World War Dreams: Salvage mission brings back heroes thought lost

World War Dreams: Salvage mission brings back heroes thought lost

On June 1, 2025, the unveiling of new recovery projects illuminates a long history of the missing and the search for their remains. A current example is the tragic case of the US bomber “Heaven Can Wait”, which crashed over the Pacific on March 11, 1944 during World War II. The bomber crashed near the island of New Guinea, killing all eleven crew members. The humane tragedy was marked for decades by the official classification of the bodies as “impossible to recover”. This assessment increased the pressure on the family members of the fallen, who did not want to accept this situation.

The families, led by Scott Althaus, a relative of bombardier Thomas Kelly, began extensive research into the crash site 12 years ago. Althaus evaluated historical documents and eyewitness reports that ultimately clearly identified the crash site off Anwar Point in Papua New Guinea. These findings were donated to the non-profit project Project Recover which is working with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to recover the remains of the fallen soldiers.

Salvage achievements

In 2017, the bomber's debris field was systematically searched over an area of ​​almost 27 square kilometers of seabed. After years of effort, in 2023, the US Navy diving team finally discovered dog tags and human remains. DNA testing confirmed the identities of Eugene Darrigan, Thomas Kelly, Herbert Tennyson and Donald Sheppick. However, seven crew members are still officially missing.

Darrigan was buried with military honors in Wappingers Falls, New York and was honored by a large number of people. Kelly's grave is at the memorial stone with the bomber engraved on it. The deceased Tennyson and Sheppick will also be buried in Kansas and Pennsylvania in the coming months. These developments show the enormous importance of remembrance work for relatives and society.

The search for the crew of another bomber

In parallel with these recovery operations, Project Recover is planning a new project to locate a B-52 bomber that disappeared off the Texas coast in 1968. The radar operator at a Remote Radar Bomb Scoring (RBS) site last received contact on February 28, 1968 with B-52 bomber MEAL 88, which was scheduled to return for an electronically scored pass. After the last transmission with the code “Rog 88”, contact was abruptly lost and the crew remained missing to this day.

After the search was stopped nine days later due to a lack of leads, 132 relatives were left uncertain about their loved ones. Death certificates were issued and the case was officially closed. But Project Recover members believe closure is now possible for these families. Thanks to new forensic analyzes and technological advances in maritime archaeology, they are conducting a new search with a high probability of success.

To achieve this goal, Project Recover and the B-52 Bomber Down Team have launched a fundraising campaign. The goal is to find the missing crew by the end of 2025. The 21-day search mission, which commemorates the tragic circumstances of war and the ongoing efforts for remembrance and closure, requires a budget of $500,000. The work to clarify these fates will continue so that the relatives can find the certainty they have been looking for for so long.