Chapter 16 & 17- THE REAL REWARD, CLOSURE & EPILOGUE

There couldn't have been better timing! In just a week the strangers who had joined in the search for Lt. Bill Wisner, would meet and become even greater friends than had already been achieved via over 1000 email messages.

The following Wednesday in Seattle, the three email 'strangers' met in person for the first time. Diana and her husband Jack traveled from Denver and 'set up shop' in Jim's kitchen to prepare a sumptuous New Mexican style dinner for the rendezvous with Inga and her family. As Diana 'took over' in the kitchen, the dynamic energy and enthusiasm evident in her email immediately created a chemistry of relaxed friendship. As Jim hustled to keep up with Diana's cooking needs, Jack and Jim's friend Jeanne hit it off in lively conversation. While Jack was left in charge of the simmering feast, Diana, Jim and Jeanne met the Hosp's as they landed at the waterfront coming by ferry from Victoria, B. C. During that beautiful summer evening on Jim's deck, strong and vital friendships were forged. Dr's. Bruno and Inga Hosp, from the German-speaking Tyrol region of Italy, with their daughter Julia (25) and son Matthias (21) entered into a non-stop talk fest with the group over beer & wine as the sun set and Diana served up her goodies. Julia & Matthias, both charming young people doing post graduate work at the University of Vienna, had no problems keeping up with the English conversational majority. The party reluctantly broke up in the late hours, and the group spent the next day seeing Seattle sites before the Hosps left for their automobile trip along the Pacific coast and Diana & her husband headed home to Denver. There was a warm glow of lasting friendship as the 'strangers' who had found new bonds over the Internet in search of a lost airmen, parted.

What a happy climax for Diana's search that took six years!

CHAPTER 17 -- CLOSURE IN ESCROW

Diana's final objective was to have CILHI verify the recovered remains as those from her uncle Bill. As she had been told, that would take some time---months. She began to re-organize her thoughts on the long search and set out to write a book to document the saga and to honor her uncle. The long journey will end when CILHI validates the remains and the family can lay him to rest in his Texas home with full honors. Diana's mother, Bill's sister, is now in her 80's, and will complete the mission her mother initiated over 56 years ago when Lt. William O. Wisner, O-708778, just 20 years old, was reported MIA. As of this writing, CILHI has not yet pronounced their verdict. The family waits.

EPILOG

Just before Easter of 2001, Jim convinced Diana and her husband Jack, to accompany him on a trip to the Sudtirol region of Italy and to visit the Hosp family who had been so instrumental in the location of Bill Wisner's crash site. The trip will involve two weeks of 'soaking' in the environment and culture of the region and meeting the local people who contributed so much to the success of the search. The group from the U.S. will explore the search area in the Sarn Valley and visit the crash site on the Pluner farm where Diana's uncle's remains were recovered. They will stay at the Gasthof Kematen within walking distance of the Hosp family home and will make side trips to Bolzano to visit with Paolo, the reporter; and to the Sarn Valley to visit with Christoph Mair and Jakob Weger ; and to Innsbruck to visit with Keith Bullock, the RAF veteran who assisted in the crash site research.

Keith Bullock suffered a severe stroke in the early months of 2001 and is climbing the long hill of rehabilitation. Matthias Hosp, the 21 year old son of the Hosp's, met a tragic death on a fall from a cliff overlooking the Sarn Valley on Good Friday, 2001.

The bittersweet journey to the Sudtirol will honor the memories of two fine young men lost physically to the world and their loved ones----but whose images, personalities and contributions to humanity will be firmly and fondly carried by all who knew them. Through this search on the Internet, we have all FOUND wonderful new friends---but so quickly have LOST one of those we so dearly admired.