LATEST KASSEL MISSION NEWS

WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Porter M. Pile, 24, of Harlingen, Texas, killed during World War II, was accounted for Nov. 28, 2022.

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish you all a joyful Veterans Day. We celebrate with gratitude and remembrance all those who have served and sacrificed for our country. As mentioned in our recent newsletter, please take pause for at least 11 seconds this Friday, 11/11, to give thanks!

WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James M. Triplett, 36, killed during World War II, was accounted for Oct. 25, 2022.

On this 78th anniversary, our thoughts are very much on our brave airmen, past and present, who participated in the Kassel Mission. KMHS will continue to honor the sacrifices they made and preserve the memory of all who served.

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish all our members and readers a safe memorial weekend as we take time for remembrance of the US servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in combat. Our 117 445th Kassel Mission heroes who passed on 9/27/44 gave all - perished in the prime of their youth defending our freedom. Their sacrifices are not forgotten and are the very reason why KMHS exists.

On behalf of the Kassel Mission Historical Society, Happy Veterans Day to our membership, their families and their friends! We share our pride and we are forever grateful to all our veterans, past and present. Thank you veterans everywhere.

My wife and I had the opportunity, this past Saturday afternoon, to attend a football game for the first time in 2 years. Stanford vs. UCLA at Stanford Stadium, just 20 minutes from our home. With the both of us having attended UCLA we were, of course, rooting hard for our Bruins among a crowd of mostly Stanford fans.

Eight young men, Eight Kassel Mission heroes, Eight souls that are still Missing in Action. MIA’s whose families never really got closure on their boys. One can only imagine the sorrow and anguish of losing a loved one in an overseas conflict and the additional grief, certainly magnified, for the families of MIA’s. Purple Hearts, Air Medals, Distinguished Flying Crosses among other awards, meaningful and earned by these young men, but still missing something very important to their legacy – closure. This too, is the meaning behind Memorial Day.

Today, on behalf of the Kassel Mission Historical Society, we honor and give thanks to our Veterans both past and present. To the 18 million + veterans alive today: Thank You for your dedicated military service and sacrifices! Our mission at KMHS is to perpetuate the memory of those that served in the Kassel Mission and capture the remarkable acts of heroism, small and large, accomplished the days around the September 27th, 1944 air battle.

It is hard to believe that it’s been a year since 30+ of us KMHS Members were fortunate enough to attend the 75th Anniversary Memorial in Friedlos, Germany. Once again, it was a big deal in Germany as it is every year. All the speeches in honoring the fallen, the reconciliation spirit of the Memorial, and the hope for a better world as part of the program. The Kassel Mission Memorial is truly one of a kind.

Do you recall any particular Memorial Day Weekend? Where you were, what you did, and who was there with you? For most of us, we may recall but a few, but most likely they are of fond memories of friends and families gathering and welcoming the approaching days of summer. My hunch is that we will all remember version 2020 for certain!

The day is not until tomorrow, but the memories that it stirs up have already spent three-quarters of a century within our hearts. And since we are in the throes of another battle right now, it even takes on more relevance in our lives. I mourn the death of a small group of heroes who were inside a B-24 named KING KONG on September 27, 1944

For all the information we have accumulated on most of the 35 Kassel Mission crews, there was one we knew absolutely nothing about. All we had was the MACR (Missing Air Crew Report) and the crew list. Roy Bolin’s crew was the first to go down on the mission. Their Liberator crashed near Eisenach, Germany. Only one crew member survived.

Peter Barton who, with his wife Cathy, attended the 75thKassel Mission Memorial Tribute in Friedlos, Germany. Peter and Cathy joined 5 other Americans in a visit to Norwich in the United Kingdom to tour the Tibenham airbase. Eric Radcliffe, Steve Hewitt and Eric Bean - all from the Norfolk area - hosted the group and also joined the larger group in Germany the following week.

The 75th Anniversary of the Kassel Mission was a memorable one. It has been 15 years (2004) since as many came from the US to join in the annual tribute, which is conducted every yearon 9/27 by our German colleagues.