Remains of WWII aviator go home

Bones, aircraft found in Austria

FORT SMITH — Bob Mitchell waited 77 years to learn where his brother was killed.

Henry D. Mitchell, 23, of the Tontitown area was shot down over Austria in 1944 while flying in his Lockheed P-38 Lightning during a mission with the Army Air Forces’ 48th Fighter Squadron.

Bob Mitchell, 90, of Fort Smith learned about his brother’s remains through the help of U.S. legislators from Arkansas and Austrian searchers, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark.

The discovery concludes a 24-year search.

“I’m just so thankful that his brother, who lived right across the street from my former office here in Fort Smith, lived to see the day when proper respects could be paid, positive ID could be made and a proper burial could take place,” Womack said at a Tuesday event in Fort Smith.

Mitchell remembers his brother as “a quiet guy” who knew how to fly even before he fought in World War II. He said his brother became a flight instructor at Starnes Flying Service in Conway after he earned an engineering degree at John Brown University.

He put this skill to use in the Army Air Forces and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

“He had rather been flying

than pounding the ground in the Army because he had made that comment several times,” Bob Mitchell recalled.

He was stationed in northern Africa in 1944 before moving to Italy, Bob Mitchell said. Henry Mitchell flew a sweep mission over Austria from Italy. He was shot down July 8, his brother said.

“They were hit by anti-aircraft fire, and the Germans set up some planes to conflict with them,” he said.

Henry Mitchell’s family was told that he was missing in action three days after he was shot down. Bob Mitchell said he wasn’t as affected by the news of his brother as his parents were because he was only 13.

It wasn’t until 53 years later, in 1997, that Bob Mitchell reached out to then-3rd District U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson about his brother. He obtained his brother’s war file from the Pentagon through his search efforts, he said.

Staff members of the offices of Womack and U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., connected with Markus Reisner, who leads a World War II aircraft search group in Austria. Reisner’s group found the downed airplane in 2017, Womack’s release states.

The former owner of the property wouldn’t let them excavate, but the owner’s son eventually gave them permission, Womack said.

Henry Mitchell’s remains were found in a nearby shallow grave, his brother said. He noted that his brother’s bones and wristwatch were in decent condition when they were found.

Bob Mitchell doesn’t know who buried his brother.

“If they hadn’t have done this, this was in a heavily wooded area, and the animals would have gotten to his remains, I’m sure,” he said.

Bob Mitchell said he was “tickled to death” when they found his brother’s remains, noting how long he had searched for him.

Henry Mitchell’s remains will be returned home for burial in Fayetteville National Cemetery with military honors, Womack’s release states. His gravestone in the cemetery will be changed from “Missing In Action” to “Killed In Action,” his brother said.

Boozman in the release said these efforts reaffirm legislators’ commitment to bring service members home. He said there is “nothing better than helping reunite these brothers.”

“There are certainly a lot of veterans missing, either missing as veterans or missing as POWs, and we can’t let that go,” said Mauricio Gonzalez, chief director and service officer for Veterans Services of Sebastian County. “They made the ultimate sacrifice, and I think it’s up to us to bring them all home.”