36 heroes recovered from Tarawa battlefield

Last month we talked a little about the discovery of Medal of Honor recipient Alexander Bonnyman’s earthly remains on the island of Tarawa by the private organization Honor Flight. The Associated Press reports that 35 other Marine and Navy heroes of that battle were recovered along with 1LT Bonnyman;

A ceremony was held Sunday in Pearl Harbor to mark their return.

History Flight has started identifying the remains, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency will complete the effort, the Marines said. The Marines plan to return the remains to their families after they’ve been identified.

The battle began on November 20, 1943 and lasted for 76 hours. About 6400 Americans, Japanese and Koreans died in the battle. When the smoke cleared, only 17 Japanese troops and 129 Korean construction workers had survived the assault of the nearly 4800 troops and laborers that had spent over a year fortifying the island. Almost 1700 Americans died during the attack. About 550 Americans still haven’t been recovered and identified from this single battle.

Category: No Longer Missing, We Remember