Acknowledging More MIA Publicity

We appreciate all efforts from editors across the US who are picking up these press releases on the success we are seeing on MIA identification. This type of publicity accelerates our efforts as we continue to find and identify our eight MIAs. Special thanks to this submission from Randy Fleuriet, nephew of Lt. Porter Pile and the publisher and editor of Rio Grande Valley Newsletter, John Bourg. Please see an except of the recent post in the RGV Newsletter on the positive identification of Lt. Porter Pile below.

My Uncle Porter Pile: Killed in WWII

by Randy Fleuriet

My uncle, 2nd Lt. Porter M. Pile, was an HHS graduate who died in WWII when his B-24 Liberator bomber was shot down over Germany in the disastrous Kassel Mission. Porter grew up at 302 E Polk in Harlingen with his parents — my grandparents Leo V. and Helen Pile — and my mother. Pile enlisted in the Army Air Force, was trained* at Harlingen Army Airfield, and received a commission.

He was serving as a navigator when his bomber, the "Hare Force", was shot down. He was listed initially as MIA, but a year later that was changed to KIA. His body was never found — until now. The Army finally identified his remains based on DNA samples my cousins and I  provided them years ago. My grandparents, my mother, and her sister went to their graves "not knowing", something that troubled them all their lives. The Gutierrez Park memorial includes Porter’s name.

I have been told that Porter qualifies for burial at Arlington National Cemetery, which we will choose as the burial site later in the year. Full military honors will be rendered, including possibly a flyover. Another Hare Force crew member has recently been identified, and the two families are urging the Army to bury the men side by side at Arlington in a joint ceremony. We are hopeful this can be worked out.

Our family waited 78 years for this conclusion. I was only 1-1/2 years old when my uncle was shot down.

*Editors Note: Lt. Pile was likely not trained at Harlingen Army Airfield, but more likely, reported there for duty.