Stories of Sacrifice - POW/MIAs - Hide and Seek at the West Point Cemetery EP 15

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Welcome to stories of sacrifice, World War two, American P. O. W. M. I. A's Podcast, the Voice of the Missing in Action and the voice of those buried as unknowns and our national cemeteries. I'm your host and lead researcher John Bear. Over 75,000 service members are still listed as missing in action from World War two. Of those, over 30,000 are currently listed as active pursuit by the Defense POW AM I Accounting Agency Active Pursuit, meaning they could possibly be identified with the proper family reference sample DNA being on file with the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The process of doing DNA reference material is easy, painless and free of charge. If you are the relative, um, of a missing service member, you can contact the service casually Office of the M I A. For information on how to provide a DNA sample, the service casually office will millions Mel to your home DNA donor kid that contains a donor consent form instruction form, three cheek swabs and a shipping envelope. All you have to do is fill out the paperwork, rub the inside of your cheek with the swabs. Place the swabs back into the containers and affixed the label. The collected samples are then placed in a pre addressed and prepaid envelope and then meld to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab at Dover. That's it. It's completely painless process. To get more information about your missing in action relative, you can visit our website U S P O W m I A family locating dot com. We can help you to determine if your relative is currently listed on the D. P. A. A active pursuit list and the next steps to help get them identified. Just visit our website or email John at U. S. P o W M I. A family locating dot com. Today's story of sacrifice podcast is brought to you by our friends at the 10 missing dot com website. This is the second part in the Siri's to Lieutenant Alexander manager, who was the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War two. I didn't seek at the West Point Cemetery. First Lieutenant Ira Cheney's remains were identified and misplaced and buried at the wet at West Point, and the army buried the report that showed they had buried the wrong remains. Ira Cheney's remains have been identified in this family wanted him buried at the USA at the U. S. Military academy. So the Army obliged and provided some unidentified remains and a headstone with Cheney's name on it. Problem solved until someone figured out they had buried the wrong remains and they might be those of the Medal of Honor recipient. The Army's 1950 investigation by the Identification branch confirmed what many people had already begun to figure out. The remains buried at the U. S. M. A post cemetery cannot be Cheney because they were found in the Advocate churchyard, and that location was in any in enemy hands at the time of Cheney's death. Even worse, Colonel Clarke had told everyone that manager had been buried in the Advocate churchyard where the supposed Cheney remains were obtained so they could be the remains of first lieutenant, noon injure or first Lieutenant Maynard. In the most recent DP, a file on Ira Cheney, a state first lieutenant Ira be Chaney Jr Service number 023965 served in the 57th Infantry Regiment. Philippine scouts in the early months of the Pacific Theater of World War Two, actively engaged in combat on the Bataan Peninsula. On multiple occasions, First lieutenant Janey was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross. He was killed in action on Bataan on 30 or 31 January 1942 while the remains recovered from the Advocate churchyard on 3 February 1948 were identified his first lieutenant, Cheney, and buried at the West Point Cemetery. There is strong evidence indicating that a misidentification occurred. Details relating to his loss and the identification identification process can be found on in both First Lieutenant Cheney's standard individual deceased personnel file and in the now declassified version of the individual Deceased Personnel file, whether through incompetence or devious bid of genius will never know. But the investigation report directed that the unknowns from the two cemetery AM RV Alice rather than those in Egg Loma, a corner where the battle occurred should be reviewed to determine if any of them were Cheney. Of course, they were not Cheney, as they were at least 10 closer locations in the vicinity of Marv E. Alice, where the casualties from the 45th and the 57th Scout units were buried. There is no evidence that any casualties from these units were ever buried in the two cemeteries referenced in the report in an Absar from the 10 cemetery plot location Key showing the casualties of the 45th and 57th Infantry were buried in two cemeteries, Conan Point and other locations in the acidity. Um, RV Alice number six cemetery MRV, Alice Kilometer 1 80 on the West road Rear S h on edge borrow. And then there was number seven on the West Road and end of Side road to the West about kilometer 1 88 and then number eight was a Cornyn point north of the river Number nine, a quantum point north of the river at the cross trails where they believed to be Major Sam Jonah's and and Chauffeur X Akerson were buried and in the X File for the Missing in Action Soldier X 3984 showing the recovery remains from Angloma Cemetery and that it was considered to be in the vicinity. A vicinity of Marv E. Alice in the x file x 3984 included remarks and i d disk bearing numbers 67 dash dash seven 117 The rest of the numbers were eligible. This could be any of the nine men with numbers and in the Army serial number. But only one man was in that unit. That was at the battle of the points that was Corporal Sylvester Mancilla. His service number is 6737117 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine scouts. His date of death was January 31st. 1942. Corporal Manzella is still listed as missing in action. By 1949 the Cheney family was getting a little impatient with the Army's failure to return the remains of their son. So they took their complaint to their congressman, Richard Nixon. Mr. Cheney, senior senior, told Rep Nixon that Colonel Clarke had told them that their son was buried 12 steps to the right of the south centre door of the Optic A church going to the classified i. D. P. F. In their statement under Chaney, IRA be junior first lieutenant Service number 0 to 3965 Representative Nixon of California is interested in this case in behalf of the father who was dissatisfied with the failure of the Army to give him what he considers adequate evidence that it has done anything toward the recovery of the remains of his son. The father informs Mr Nixon that he has interviewed Colonel Gs Clark in San Francisco. Colonel Clarke, who was described by the father as his sons superior, stated that this interview that Lieutenant Cheney was killed by machine gun fire and was buried in the churchyard at Advocate 12 steps to the right of the south centre door, presumably the door to the church. The father has other complaints and their recommendations. It was recommended that pending clarification of this case, proceedings toward declaring the remains non recoverable be suspended and that all possible information bearing on the case be assembled with a view to requesting further and more specific action by the field. Your Army Doug Will Colonel Clarke said they found remains and quickly identified them. Its first lieutenant, Iribe Janey, going back to the Classified report with headquarters of American Graves Registration Service Far Eastern Zone on 13 March 1948 under case history for the remains considered identifiable. Cheney Irby, first lieutenant. 0 to 3965 section to Colonel Georges Clark, commanding officer. A first lieutenant Cheney stated that the decedent was buried in the Advocate Catholic Church Yard in his in an isolated burial. 12 steps right of the south centre door of the church remains recovered. His Lieutenant Cheney are in agreement with this statement of Colonel Clarke. Note at the Bottom says Previously cleared by this section before Phil board findings were afforded to this section back to the classified report. Cheney Irby, Junor Serial number 0 to 3965 section to note. Attached a copy of the letter to the next to kin, advising them of this status and forwarding reply form for their completion At the bottom section. One copy letter to next to kin has been afforded to the honorable Richard M. Nixon and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph April. So on February 24th 1949 the remains recovered from obligate. Your chart were buried in the U. S. Military Academy Post Cemetery, but two years later, it must have dawned on somebody that First Lieutenant Cheney was killed in action and a Gloria Bay more than 30 miles from Alba K. And more than a week after Alba K. Was in enemy hands going back to the classified I d p f. They put in some additional conclusions. The remains presently interred at the West Point Academy Cemetery is First Lieutenant Ira be Chaney Junior Army Serial number 0 to 3965 are not those of Lieutenant Cheney Section B. Lieutenant George S. Clark gave incorrect information which led to the recovery and identification of the remains of West Point of those of Lieutenant Cheney down on Section IV, this branch will flag the case of the following decedent's pending re investigation. Since Colonel Clarke is believed to have given incorrect information relative to the burial of the remains of Lieutenant Alexander and injure Junior First Lieutenant Arthur W. Green, the tenants Kenneth L. Wilson, David W. Maynard and John C. Compton, Section F. The case of the five decedent's listed in paragraph e above will be reinvestigated simultaneously because of the similarity of death and burial information pertaining to each. The Army reviews concluded that number one, the remains buried at West Point or not, those of Lieutenant Jeannie number two, Colonel Clarke had provided incorrect information concerning the burials. Number three Colonel Clarke also provided incur correct information concerning the burials of the tenants Manager Green, Wilson, Maynard and Compton going back to the classified i. D p. F under recommendation Section 10. It states in Part D that if the remains are identified and the transfer is accomplished, that remains now at the West Point be reprocessed by an anthropologist in attempt to identify them as either Lieutenant Maynard were Lieutenant Linenger. It also dawned on the Army that the remains buried at West Point and come from advocate churchyard, and they believed that First lieutenant manager had really been buried in that location. Apparently, they didn't realize that the belief that Linenger was buried in the churchyard was based on incorrect information that was also provided by Colonel Clarke finding the remains of someone who had been awarded the Medal of Honor and buried in the wrong grave with the knowledge good for the Army. So going back to the classified file in Section three, it states, in view of the information furnished next of kin of manager Compton Green, Wilson, Maynard and Cheney by Colonel Clarke, it is believed advisable that a personal visit be made those next to kin in cases where the remains are determined, non recoverable. It has also deemed advisable to personally contact Lieutenant Lily, Captain Anthony, Colonel Clarke and Major Olson to explain our findings of non recoverable ity so that they can guide themselves and future correspondents they may have with the next of kin. There was only one thing left to do. Cover up their history of mistakes and bungling. Smooth things over with the families. Get the witnesses toe all tell the same story and hide the records they needed. Neglected The first rule of cover ups. Don't write anything down. When this previously classified file became public in 2019 the Department of Defense quickly and quietly disinterred the Cheney grave at the West Point cemetery. Upon examination, they determined that the remains were non Caucasian. To date, the remains of First Lieutenant Cheney have not been identified. Lieutenants manager Wilson Compton Green and Maynard or buried is unknown in the Manila American cemetery. The Army still clings to the theory that manager was buried in the Advocate. Your chart. This concludes today's story of sacrifice podcast. Stay tuned over the next few weeks. If we bring you more to the Siris of Lieutenant Alexander manager and I, Ruby Cheney and I want to say thank you to our friends at Bataan missing dot com for their research and guidance in this podcast. Thank you for listening to stories of sacrifice World War two, American POW M. I. A's in the Philippines. This has been a production of the U S p o W m I. A family locating you can find us on the Web at us POW m I A family locating dot com opinions expressed in this podcast our own and given in the best intention overall, the POW M. I a accounting community is doing what it can with limited resource is it is our hope additional federal funding will be provided along with additional partnerships established to disinter process remains of our own knowns located in the national cemeteries. You can help by contacting your congressional representatives and asking that the implement DNA leave policy for those unknown pow. Thank you for listening