Dozens of World War II veterans were honored in France to mark 80 years since D-Day, including U.S. pilot Herbert G. Tennyson who was recently found after being missing in action since March 1944. Tennyson and 10 other aircrew members were aboard the Heaven Can Wait bomber in present-day Papua New Guinea when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire causing bombs to explode. The Department of Defense successfully identified his remains in 2024, bringing closure to his family.
Tennyson piloted the Heaven Can Wait bomber on a failed mission to take down Axis powers at the Boram Airfield, with the plane being shot down and crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Decades later, Tennyson’s family members, led by his cousin Scott Althaus, worked to uncover the truth about the crash through historical documents and eyewitness accounts. Project Recover located the wreckage in 2017 and confirmed the location with a dive in 2023, finally bringing closure to the family.
The remains of all 11 crew members aboard the Heaven Can Wait bomber have been posthumously awarded the Air Medal and a Purple Heart. The identification of Tennyson’s remains using dental and anthropological analysis, as well as DNA analysis, showcases the commitment of organizations like the DPAA and Project Recover in bringing closure to families of missing service members. With over 81,000 Americans still missing in action from various conflicts, the discovery and repatriation of Tennyson’s remains provide hope for other families still searching for their missing loved ones.
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