Nearly eight decades after his death in the World War II invasion, a 23-year-old man was laid to rest. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, Lt. William J. McGowan of the U.S. Air Force was buried at Normandy American Cemetery on Saturday with full military honors.
McGowan's P-47 Thunderbolt plane was shot down above France's Moon-sur-Elle, June 6, 1944. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, (DPAA) reported that the American Graves Registration Command visited McGowan's site three years later. Witnesses revealed to an investigator that the Thunderbolt had been burning for over a day. Some of the wreckage was recovered by authorities, but McGowan's remains were not found.
McGowan was declared non-recoverable in December 1947. He was then listed on the American Cemetery's Walls of the Missing for almost 80 years, according to the DPAA.
McGowan's remains were discovered by an archaeological team from St. Mary's University Forensic Aviation Archaeological Field School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during excavations in 2018. The remains were identified by officials at a DPAA laboratory as his in 2019, according to the agency.
His family asked that he be buried at the American Cemetery. Many family members traveled from Normandy to witness the Saturday ceremony.
McGowan's nephew Paul Stouffer released a statement, "When we were asked where our uncle would be buried, we didn't hesitate." We feel that [Lt. McGowan’s parents and siblings] will be comforted to know that their son, and brother, is buried here. Lt. McGowan will also be laid to rest with 9,386 of their brothers and sisters who gave their lives in the service of their country. We are grateful to the American Battle Monuments Commission, for allowing another young man to join this extraordinary group of young people at this wonderful memorial. We are here to remember you.
McGowan was identified by a rosette placed beside his name on the Walls of the Missing. According to the ABMC, almost 1,600 servicemen are still missing.
Scott Desjardins (the American Cemetery's superintendent), said that it was his solemn honor "to provide Lt. McGowan with a final resting spot among those he served beside." "We have the responsibility of sharing the story of Lt. McGowan and the stories about the missing or fallen who are buried within our sites or memorialized." It is an honor to be able pay tribute to his achievements, sacrifices, and service.
