MARINETTE – On Nov. 22, 1952, a flight departing from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., for Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, crashed into Mount Gannett, resulting in the death of all 52 men on board.
The crash site was lost to the elements for decades, until field debris was recovered in 2012 and yearly retrieval efforts began. The 11-member plane crew and 41 Army and Air Force men were gradually located and identified.
Amongst the final three men to be identified was Airman Second Class Daniel McMann who — after 73 years missing — is being returned home to Marinette thanks to the advocacy of Honored Bound.
Honored Bound was established by Tonja Anderson-Dell as she was researching her grandfather Isaac William Anderson, one of the airmen who perished in the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II plane crash.
“Growing up, my grandfather was just someone who was missing. I started to research because I couldn’t understand how he went missing because he was in the military and they never leave the fallen behind,” she explained.
Anderson-Dell researched the crash from 1999 onwards, discovering a gap in military policy. Since the crash occurred during travel between duty stations, the event was considered an “operational loss.”
As a result, agencies like the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) could not use their funding to search for the Globemaster because it did not fall under their jurisdiction.
Despite this roadblock, Anderson-Dell was determined to give the men the honor they deserved.
“I started advocating and fighting for my grandfather and the 51 others on the plane. My motto was, ‘If we can find the Titanic, why can’t we find this crash?’”
Continuing her advocacy, she even took the financial burden upon herself to visit the location during the early search missions. Actions like this led to Anderson-Dell creating the nonprofit Honored Bound, which is “dedicated to tracking and searching for non-war military plane losses, advocating for affected families and raising awareness about this often-overlooked group of fallen heroes.”
Honored Bound acted in support of a 2012 Blackhawk training mission that discovered a piece of a broken wing from the crashed plane. This finding led to Operation Colony Glacier, the recovery team backed by the Air Force, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System personnel, the Alaska Army National Guard and volunteers.
This collaboration led to the remains and personal artifacts of Isaac William Anderson returning to his family and final resting place in 2019 as well as the approaching homecoming of McMann.
Daniel “Dinny” Frederick McMann was born on Feb. 25, 1930, and was the only son of James and Frances (Powers) McMann. He aimed to serve his country during the Korean War and had just passed his qualifying test for Officer Training Candidate School while at McChord. McMann was returning to his duty station at Elmendorf when the plane crash ended his life at just 22 years old.
McMann is survived by numerous cousins who have invited the public to share in the opportunity to honor his service and sacrifice.
“McMann was part of the last group to close out the 52 men, but seeing the last group is an honor because we can say they have all now come home,” Anderson-Dell shared.
An Air Force Mortuary Affairs servicemember will accompany McMann on the flight to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on June 15, where they will then be met by an honor guard for a dignified transfer to Marinette.
A graveside service with full military honors provided by the United States Air Force will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, at Forest Home Cemetery in Marinette, located at 2420 Mary St. All are invited to attend.
As the last of the men are finally being laid to rest, Anderson-Dell reflected on her years of work.
“It’s a labor of love because, at the end of the day, I don’t receive anything out of this other than getting to watch family members get the closure that they are so due.”
After 73 years, McMann, his family and his community will finally receive this well-deserved closure.
For more information on joining the June 15 heroes return to Marinette or the June 17 burial service, contact the Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home at (715) 735-3737.
To learn more about Anderson-Dell and her ongoing work to identify and locate missing veterans, visit www.honoredbound.org/ or follow Honored Bound on Facebook.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here