter crashed, pilots nearby who witnessed the incident reported that no one could have survived, and ground patrols never recovered any remains, the Pentagon said.
Then in May 2005, Vietnamese officials notified the U.S. that they had confiscated possible human remains and other items, including Moshier’s identification tag, from a citizen, according to the Defense Department. They turned over the items to U.S. military officials, who used DNA to link the remains to Moshier.
More than 300 mourners filled a chapel at Hillcrest Memorial Park on Wednesday to lay Moshier to rest.
“I didn’t think at that time he was actually gone,” said Moshier’s sister, George Ann DeMarco. “I held hope in my heart that he would show up someday.”
Moshier’s wife, Jan, had given birth to the couple’s only child just two months before he was killed. Eric Moshier was later killed by a drunken driver during his senior year of high school. Jim Moshier was buried Wednesday beside the son he never met, family members said.
Officials also linked recovered remains to another Marine on the ill-fated helicopter. The remains of Pfc. James Widener, of Chili, N.Y., were positively identified last August.
Ellie