Remains of American officer who died in Darj head home for re-burial

Major General Pickett died in 1965 and was buried in Darjeeling

KOLKATA: With the help and cooperation of the Bengal government, the last remains of one of America's most decorated officers, Major General Harry Kleinbeck Pickett, who fought in both World War I and II, are being returned home to the United States for re-burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Observing Memorial Day on Monday, the US Consulate Kolkata shared that Major General Pickett died in 1965 while visiting Darjeeling in Bengal and was buried in a cemetery there. His family and the US government have been closely coordinating with Indian counterparts to return his remains to the United States. Melinda Pavek, US Consul General in Kolkata, said: “Our first priority as US government public servants is protecting and supporting American citizens. Helping reunite Major General Pickett with his beloved family in the United States, the country he defended in both World War I and II, is a privilege and honour for us. My team and I are grateful for the support we received from the Government of India and the state of Bengal which made his return possible.”

It is learnt that the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata worked closely with S Ponnambalam, the district magistrate of Darjeeling, and John Pinto International funeral services, to locate Pickett's grave site in Darjeeling. After locating it in the Singtom Cemetery, the Special Secretary of the Home and Hills Department, West Bengal, worked to get the approvals for the exhumation, a consulate official said. Finally, B.P. Gopalika, who is presently Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and ARD Departments, with the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary- P and AR Department, gave the approval which allows Major General Pickett's remains to be sent to the US this month.

Major General Pickett was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps in 1913, going on to become one of the few Americans who served with distinction in both world wars. During World War I, he participated in the capture of the German cruiser SMS Cormoran in Guam in April 1917. Twenty-four years later, as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor, he and his fellow Marines fired on Japanese warplanes during the surprise attack on December 7, 1941.