thedrifter
01-19-09, 06:32 AM
65 years after Ryan disappeared in a dogfight, Marine fighter pilot buried in Charleston
By David Slade
The Post and Courier
Monday, January 19, 2009
A hero comes home, published 01/17/09
The last time Charleston native Ryan McCown was seen alive, the Marine aviator was in the middle of a dogfight over the Pacific Ocean with a Japanese Zero on his tail.
On Sunday, 65 years after his plane went down, Maj. Marion Ryan McCown Jr. was laid to rest in the Unitarian Church of Charleston cemetery beside his mother's grave, with the thanks of a grateful nation.
His remains were found last year on a mountainside on New Britain island, New Guinea, inside what was left of his Corsair fighter.
McCown would have been 92 years old, were he still alive, and most who knew him during his youth have passed on.
But the church on Archdale Street was filled to capacity.
"With the discovery of his long-lost remains, we are given this opportunity to remember his life," said the Rev. Peter E. Lanzillotta.
McCown was remembered Sunday as a local hero; a Boy Scout, a sailor, and Golden Gloves boxer who volunteered for the Marines after the United States was drawn into World War II.
McCown already had a pilot's license when he enlisted, and he became a member of Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-321, the "Hell's Angels."
On Jan. 20, 1944, he volunteered for what would become his last mission, flying escort on a mission to bomb the Japanese air base at Rabaul in New Guinea.
"A few days earlier, he had celebrated his 27th birthday," said his sister, Jane McCown McKinney.
McKinney was three months old when her brother died. Like some other relatives who attended the service, she knew McCown through the stories of friends and older family members, and she passed those stories along.
"Because our children remember Ryan, and told his story to others, we were able to bring him home sooner," McKinney said.
When the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command found McCown's downed fighter, the family learned of the discovery from an article in The Boston Globe newspaper. McCown's nephew, John Almeida, contacted the Marine Corps before the authorities had a chance to locate and notify the family.
Almeida, also a Marine, grew up idolizing his uncle, who became missing in action a year before Almeida was born.
For years Almeida held onto McCown's uniform and some of his letters home. Last summer, after the aviator's remains were found, McCown's dog tags were delivered to Almeida.
McKinney said the service Sunday was a sorrowful but triumphant occasion.
"He was the perfect example of the greatest generation," she said. "Finally, he was found and he is home in his beloved Charleston, with his parents and friends."
McCown was a member of the Unitarian Church of Charleston, and his parents were married there.
McCown was buried with military honors, with a traditional three-volley rifle salute and a fly-over by F/A-18 Hornets. Marines, Citadel cadets and members of the Patriot Guard Riders lined the pathways of the cemetery.
McKinney captured the mood with a simple phrase during the service: "Welcome home, Ryan, and thank you."
Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.
Ellie
By David Slade
The Post and Courier
Monday, January 19, 2009
A hero comes home, published 01/17/09
The last time Charleston native Ryan McCown was seen alive, the Marine aviator was in the middle of a dogfight over the Pacific Ocean with a Japanese Zero on his tail.
On Sunday, 65 years after his plane went down, Maj. Marion Ryan McCown Jr. was laid to rest in the Unitarian Church of Charleston cemetery beside his mother's grave, with the thanks of a grateful nation.
His remains were found last year on a mountainside on New Britain island, New Guinea, inside what was left of his Corsair fighter.
McCown would have been 92 years old, were he still alive, and most who knew him during his youth have passed on.
But the church on Archdale Street was filled to capacity.
"With the discovery of his long-lost remains, we are given this opportunity to remember his life," said the Rev. Peter E. Lanzillotta.
McCown was remembered Sunday as a local hero; a Boy Scout, a sailor, and Golden Gloves boxer who volunteered for the Marines after the United States was drawn into World War II.
McCown already had a pilot's license when he enlisted, and he became a member of Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-321, the "Hell's Angels."
On Jan. 20, 1944, he volunteered for what would become his last mission, flying escort on a mission to bomb the Japanese air base at Rabaul in New Guinea.
"A few days earlier, he had celebrated his 27th birthday," said his sister, Jane McCown McKinney.
McKinney was three months old when her brother died. Like some other relatives who attended the service, she knew McCown through the stories of friends and older family members, and she passed those stories along.
"Because our children remember Ryan, and told his story to others, we were able to bring him home sooner," McKinney said.
When the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command found McCown's downed fighter, the family learned of the discovery from an article in The Boston Globe newspaper. McCown's nephew, John Almeida, contacted the Marine Corps before the authorities had a chance to locate and notify the family.
Almeida, also a Marine, grew up idolizing his uncle, who became missing in action a year before Almeida was born.
For years Almeida held onto McCown's uniform and some of his letters home. Last summer, after the aviator's remains were found, McCown's dog tags were delivered to Almeida.
McKinney said the service Sunday was a sorrowful but triumphant occasion.
"He was the perfect example of the greatest generation," she said. "Finally, he was found and he is home in his beloved Charleston, with his parents and friends."
McCown was a member of the Unitarian Church of Charleston, and his parents were married there.
McCown was buried with military honors, with a traditional three-volley rifle salute and a fly-over by F/A-18 Hornets. Marines, Citadel cadets and members of the Patriot Guard Riders lined the pathways of the cemetery.
McKinney captured the mood with a simple phrase during the service: "Welcome home, Ryan, and thank you."
Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.
Ellie