WWII 71 FS Pilot’s Remains Home at Last

Reprinted from the Langley Flyer, 23 May 03

By Tech. Sgt. Marina Pevey
1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

In the hallway of the 71st Fighter Squadron hangs a large wooden board adorned with framed names of “Ironmen” pilots from World War II and Desert Storm. One of those names is 1st Lt. Carl Hoenshell. Under his name are three Maltese crosses indicating the number of enemy aircraft he shot down and the date, June 10, 1944. It was the last mission he completed.

Now, nearly 59 years after his P-38 aircraft was shot down, Hoenshell’s remains return home. His family will bury him with full military honors in his hometown, Ossowa, Mich., Sunday afternoon. The 71st FS will honor their fallen comrade from the past with a missing man formation flyby during the ceremony.

Elizabeth Wilson and David Hoenshell, Hoenshell’s niece and nephew, spent years working with the Army to find and recover their uncle’s remains. Shortly after the 71st FS returned from supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Wilson asked if the squadron could support Hoenshell's memorial service, said Lt. Col. Mac McKenzie, 71st FS commander.

"There was never a question as to whether or not we would support this event, only how to narrow down the list of volunteers to just four pilots" said McKenzie. "We are forever in debt to Lieutenant Hoenshell for his service and sacrifice, and it is the least we can do."

Wilson said the family is proud and grateful to have 71st FS participate in the ceremony. The family is deeply honored that the 71st FS is taking time to participate in the flyover. It means so much. These airmen, all these years later, are willing to pay their respects to a fallen comrade even though he was shot down many years and conflicts before they were in the military,” she said.

In 1944, Hoenshell was part of the 71st Squadron stationed at Salsola Airfield, Foggia, Italy. The morning of June 10, Hoenshell was among 48 P-38 pilots who rendezvoused with bombers from the 82nd Fighter Group for a low-level dive-bombing attack on the Ploesti oil refineries in (then) Romania. Members were returning from a bombing support mission when they were attacked unexpectedly by German Me 109s. Out of ammunition, Hoenshell instructed his fellow pilots to hit the deck and make a run for home. The last reported observation was him drawing at least three of the 109s away from the remaining flight. In 1945 he was officially removed from the missing in action list and declared killed in action.

Wilson and cousin David began a quest to locate and recover Hoenshell’s remains in 1995. Wilson explained she was motivated by her grandmother’s wish to have her son (Hoenshelll) found, returned home and buried next to her.

“As a child at my grandmother’s house I saw pictures of my uncle and always heard stories about him,” she said. “Every June, my grandmother got his letters out of the cedar chest. She would spread the letters on the floor around her and cry. It left an indelible mark on David and I.”

Wilson’s grandmother died in the 1980s, but that wish stayed with the two cousins. They began researching online. Wilson and David searched Internet sites and made contact with former 1st FG members who were able to tell her about her uncle and his mission. Eventually they narrowed down the probable crash site.

In 1998, Wilson organized and financed a site survey team. Wilson, her brother and the team traveled to Bulgaria. In fall of 1999, the excavation team found Hoenshell’s identification bracelet. The same year hostilities in Kosovo increased and excavation efforts were put on hold. However, the team was not deterred.

Once the Balkan’s conflict calmed down, they resumed efforts and in August 2002 achieved success. Hoenshell’s remains and several personal items were recovered and positively identified. The remains were carefully removed, shipped to Hawaii and processed by U.S. Army mortuary affairs. His remains arrived home this month and Sunday Wilson and her family will fulfill her grandmother’s wish. Lieutenant Carl Heonshell will be buried in his hometown, next to his mother in a plot purchased more than 50 years ago.

“I am proud of the Air Force, Carl and this country,” Wilson said. “It says a lot about the core spirit of our country and her military. Our government will bring home our fallen with honor and respect. No other country in the world does this or even understands.”