Tributes to MIA Investigator Clayton Kuhles from Notable Individuals and Organizations
Gary Zaetz
Founder and Chairman of Families and Supporters of America's Arunachal Missing in Action
by Gary Zaetz, Chairman of Families and Supporters of America's Arunachal Missing in Action
Vermont Legislature
On April 5, 2013, the Vermont House of Representatives and the Vermont Senate adopted Vermont House Concurrent Resolution HCR089 Honoring The Memory Of 1st Lieutenant Irwin Zaetz And Captain William Swanson Of The World War II U.S. Army Air Corps Hot As Hell Aircraft Crew And The Work Of Clayton Kuhles In Locating Missing In Action World War II American Military Aircraft?(https://legiscan.com/VT/bill/HCR089/2013)
Rolling Thunder Massachusetts Chapter 1
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On April 18, 2013,Joe D'Entremont, President of Rolling Thunder Massachusetts Chapter 1, notified MIA Recoveries that Rolling Thunder Massachusetts Chapter 1
strongly endorses the Vermont Legislature’s adoption on April 5, 2013 of
Vermont House Concurrent Resolution HCR 89, entitled HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION HONORING THE MEMORY OF 1ST LIEUTENANT IRWIN ZAETZ AND CAPTAIN WILLIAM SWANSON OF THE WORLD WAR II U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS HOT AS HELL AIRCRAFT CREW AND THE WORK OF CLAYTON KUHLES IN LOCATING MISSING IN ACTION WORLD WAR II AMERICAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT.
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Rolling Thunder Vermont Chapter 1
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On April 18, 2013, Clayton Kuhles' MIA Recoveries organization was?notified by Joe Young, President of Rolling Thunder Vermont Chapter 1, that Rolling Thunder Vermont Chapter 1 strongly endorses the Vermont Legislature’s adoption on April 5, 2013 of Vermont House Concurrent Resolution HCR 89, entitled HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION HONORING THE MEMORY OF 1ST LIEUTENANT IRWIN ZAETZ AND CAPTAIN WILLIAM SWANSON OF THE WORLD WAR II U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS HOT AS HELL AIRCRAFT CREW AND THE WORK OF CLAYTON KUHLES IN LOCATING MISSING IN ACTION WORLD WAR II AMERICAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT
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The Defense Department's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC)
"Mr. Clayton Kuhles visited the [India MACR 2140 A.K.A. 'Hot as Hell'] site in 2006 and located a wing and a panel with the construction number 2878. The wreckage correlates with a B-24J serial number 42-73308 with call sign 'Hot as Hell' assigned to the 14th Air Force, 308th Bomb Group."
(Stephen E. Thompson, External Relations Officer, JPAC, at the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office Family Update, Durham, North Carolina, April 24, 2010, in Powerpoint presentation "Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command", page 11)
Arizona Governor Janice K. Brewer
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WHEREAS, Clayton Kuhles has dedicated his time and resources to locate and document World War II aircraft and aircrews lost in the CBI theater; and
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WHEREAS, to date, Clayton Kuhles has located 15 U.S. aircraft crash sites, accounting for 106 Missing in Action U.S. aircrew members, including the Williams Air Force based crew of the B-24J Liberator, nicknamed "Hot as Hell"; and
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WHEREAS, Clayton Kuhles has since assisted surviving family members of the lost aircrews to successfully petition the United States Air Force for the recovery of the crew's remains.
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NOW, THEREFORE, I, Janice K. Brewer, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim May 14, 2009 as
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* CLAYTON KUHLES DAY *
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona
DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on this fourteenth day of May in the year Two Thousand and Nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred and Thirty-third.
(https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/register/2009/26/governor.pdf)ww.azsos.gov/aar/2009/26/governor.pdf)
Arizona House of Representatives??49th Legislature – May 14, 2009
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House Recognition of Clayton Kuhles
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Whereas on December 7, 2006, Clayton Kuhles of Prescott, Arizona, discovered the crash site and wreckage of “Hot as Hell” in a remote area of India; and
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Whereas, Clayton Kuhles has dedicated his personal time and resources, at the risk of life and health, to locate 15 American and Allied aircraft, and 106 Missing in Action Allied personnel associated with those same aircraft, lost in the India-Burma-China theater of war; and
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Whereas, Clayton Kuhles has since assisted surviving family members of the crew to successfully petition for the recovery of the crew’s remains by the United States Air Force in cooperation with the government of India; and
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Whereas, this mission to be conducted in 2009 will, after 65 years, secure the remains of eight brave and honored Americans for interment in their native soil; and
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Therefore, the undersigned members of the Arizona House of Representatives hereby express deep appreciation to Clayton Kuhles and salute him for his exemplary public service.
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Kirk D. Adams
Speaker of the House
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Lucy Mason
State Representative
Georgia State Senate?- March 26, 2013?-?A RESOLUTION recognizing and commending Mr. Clayton Kuhles; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Mr. Clayton Kuhles, a recycling operator and mountaineer in Prescott, Arizona, spends his spare time locating the crash sites of American World War II aircraft in the China-Burma-India region; and
WHEREAS, on December 7, 2006, he found a crashed B-24 in the mountainous Arunachal Pradesh region of northeast India, which proved to be the very aircraft that First Lieutenant Robert Eugene Oxford, a Concord, Georgia, resident, was on when it disappeared; and
WHEREAS, the aircraft discovered by Mr. Kuhles matches the description of the World War II aircraft, a B-24 Liberator, attached to the 425th Bomb Squadron, 308th Bomb Group, 14th Air Force, which failed to arrive at its destination on January 25, 1944; and
WHEREAS, since the day the aircraft was reported missing, the entire eight-man crew on the B-24 Liberator has been listed as missing in action; and
WHEREAS, the families of these courageous individuals, and specifically the family of Lieutenant Robert Eugene Oxford, have gained a sense of peace and closure with the knowledge of what was likely the final resting place of their loved ones; and
WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that Mr. Clayton Kuhles be recognized for his extraordinary discovery.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize Mr. Clayton Kuhles for helping solve a mystery that has left eight families grieving with questions unanswered; commend him for his diligence in locating crash sites as his discoveries have the ability to impact history and give families peace; and extend their sincere best wishes for future success.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of North Carolina
RECOVER THE REMAINS OF THE HOT AS HELL CREW
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WHEREAS, on January 25, 1944, a B-24J aircraft named “Hot as Hell” flew a resupply mission from Kunming, China to Chabua, India known as “The Hump”; and
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WHEREAS, the crew of eight, 1LT William A . Swanson (VT), Flight Officer Sheldon L. Chambers (PA), 1LT Irwin G. Zaetz (VT), 1LT Robert E. Oxford (GA), SSG Charles D. Ginn (IL), SSG Harry B Queen (MA), SGT James A. Hinson (NC), SGT Alfred H. Gerrans, Jr. (NC), did not arrive at their destination and were declared dead on 20 November 1944; and
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WHEREAS, Clayton Kuhles is commended for finding the wreckage of the “Hot a Hell” on 7 December 2006, during a personal expedition to specifically research downed WWII aircraft in this area; and
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WHEREAS, Larry Zaetz, brother of 1LT Irwin Zaetz, and Gary Zaetz of Cary, NC, nephew of 1LT Zaetz, have spent painstaking time researching and contacting family members of the “Hot as Hell” crew; and
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WHEREAS, the “Hot as Hell” family led by Larry and Gary Zaetz have been the driving force between the governments of India and the United States renewing humanitarian efforts to recover remains of unaccounted for Americans from WWII; therefore
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BE IT RESOLVED, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States strongly supports the efforts of U.S. and Indian government officials in reestablishing humanitarian efforts for the recovery of the “Hot as Hell”; and
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we strongly urge the Congress to direct the Department of Defense to carry out this recovery mission as quickly as possible and to fully fund efforts to locate and return to U.S. soil all recoverable remains from this theater of operation.
Adopted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Department of North Carolina on 14 June 2008.?
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
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CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
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Be it known to all that Clayton Kuhles is awarded this certificate in recognition of his dedicated service to the families of World War II MIA Aircrews.
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The time and effort you have given to find these crash sites is greatly appreciated not only by the families that you have brought closure to but to all Arizonans.
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On behalf of the citizens of the State of Arizona, I thank you and commend you for your admirable service.?Best wishes and success in all future endeavors.
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IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona.
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Janet Napolitano
Governor
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DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on this eleventh day of April in the year Two Thousand and Eight and of the Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred and Thirty-second
ATTEST
Janice K. Brewer
Secretary of State
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The Legislature of the State of North Carolina
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2007
RATIFIED BILL
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RESOLUTION 2008-23
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2798
领英推荐
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A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE CREW OF THE B-24J LIBERATOR WHO WAS LOST DURING WORLD WAR II, AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO CLAYTON KUHLES FOR HIS DISCOVERY OF THE PLANE, NICKNAMED “HOT AS HELL,” IN 2006
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Whereas, in April of 1942, Allied Forces began flying missions from India over the Himalayan Mountains to supply Chinese forces fighting the Japanese; and
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Whereas, these resupply missions over “The Hump” were among the most dangerous of World War II resulting in the loss of hundreds of aircraft and crew of which more than 500 aircraft and 1,200 crew members still remain missing today; and
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Whereas, on January 25, 1944, the crew of the B-24J Liberator, nicknamed “Hot as Hell,” was lost on a return flight from Kunming, China, to Chabua, India; and
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Whereas, on November 20, 1944, the eight crew members were declared dead, including Pilot, 1st Lt. William A. Swanson; Co-Pilot, Flight Officer Sheldon L. Chambers; Navigator, 1st Lt. Irwin Zaetz; Bombardier, 1st Lt. Robert E. Oxford; Engineer, Staff Sgt. Charles D. Ginn; Radio Op., Staff Sgt. Harry B. Queen; Gunner, Sgt. James A. Hinson; and Gunner, Sgt. Alfred H. Gerrans; and
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Whereas, Sergeant James A. Hinson was a native of Greensboro, North Carolina and Sergeant Alfred H. Gerrans was a native of Kinston, North Carolina; and
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Whereas, Flight Officer Sheldon Chambers was the uncle of Shirley Black of Mocksville, North Carolina, and 1st Lt. Irwin Zaetz was the uncle of Gary Zaetz of Cary, North Carolina, who has been instrumental in locating the surviving family members of the crew; and
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Whereas, on December 7, 2006, Clayton Kuhles of Prescott, Arizona, discovered the crash site of “Hot as Hell” in a remote area of India; and
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Whereas, Clayton Kuhles has dedicated his personal time and resources to locate American and Allied aircraft lost in the India-China-Burma theater of war; and
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Whereas, Clayton Kuhles has since assisted surviving family members of the crew to successfully petition for the recovery of the crew’s remains by the United States Air Force in cooperation with the government of India; and
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Whereas, this mission to be conduced in 2008 will, after 64 years, secure the remains of eight brave and honored Americans for interment in their native soil;
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Now, therefore,
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Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
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SECTION 1.?The General Assembly wishes to honor the memory of the crew of the B-24 Liberator, “Hot as Hell”, who gave the full measure of their lives while rendering service to our country during World War II, and pays tribute to all members of the Armed Forces still missing in action.
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SECTION 2. The General Assembly wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the work of Clayton Kuhles whose efforts and dedication to the memory of American service members lost in the India-Burma-China theater of war led to the discovery of these and other missing airmen.
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SECTION 3.?The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Kuhles and to the surviving families of the crew members of the “Hot as Hell”.
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SECTION 4.?This resolution is effective upon ratification.
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In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 3rd day of July, 2008.
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Beverly E. Purdue
President of the Senate
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Joe Hackney
Speaker of the House of Representatives??
Rep. George Holding, 13th Congressional District of North Carolina, United States House of Representatives, in the Congressional Record, January 25, 2013
TRIBUTE TO “HOT AS HELL”
Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, on January 25, 1944 a B-24 assigned to the Air Force’s 425th Bombardment Squadron set out on a resupply mission to Chabua, India from Kunming China as part of the Pacific campaign in World War II.?Tragically this plane named “Hot as Hell”- and its crew – never reached their final destination.
I rise to honor the 69th anniversary of the fatal crash that took the lives of the eight crew members proudly serving in the United States Air Force.?Extreme weather conditions caused the formation that day to separate and eventually led to the downing of five B-24’s – two of which were not immediately recovered.
For years the families of those brave servicemen remained without answers and closure.??In the post-war years, the Army conducted search operations in an attempt to locate the downed aircraft but failed to discover any signs of the aircraft.?Eventually, all the members of the crew – 1st Lt. William A. Swanson, F/O Sheldon L. Chambers, 1st Lt. Irwin Zaetz, 1st Lt. Robert E. Oxford, SSgt. Harry B. Queen, SSgt. Charles D. Ginn, Sgt. Alfred H. Gerrans, Jr. and Sgt. James A. Hinson – had their names inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines.
In 2006, over sixty years after the fact, the families of those airmen received some closure.?Arizona native Clayton Kuhles, who has dedicated part of his life to locating and recovering missing-in-action?US airmen from World War II in China, Burma, and India, successfully located the aircraft that went down in the mountains of northeast India.?This incredible discovery is one example of the work Mr. Kuhles continues to do on behalf of those families and friends who lost loves defending our nation.
Col. Juan I. Chavez (US Army, Retired), President of the Cape Fear chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (from letter to Gary Zaetz dated March 23, 2012):
"Many of our members were unaware of the thousands of American MIA's still unrecovered after so many years. To learn of the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices being made by men like Clayton Kuhles and volunteers like you to find them and bring them home is inspirational...Please accept our best wishes for success in your fund raising endeavors to make future recovery expeditions possible."
Joe Kleinsmith, former All State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
“One man’s efforts can make a difference and have.?Gary Zaetz and Clayton Kuhles each have in their own way.?They should be publicly recognized and awarded by our government.?Our government’s speed of response and investigation is inexcusable!?Clayton Kuhles made 6 prior discoveries and nobody in US government woke up. They are slower than a turtle in matters like this but fast as greyhounds in raising taxes.”
Joe Kleinsmith
All State Cmdr (1998-2000)
SFC, US Army, Retired (1971-1991)
The?Washington?Post
“The?journey?Kuhles?has?undertaken?from?Arizona?to?Arunachal?Pradesh?is part?Himalayan?adventure,?part?historical?quest?and?part?humanitarian?mission.
In?the?past?two?years,?he?has?climbed??treacherous?peaks?and?combed?tropical
forests?to?find?the?wreckage?of?more?than?a?dozen?U.S.?planes?that?crashed?in
the?Himalayan?regions?of?India,?Burma?and?China?during?World?War?II.?More?than
1,300?people?went?missing?while?flying?in?the?area?and?were?declared?dead.?About
415?people?from?90?aircraft?were?lost?over?India?alone.?By locating the wreckage, Kuhles has provided answers and mementos to the families of scores of missing American servicemen. “
Military Officer magazine (official publication of the Military Officers Association of America)
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“Kuhles returned to the region in 2002, and over the years has mounted 10 expeditions to Burma and India, sometimes two in one year. ‘I've made it my focus, and I'm constantly finding more wrecks;' he observes. ‘There seems to be an unending supply.’ To date, Kuhles has uncovered 14 crash sites and positively identified eight planes through serial or construction numbers. He relies on a network of contacts to locate the sites and recruits porters and hunters from local villages to take him to them. He photographs the wreckage and jots down pertinent details. If human remains are visible on the ground and in jeopardy of being lost or destroyed, he bags them and sends them to JPAC along with his site report.
“Kuhles pays for these missions out of his own pocket. He also has suffered physically for his efforts, contracting dysentery twice and dengue fever once, not to mention numerous infected leech bites. But still he goes back.”
China-Burma-India Hump Pilots Association
“Clayton is not without strong support for his efforts beyond the HPA. The Myanmar Ambassador to the U. S., the honorable Linn Myaing, has expressed enthusiasm and support for his recovery
efforts and has stated he will so express this support to U. S. officials. He also has the support of the U. S. Ambassador to Myanmar and the U. S. Air Attaché in Rangoon. So it can be seen that his efforts have very high level support. This is a great expression of confidence for what he is doing. We wish him the very best in his searches this fall.”
J. V. Vinyard, President, China-Burma-India Hump Pilots Association:
“I am sure it has been noted that more than a little recognition has been given in our recent newsletters to Mr. Clayton Kuhles of Prescott, AZ, who has become a one man search team in looking for downed Hump aircraft still missing in Burma (now Myanmar).
“Personally I am very pleased that he has developed a serious interest in undertaking such an expensive and dangerous mission as this. Due to the limited finances and manpower that the Joint POW/MIA
Accounting Command (JPAC) has available Mr. Kuhles has become our best bet on locating additional missing aircraft and crews during our lifetime. I have been providing him whatever support I can in the name of the Hump Pilots Association in an effort to expand his efforts.”
John D. Lukacs, author of the book?Escape from Davao:??The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War??(Simon & Schuster, 2010)
“Here’s an extremely interesting, not to mention inspiring story about a private individual who voluntarily searches for the remains of lost Allied service personnel scattered across the remote mountain reaches of the Himalayas, the area known famously as “The Hump”. It was over The Hump that some of World War II’s most difficult and demanding missions were flown. Because of his selfless dedication and willingness to invest not only his own time, but a considerable amount of his own financial resources, Clayton Kuhles fits my definition of a hero. Please check out Kuhles’ site here and consider making a donation to help fund his expeditions. “
Arizona State Rep. Lucy Mason
““Clayton Kuhles is a patriot and a true American hero, who gives of himself to honor those who have fallen,” Rep. Mason said. “Mr. Kuhles is a mountain climber who uses his own resources to make countless trips to India in an effort to locate and identify America’s missing in action personnel,” she added.”
India Today
“In five expeditions in as many years, this 52-year-old businessman from Arizona has legged his way through the leech-infested jungles of Arunachal Pradesh to rediscover the remains of 15 crashed US Air Force aircraft, bringing closure to dozens of families.
“Kuhles taps into his contacts in the hill tribes of the north-eastern state for sightings of crash remains. He spends a month and about $8,000 every year to excavate the remains of the transport aircraft which went down due to bad weather or engine trouble. In just six weeks between September and October this year, he discovered the remains of seven crashed aircraft.
“He combs through the aircraft remains like a police investigator looking for clues to aircraft registration; an engine number, anything that could help identify what the elements haven’t erased in over a half-century. After his return, Kuhles makes it a point to personally look up the relatives of the crashed crew— each aircraft carried over six personnel—giving them any personal effects he finds at the crash site.
“There are few dry eyes on such occasions. His tireless enthusiasm leaves even the vast machinery of the US government, which is supposed to be doing what Kuhles is doing, out of breath. US teams landed in Arunachal Pradesh last month, nearly five years after he reported his findings.
“In fact, it was his missions which roused the lethargic US military bureaucracy into action. ‘It gives me a feeling of accomplishment to bring closure to the thousands of family members who care and are not getting answers about their next of kin from the US government,’ says Kuhles. Clearly his is a mission that is far from being accomplished. But he’s getting there.”
Fox News Network
”In eight separate trips, Kuhles has located 22 crash sites and helped account for some 193 U.S. airmen once classified as missing in action.”