US seeks help to locate its World War II heroes in Arunachal
Wednesday 19 March 2008 at 09:47
by NC Sentinel
Daily News & Analysis - Mambai, IndiaUS seeks help to locate its World War II heroes in Arunachal
PTI
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 20:00 IST
NEW DELHI: Four hundred thirty US Air Force pilots and other servicemen are documented to be missing in action over India during World War II and Pentagon in a first of its kind of request wants New Delhi's assistance to help locate them in Arunachal Pradesh.
American servicemen went missing while flying, bombing and transport missions to China and Myanmar from thickly forested areas near the Sino-Indian and Indo-Mynmar border, where allied troops were locked in decisive battles against the Japanese army offensive.
A high level US delegation led by Rear Admiral Donna L Crisp, Commander of the Honolulu-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command met Defence Secretary Vijay Singh with the request and later said New Delhi's reaction was "spontaneous".
"Last recorded signals from these aircraft give these locations and these have been documented in US military records," Crisp, a lady officer, told newsmen here.
The US request comes close on the heels of reports from Arunachal capital Itanagar where locals are have sighted some World War II wreckages in Lohit and Debang valleys.
India is not the only country which the US has approached for a joint hunt for its war heroes. In China, the Americans have been launching such joint missions with Chinese forces since 1994.
An Arunachal guide, Oken Tayang, has claimed in Itanagar that he had spotted wreckages of eight USAF World War II planes and belongings of some of the pilots missing in Action.
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