Chapter 15 - THE TREASURE HUNT

Finally, the silence from Frankfurt was broken. Mark Baldwin wrote-------

July 19, 2000

Dear Ms. Dale, Just wanted to touch base with you and inform you that we are continuing to research the case and locate information regarding the closure of the Greisheim Mausoleum in 1952. We will continue to research the case and inform you as information becomes available. Please keep us updated with any site recoveries that your team makes and any discoveries that have been made in the past couple of months.

Thanks,

Mark Baldwin USAMAA-E ---------------------------------------

Jim & Diana responded by forwarding photos of hardware found since the submittal of the search data package to the 21st TSC in mid April. Statements of new witnesses interviewed since that time were also emailed to Mark Baldwin. The team was eager to have them begin the on site search. It wasn't long before they were rewarded.

July 28, 2000

Greetings all, I have been trying for the past few days to make contact with the searchers in Italy for assistance, but have been unsuccessful. Mr. Roath and myself are coming to Italy on Tuesday - 01 AUG to examine the crash site. We need confirmation that someone associated with the search and knows the crash area will be able to meet with us and lead us to the site. Any assistance and email confirmation is greatly appreciated.

Mark Baldwin USAMAA-E -----------------------------------

Jim responded by emailing the phone numbers of Paolo, Inga & Christoph to Mark and then sent urgent emails to them to standby for contact from the Army search team. Inga responded directly to Mark.

July 30, 2000

Dear Mr. Baldwin, our date for Tuesday, Aug.1, seems to be successful. Christoph Mair, Jakob Weger, and I will await you about 3 p.m. at Muls/Sarn valley. Please let me know how you will arrive! By train to Bozen? By car? There are also daily flights from Frankfurt to Bozen. Awaiting your informations with best regards

Inga Hosp -------------------------------------

Mark indicated that their schedule for arrival in Italy had slid a day and that they would be in the Bolzano area on Wednesday, August 2. Inga replied---

July 31, 2000

Dear Mr. Baldwin, until now I couldn' change all contacts to Wednesday, but I hope it willwork. Wednesday, Aug. 2, 3 p.m. Gasthof Feldrand, Muls (near Aberstückl), Sarntal. As I told you, please take the road to Sarntal/Val Sarentino from Bozen, proceed via Sarnthein to Astfeld, then follow the branch to Penserjoch/Passo di Pennes. The Feldrand inn is right beside the road. I will wait there, hoping to be able to gather the rest of the gang, too. And please let me know if you are going to arrive Wednesday! Kind regards

Inga Hosp --------------------------------------------

Inga had made contact with Paolo and Christoph and was ready to meet Mark & the Army team near the crash site X thought to be the Wisner crash site. The meeting at the crash site took place on August 1st which, coincidently had been Bill Wisner's birthdate. This was the event the search team had been working toward for 7 months! Inga reported enthusiastically late that night.---

August 2, 2000

Dear Diana & Jim,

soon midnight, but I m u s t tell you! The expedition had been postponed by the investigators for one day, so we missed the birthday (but without a confirmation, if they would be at the place I suggested), so for me it began with calling the members (and hoping they would be able to come together today instead of yesterday). Anyway, my son Matthias and me went down (and up) to Muls, and there they were at the Hotel Feldrand which I had suggested to them (100 m away from Jakob's farm): Stephen Roath, Mark Baldwin, a young lady, and an interpreter (Italian - English (!) who would never understand one single word in Jakob's or the others' dialect, so we left these to down at the Hotel) - and a car, built more for highways than for high ways like ours. But they were very pleased with the Hotel.

One by one our company dropped in: Christoph on his scooter, coming from his job in a laundry (having changed his shift to be with us), Toni Hofer with his huge Toyota Jeep, spending half a day of his last vacation week. First we sat down and discussed the object and the mysterious non-matching of serial numbers and the open end of the Where-are-the-Wisner's-remains-story (you know, the three-bones-file etc). Then we drove over to Jakob's, while a thunderstorm was beginning to come up. So I tried to get them on the way. Toni got 5 of them in his big car, Matthias and I took Jakob's handicapped son, who was so eager to come with us, aboard my tiny Suzuki Vitara, and then up we went, up the slope with a gradient of about 35 % (which we hiked last time), up to the point where Jakob saw the Wisner plane (and where I made the picture I sent you), then hiking the last 30 minutes through the thicket. Jakob was the smartest, finding his way just to the same point we where for the first time. Mark had the metal detector and the GPS, Stephen had a digital camera, and I had nothing than an umbrella used as a stick (because I didn't want to go up there again, you know: my knee!). With the first raindrops we reached the site. AND THEN THEY DISCOVERED THAT THEY FORGOT THE BATTERY FOR THE METAL DETECTOR IN THEIR CAR! Well, Jakob explained everything, made a little sketch how he found the plane beside the creek (its water was a wonderful drink after hurrying up!), Toni made a hole where Jakob pointed out the situation of the grave, but of course with no result without the detector. Then the rain came down more and more, thunder grumbled, and we had to hurry down to the cars. After creeping down we "visited" the turbo generator near Jakob's farm, Hans carried all the pieces I mentioned (the ashtray, the metal saw, and some more), they made pictures, we admired Mrs. Weger's beautiful garden, and had a look to the cowshed, while the rain poured. Then we said Good bye. Toni was kind enough to guide them to Mr. Aster (which has the propellor blade, and the camera). So they would make it back right for dinner.

Matthias and I had to hurry back to Ritten. You know: the summer-theatre, which I am part of the organization staff, very probably spoiled by the same thunderstorm. And we returned with thunder and lightning. But when the show began (Shakespeare: "The Taming of the Shrew"), it was over - and everything was fine.

Tomorrow, Aug. 3, they will have to hike up to the place (without cars), the whole 1 1/2 hour's way with detector (and, hopefully, the battery), guides by their GPS. They will try to find something to convince themselves starting a more intensive investigation next week. They hope to return with a larger group and 2 trucks and materials. But that will not be before Wednesday - and so I won't be able to join them because of our depart to Montreal. And then they will hike up to the other two crash sites, too. Christoph will care, Toni will care - and they know best where to go for information (and to get information, because they are known to the local people). By the way: Paolo Cagnan called me yesterday evening, but then I't know, if they really would come today, and I think, he's also busy at work. And certainly he will be informed, too, by the researchers, and can join them next week.

Mark and Stephen promised to give us their informations about the proceeding investigations. They are nice and eager guys, although not very familiar with our local or even regional reality (which is not simply "Italian", you know,m but I tried to teach them a little bit...). And, Diana, it was nice for all of us, heading up just round Bill's birthday. Just as if he knew. And, shortly before parting, we talked with Mrs. Weger in front of the cowshed, and she asked me, where they come from, and Stephen did a little drawing on a sheet of paper, showing where is Minnesota (he is from Fargo, and my children and I l o v e the "Fargo"-movie!) and where Oklahoma, Mark's native country. And then she asked which religion Stephen and Mark would cling to (because here about 95 % are Catholics). And they said, glancing at me, they trusted in God, and that there would be something after dead. And Mrs. Weger was very pleased by this answer, and mentioned, she was convinced, for otherwise they would not try so hard to find your uncle's remains! Isn't that touching? - Many thanks for your messages, Diana & Jim. Your home-cooking idea is as gentle as tempting. My daughter Julia and I, having been once in Santa Fe NM, like Mexican style cooking very much, and the others have their experiences with hot cooking, too, because we had, years ago, a Singaporean sailor as our guest, and he was a very skilled cook - hot hot hot! So don't worry at all! And if you are going to cook, I can do the dishes afterward. Okay?

Until soon at Seattle! Or until the next e-mail! Love & kindest

regards

Inga -------------------------------------------

The initial inspection of the prospective Wisner crash site had been accomplished with a good degree of conviviality and cooperation. The real serious work was to begin the next week with augmented crew and equipment, but Inga would be absent. The Hosp's were to leave for their planned trip to Canada and the U.S. west coast. Paolo would be on deck the following week and was eager to report progress to Diana and Jim.

August 10, 2000

Hi Jim

the Us-team arrived yesterday: six men and two women, including mr. Baldwin. They will stay here approximately one week. I talked to Baldwin: I'll meet him and the rest of the team this morning and spend all the day with them…… if I hadn't try to get in touch with them, they won't have informed me... perfectly understandable, they're used to being very independent, but I think we all could be helpful. As you know, I'll try to do my best. And I will inform you as soon as I'm back from Sarntal Ps: I wrote another article (www.altoadige.it) in which I describe you as a war-hero: hope you don't mind...

ciao

Paolo -------------------------------------

Paolo, the investigative reporter, was really on top of the activity! He reported daily. At this crucial time, Diana was changing her email server, so Jim was soaking up all of the hot news and anxious to relay it to Diana as soon as she was back online.

August 11, 2000

Hi Jim

I'm completely exausted, staying with the US-team from 8 am 'til 6.30 pm. And they started at 5.30 am... I'm trying to summarise the results: - no corpses, actually - two machine guns, one from Olson's plane

Starting very early in the morning, the team went back to the Plunerbachtal, supposed to be Wisner's burial site. They started to dig up the place indicated by Jakob Weger, even if there's still something strange: the turbo-charger serial ID doens't match with the ID complete list of the three planes, in possession of David Roath, a very nice gus as all the rest of the group. They also could find a camera for the aerial picture, but it's not possible to determine where it comes from. After 5-6 hours of excavating, we could find quite a big piece of fibreglass, under a huge stone. The will go back there tomorrow to make further excavations.

In the afternoon we went to Mr Gramm at Aberstueckl. He still remembered of my visit and was very gently. We went to the Pazzeialm. We dig out one place, supposed to be the burial site, but weren't able to find anything. Then we went next to a hut were - as I was told in march - was supposed to be a machine-gun. In fact, there was: the serial numbers match with the Olson's plane, which matches with my geographical reconstruction. There was part of another machine-gun, but I didn't see it and I cant' tell you now if it was worth or not. We are still quite far away from the truth: to discover the two burial places it's not so easy, but I can assure you that the guys will do their best. I enclose my today's article; tomorrow there will be a whole page with the complete story of the search.

bye for now

Paolo

Ps: please, forward the message to Diana, who change her e-mail address

-------------------------------------

Paolo was asked to see if he could track down some local Sarentino people named in the CIL reports of 1952, so Jim FAXed him copies of that report which Diana had received from CILHI. Paolo was unable to locate or trace the individuals. The excavation was continuing at the Plunerbach site.

August 14, 2000

Hi Jim,

I'm trying to summarise for you what happened in the past days, which isalso described in my articles if you can find someone who can translate into American

Let's talk about: a) Olson b) Twedt c) Wisner

a) We could find a lot of evidence regarding Olson's plane. We could find two machine guns Browning .50 - one of which almost intact - with the ID serial numbers, part of the nose and many other wreckages. Now we are absolutely sure that Olson's plane crashed at about 2.300 meter high in the mountain, next to the Pazzei Alm, or Messner Basai. Alois Gramm was a very good eyewitness in this sense.

b) It's very difficult to determine what happened with the Twedt's plane. According to some testimonies, there must have been an explosion into the air: this reconstruction fits with the Anderson, report which refers of debris. If Twedt's plane exploded into the air, as you know, there isn't a lot to do. But we are not sure about it. Gramm remembers of a wooden cross, next to the Kirchnock at Kirchberg. But he wasn't able to find it again, and all the excavations were unsuccessful. We scanned again the Church documentation, but with no result. Roath says that there are onli speculations and that the cross could have been a normal cross, not a burial site actually. I don't think so, but there isn't a lot to do, unless we want to dig up the whole mountain.

c) David Roath believes we are next to the truth. Today, Monday, the excavations gave some good evidence. The place - which was indicated by Jakob Weger - it's called "Weissbrunn" and it's located at about 1650 meter, next to a stream called Kroessbach. It's the same place mentioned by the CIL-file you sent to me. The excavation it's becomin bigger and deeper. The area it's about 6x4 meter and one meter in deepness. This mornig the team found some glass pieces of the "cover" of the pilote cabin and a small pieces of iron or metal which is supposed to be part of a boot. This shows that that's the impact point. Roath believes that the burial site should be right here and says that they will goin on 'til they can find some pieces. He's optimistic.

What is questionable is if there's still something to look for. There was a man who found out the bracelet and the few bones in July 1952, but he died 20 years ago. I've already checked it, but I still havesome other investigations to do. The carabinier-report doesn't say if both the bracelet and the remains were founded during an excavation or just in the wood. Question: is there still a burial site? Has ever been a burial site? We still don't know, but we are on the right spot for sure.

Now something about the document: it's difficult for me to say what I need, but it seems that every document has its importance. The three pages CIL-file you sent to me contained some detailed informations which could be worth for me. Roath can't give me anything, officially. So you're the only one - because Diana seems to be somewhere else, and I'm very soorry about that - who can help me... to help you. As I understand, you also have some original documents, written in Italian and very badly translated. What do you have about some reaserches conducted in 1947 or so in the area? Another question: Diana has got the bracelet and the CIL-report, butr what about the remains founded in 1952 and given by the carabinieri to the US investigation team? Where are they now? It's not possible to have a DNA test with those remains? Eventually: I never saw a MACR, so that I don't know what I'll need. Not the serial numbers, because we have the original P-38J manual with us. But maybe something else: it's up to your intuition... Will keep in touch

Bye

Paolo ----------------------------------

Diana was back online & Paolo was feeding both Diana & Jim with the text of his ongoing articles in the Alto Adige newspaper about the search. He was a busy guy! Jim responded with encouragement.

August 17, 2000

Wow! Paolo, you sure are putting out the stories! I just wish I could read Italian. It takes some time for me to find someone who is fluent in Italian & will spend the time to translate for me. PRINCESS! Diana! You lay it on pretty thick! What is her reaction? We received a very pleasing and complete report on the U.S. team progress from their representative in Alexandria, Virginia (USA). Ms Tate described the findings and told Diana that eventually the remains & other objects will be turned over to the CILHI in Hawaii for analysis. Diana is at her cabin today & telling her mother about the success of the search, so I think she will be very pleased to be able to bring the remains of her brother home at last. Your newspaper coverage of the story has gotten lots of attention. I'll be glad when I get it translated.

Ciao! & thanks for your good work.

Jim -----------------------------------------------

As the foregoing message was sent, Jim received a message from Paolo. Apparently the Army investigation team had restricted access to the site and recovery operations. Paolo, the reporter was fuming!

August 17, 2000

Hi Jim

What the hell is happening? I talked to David Roath some minutes ago and it was a very strange phone call. In this sense: it seems that they could find some remains, but he's not authorised to tell me anything,; he says I have to get every piece of information from you or Diana because she is the first person who will have some good news. As you write, it seemes that something has changed in the last 24 hours. So, now I'm asking you: - what do you know exactly? - what does the Virginia report says? - you're speaking about the success of the search... Please, tell me what's happening!!!!! As soon as possible!!!

ciao

Paolo ---------------------------------------------

What had happened was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! The excavation had revealed remains that were obviously those of Diana's uncle Bill Wisner! At that point the investigation team notified the headquarters offices in Alexandria, VA and the clamp was put on information so that the family could be notified and could control further information dissemination.

August 16, 2000

Subject: LT William O. Wisner

Mrs. Dale,

my name is Liz Tate. I am a Mortuary Affairs Specialist with the Department of the Army, Mortuary Affairs and Casualty Support Division, in Alexandria, VA. Although I left a message for you on your home phone, I decided to also send you an email.

I am contacting you on the advice of Mr. Dave Roath, our Mortuary Officer in Europe who I know has been assisting you in your attempts to locate the remains of your uncle, Lt. Wisner. Mr. Roath called me this morning to let me know that he is currently in Sarentino, Italy and that he has located what is believed to be you uncle's crash site. An identification (ID) tag with your uncle's name on it, and portions of what are believed to be human remains have also been recovered. The ID media and remains have been turned over to the Italian authorities as required by their laws. Mr. Roath will obtain custody of the remains after all of the required procedures are followed. Also, Mr. Roath and his team will continue to search the site to see if there are any additional remains or items to be recovered. Once his investigation is complete, the remains and items will be forwarded to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, for identification processing. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me …….. Sincerely,

Liz Tate ------------------------------------------

Diana jumped online to inform Jim of the great news.

August 16, 2000

Eureka!

Got home from an errand and had gotten a voicemail from Liz Tate at Mortuary Affairs. She also sent an email, and after I read the attached, I called her. They have found two incomplete teeth (maybe caps or crowns), a complete tibia, a partial fibula, lots of small bone fragments an ID tag with Bill's name on it, some buttons and what Dave thought was a portion of a necklace, but I think it might be the other half of his bracelet. She said they were going to keep excavating, down to the sterile soil before stopping. They've found lots of pieces of wreckage, and the serial numbers match those of a P38 (as if we didn't already know that).

Once it's finished, they'll forward all the remains to CILHI for testing, so we won't have a definitive answer until probably next year. They're still trying to find out what happened to the remains found in 1952 that went to Griesheim. She wanted to call me to let me know what was going on, because there was "lots of media" covering the story, and she didn't want me to hear about it on the news. As if I'm able to get Italian television here... Anyway, I'm very gratified and relieved that Roath and Baldwin haven't done all this work for nothing. I'm going back up to the cabin tonight for two days and will tell Mother all about it. I'll be back in Denver Saturday and will see you Wednesday. On the whole, I'd rather be in Italy, but don't take it personally. What a ride!

D --------------------------------------------

As a professional reporter, Paolo followed the activity in the Sarntal to its full conclusion. He was on hand at the site until the investigation team returned to Frankfurt.

August 18, 2000

Subject: Eventually the solution

Hi Princess

If you are back (you were right: when something happens, someone is always absent or far away...) I'm sure you'll have a lot of e-mails to read. This is my latest message, but I hope you will answer as soon as possible. First of all, let me say again: THAT'S GREAT!!!!!!!!! Then, I have got three different request: one from David Roath, the rest from me:

1) Roath would like to know if you received from teh US Government a bracelet or an ID-tag, because he still doesn't know and he says that's quite important for him. He says that some documents are referring to a bracelet, some others to an ID-Tag. As you must already know, he was able to find either the bracelet or the ID-tag (I'm not aloud to get this information...) but I assume he wants to be sure about what you have got the 1952's reaserches. I will meet him this morning (aturday) at 10 am, but will check the e-mail every hour...

2) I have only unofficial information regarding the findings: I know they were able to find some human remains (fragments of bones or whole bones, I don't know), the bracelet/ID tag, some parts of the uniform and so on. I know you received a detailed report and would like to ask you for sending me the whole report or perhaps just giving me some details of the findings, if it doesn't hurt you. It's up to you to decide how much my desire to know more is in contrast with your right of privacy. Again, do as you prefer, you know that I've always respected you.

3) I'd like to ask you also for an official allegation: after your big interview, my readers would like to know what you're thinking - and how did you react - about the positive solution fo the case, which wasn't 100% sure at the beginning, as you know. You could say, for instance: "Sono molto contenta!!!" Or, in German: "Das ist wunderbar!!!!"

Hei Diana, I'm really enthusiastic about what happened The US team is completing the excavation and waiting for the authorisation to send the remains to CILHI. In every case, I'll let you know

ciao

PAOLO ----------------------------------------------------

The search was winding up with a triumphal success! Diana let Paolo know her gratitude for his work.

August 21, 2000

Dear Paolo,

Thank you for the update. I haven't given any information to the Twedt family, because I wasn't sure what to tell them. I'll wait until after my trip to Seattle to meet Jim and sort everything out then. I'm sure the "authorities" will eventually give them a report, but I'd like them to know that there has been an investigation. I'm sorry their investigation didn't turn out as happily as ours. I would like to know more about how Konrad Runnger knew more about the site than Jakob did. Was he an eyewitness, also, or did he know someone who had seen the site at the time? So many questions, but right now there are more answers than questions. That's a good thing. I look forward to your report and will share Roath's report with you when I get it. Until then -- and perhaps before then -- many thanks for your work and for the information you have given me. I'll be in Seattle on Tuesday and will see Jim on Wednesday. Wish you could join us! My best, as ever,

Diana ---------------------------------------

As the investigation team departed, Paolo wrote his final report.

August 21, 2000

Hi Diana

I'm sure David Roath will try to find out what happened with Twedt, but I think it's better that you don't give more details to the family, until we are not sure what's going on with his file. If there's a "Twedt file"... More answers than questions: eventually, yes! Now back to Rungger/Weger, until you will have my tomorrow article translated into English. This is my information: As you know, David Roath came the first time to Sarntal with three other members of the team and went to the wood with Cristoph, Inga and Toni Hofer. They decided that there was sufficient evidence to come back.

The next week they came again - eight people - and on Wednesday they went on the wood with Jakob Weger: he indicated the location of the burial site. They started to dig up, with no positive result. They came back to the Feldrand, the hotel which is not more than 50 meters from Jakob's house. Someone told David that the owner of the hotel, Konrad Rungger, must have known something. Rungger was asked about it and he said, he knew exactly the location of the burial site. The next day, Thursday, they went back to the wood with Rungger, who indicated another spot, which is approximately 50 meters up along the same stream. You know, a difference in 50 meters (it's a very step wood) it's quite a big difference for making a precise excavation. The US-team started to dig up on the Rungger's site and could find some small pieces of iron and so on. The next day they went on and were convinced: that was the right spot. The further excavations, as you know, confirmed that Rungger was right.

Now, how is the story with him? I tell you, even if you don't buy my newspaper...

Rungger, born 1939, was only 5 years old in 1944, but his uncle - who lived at the Huberhof, which is the nearest hut/cabin next to the crash-site - knew exactly the crash-site. He went there immediately after the explosion and the fire. Some days after, he went back and noticed that the corpse was still there, next to some remains, not more than two meters away from the stream called Kroessbach. He decided to bury the corpse, took a white sheet, collected all the remains and buried it at the same spot, putting a cross on the ground.

Konrad was told many times about this episode. Two or three years after, he started to go along the wood with the sheep, stopping every day next to the wooden cross. He thinks that the cross disappeared - for unknown reasons - at the beginning of the Sixties, but he has always been able to remember where's the place: next to a big rock. He knows very well the spot also because it is not far away from the water-tube which Konrad constructed next to the stream, to let his hotel have drinkable water. It eventually seems that the US-team found also some remains of the cross and Konrad recognize them. So, that's the story.

Paolo

Ps: I wanna have a picture of you all together!!!! -----------------------------------------