Kilroy Takes Up Search For Missing London Flyer

London Madison Press - OH, USA

Saturday, March 21, 2009

By JANE BEATHARD
Press Contributor

The fate of a Madison County airman lost during World War II has drawn the attention of U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy. Kilroy represents Madison County as part of Ohio’s 15th Congressional District.

Kilroy’s office contacted London resident Jean Boyd last week after a story appeared in The Madison Press about U.S. Army Lt. John W. Funk. Boyd is a distant cousin of Funk who disappeared in August 1943 while flying a dangerous mission over the Himalayas.

Remnants of the flier’s long-missing C-87 cargo plane were located last fall by a private, Arizona-based organization that works to resolve the fate of aircraft lost in World War II. Nearby, searchers found five graves — presumed to be those of Funk and four other Army airmen who crewed the plane.

Paul Tencher, Kilroy’s director of communication, said the congresswoman “got interested right away” and intends to press the U.S. Department of Defense and the White House to recover the bodies from the northeast India crash site and return them to the United States for reburial.

In a statement to the Press, Congresswoman Kilroy had this to say: “Lt. John Funk has earned the full military honors befitting of an American hero. My job will be to ensure his memory is preserved and his family is allowed to participate in laying this soldier to rest. The discovery of Lt. Funk’s remains reminds us of the tens of thousands of men and women that served our country in its moments of need, but whom were never recovered. We will work with the Department of Defense and the White House to ensure an expedient return.”

Arizona businessman Clayton Kuhles led the expedition that found Funk’s plane. Kuhles turned information and photos from the crash site over to the U.S. Defense Department’s Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii. It’s now up to JPAC to attempt a recovery. Unfortunately, most of JPAC’s efforts are directed toward recovering those lost in the Vietnam War, with only about 10 percent of the agency’s budget allocated for World War II soldiers, sailors and airmen, Kuhles said.

Tencher said JPAC repatriates about 10 bodies a year from each military service branch. Kilroy wants the Funk’s C-87 moved up the priority list.

Lt. Funk grew up south of London in a family of seven. His siblings included the late George Funk, as well as Frances Pinnegar and Dorothy Hull — all London residents.

Tencher encourages anyone interested in promoting the recovery of Lt. Funk’s body to work through Kilroy’s office and the normal repatriation procedure.

The congresswoman can be reached at 1299 Olentangy River Road, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43212.