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| USAAF 5th AF 718th Base Unit   CILHI 1999 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Philip E. Miller, O-855507 718th Army Air Force Base Unit (MIA / KIA, BR) Pendleton, OR Crew Chief TSgt Matthew F. Neary, 39540319 68th A&C Service Group (MIA / KIA, BR) White Plains, NY Radio SSgt Troy B. Hewett, 14085851 68th A&C Service Group (MIA / KIA, BR) Miami, FL Passenger 1st Lt. Fred L. Smith, O-869748 718th Army Air Force Base Unit (MIA / KIA, BR) Greensboro, NC Passenger SSgt Veachel F. Straney, 15068630 718th Army Air Force Base Unit (MIA / KIA, BR) Calhoun, KY Passenger Sgt Charles M. Bosler, 37373769 68th A&C Service Group (MIA / KIA, BR) Kansas City, MO Passenger Sgt Finn Buer, 12188242 68th A&C Service Group (MIA / KIA, BR) New York, NY Passenger Sgt Earl H. Spredemann, 36258838 718th Army Air Force Base Unit (MIA / KIA, BR) West Allis, WI Crashed September 8, 1945 MACR 14989 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 98-21916. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25H-10 Mitchell serial number 43-4915. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 718th Army Air Force Base Unit (718th AAFBU). Nicknamed "Jacnic Snr". When lost, engines R-2600-29 serial numbers right 41-277-99 and left 42-769-97. No weapons were installed at the time of the crash. Mission History On September 8, 1945 took off from Garbutt Field at Townsville piloted by 1st Lt. Philip E. Miller on an administrative flight bound for Biak. Aboard were crew were assigned to the 68th Airways and Communications Service Group and 718th Army Air Force Base Unit. The weather was reported as overcast at 7,000-10,000' with rain and 5/10 cumulus base 1,500' - 20,000' and visibility of 1-3 miles or 10 miles and winds of 15 knots at 220 degrees. Last reported at 1608 by radio to Pfc Paul H. Hoffman. The C-47 report its position as 4 - 5 degrees south and 136 -137 degrees east. Search After it failed to return, Australian Air-Sea Rescue Squadron, AAC and ATC aircraft searched an area of 100 miles on each side of the flight path from Merauke to Biak. In total, search aircraft flew over 200 hours of search time. The search was overseen by Major Richard W. Hahn. Wreckage Crash site was discovered at 12,000' at the edge of a cliff near Timkua on Irian Jaya on December 24, 1995. US Army CILHI visited the site and recovered the remains of crew during January 1999. Memorials The entire crew was declared dead the day of the mission. As the flight was non-combat, none of the crew or passengers earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. After the remains of the crew were recovered, a rosette was added next to each name. On June 18, 2003 the remains of the crew were buried in a group burial at Arlington National Cemetery at section 60 site 8137. Miller also has a memorial marker at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, CA. Neary Hewett also has a memorial marker in Greenwood Cemetery in Ocala, Florida. Smith Straney also has a memorial marker at Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery in Owensboro, KY. Bosler also has a memorial marker at Highland Cemetery in Hamilton, MO. Buer also has an individual grave at Arlington National Cemetery at section 60 site 8138. Spredemann also has a memorial marker at Arlington Park Cemetery in Greenfield, WI. Rachel Phillips / JPAC adds: "In 1999, CILHI visited the site of MACR 14989, a B-25H type aircraft in Indonesia and not MACR 14666, the C-47 43-16230, which you are inquiring about. Both incidents are resolved." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Philip E. Miller NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Matthew F. Neary NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Troy B. Hewett NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Fred L. Smith NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Veachel F. Straney NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles M. Bosler NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Finn Buer NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Earl H. Spredemann Other sources list the nickname as "Jacnic Sr." USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25H-10 Mitchell 43-4915 "4915 MIA Sep 8, 1945. Wreckage found Dec 24, 1995 on the edge of a cliff near Timkua, West Irian, Indonesia. Remains of crew recovered Jan 1999." Missing Air Crew Report 14989 (MACR 14989) AWON Conference 2000 CILHI Recovery B-25H "Jacnic Snr" American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Philip E. Miller "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Philip E. Miller (group burial photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Philip E Miller (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Lieut Philip E. Miller (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Philip Earl Miller (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Matthew F. Neary "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Matthew F. Neary (group burial photo) FindAGrave - TSGT Matthew F. Neary (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - TSGT Matthew F Neary (group burial photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Troy B. Hewett Jr. "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Troy B. Hewett (group burial photos) FindAGrave - SSGT Troy Britton Hewett Jr. (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Troy Britton Hewett Jr. (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Troy Britton Hewett Jr. (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Fred L. Smith "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Fred L. Smith (group burial photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Fred L. Smith (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Fred L Smith (group burial photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Veachel F. Straney "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Veachel F. Straney (group burial photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Veachel F. Straney (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Veachel F Straney (group burial photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Veachel F Straney (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles M. Bosler "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Charles M. Bosler (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Charles M Bosler (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SGT Charles M Bosler (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Charles Marple Bosler (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Finn Buer "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Finn Buer (group burial photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Finn Buer (individual burial photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Finn Buer (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SGT Finn Buer (group burial photo, individual burial photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Earl H. Spredemann "remains have been accounted for" Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Earl H. Spredemann (group burial photo) FindAGrave - SGT Earl H. Spredemann (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SGT Earl H Spredemann (group burial photo) FindAGrave - SGT Earl Hugo Spredemann (memorial marker photo) Thanks to JPAC / Rachel Phillips for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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