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16 • TRAVELLER • November 1, 2012
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WW II Veteran IdentiďŹ ed, Returned Home by T. Anthony Bell
Senior Writer/Special Projects
shortly after the plane went missing, many parts and remains were found between 1983-99 as the glacier slid downward from its resting place at an altitude of 12,000 feet, said the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. Two years ago, the remains were re-evaluated using advanced DNA technology, and Cassell’s DNA was determined to match that of his mother’s. Anderson, along with her two older siblings, Franklin, 82, and Mary Lee Cassell Musulin, 80, were on hand to witness the arrival of the remains at the airport. They watched in solemn tribute as Fort Lee Soldiers ceremoniously removed
the flag-draped coffin from the commercial aircraft’s cargo storage area and carried it to a waiting hearse. They also traveled to Amelia County to do the same in preparation for a memorial service that was held Sunday. Tech Sgt. Cassell was 21 years old when he died with his fellow airmen. An Arlington National Cemetery burial plot was dedicated to the crew years ago, but no personal items had been returned, said Anderson, who was lonly a few monhs old when her brother was drafted and departed for World War II. Despite the declaration that her brother was deceased, Anderson said her father held a glimmer of hope that his son was still alive, especially considering the fact the no personal items were found. “My father always thought that maybe, maybe he survived and one day would show up,� said Anderson, “because they got nothing, nothing except a telegram.� Anderson said the identification of the remains brings an end to the years of speculation about her brother’s death. “It does bring closure, especially for my sister and brother,� she said. “Also, because I didn’t know him and didn’t experience the grief at that time, it gives me such a good feeling that he’s home. That’s what my father and mother always wanted.�
(COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Pfc. Ashley Kinsey shares a laugh with Ethan /HLQLQJHU OHIW DQG $QQD 'XUKDP ‡ &DSW )RUUHVW &OD\ OLVWHQV ZKLOH $QL\D *HH UHDGV ‡ -HVVLFD &RXFKPDQG OLVWHQV DV D 6ROGLHU UHDGV DORXG 3IF -DPHV +XPSKUH\V DQG 3IF 'LOOLRQ +LOOLDUG SOD\ ELQJR ZLWK VWXGHQWV
Reading Buddies PHOTO BY T. ANTHONY BELL
PHOTOS BY T. ANTHONY BELL
HENRICO COUNTY– In 1947, the parents of Army Tech. Sgt. William S. Cassell received word that their son was one of eight airmen presumed dead after the aircraft in which they were flying went missing. The following year, the wreckage of a U.S. B-17G Flying Fortress was discovered in the French-Italian Alps near the Estellette Glacier. It was determined to be Cassell’s plane but the remains were unidentifiable and the wreckage was declared non-recoverable. Until now. More than 60 years after he was declared deceased, Cassell’s remains were finally returned to his Family during a planeside ceremony Friday at the Richmond International Airport. A day earlier, Hannah Cassell Anderson said she was taken with the news that their older brother was finally coming home. “I was just amazed and thrilled at the same time,� said the 68-year-old Anderson, “because not only did they have his remains, but they also had his dog tags, which was just wonderful.� Although bits and pieces of the wreckage were found
November 1, 2012 • TRAVELLER • 17
Fort Lee Ordnance Soldiers Lend Hand to 1st Graders at Colonial Heights School by T. Anthony Bell Senior Writer/Special Projects
First grade teacher Jane Briggs noticed the immediate and visible impact the visitors had on the students in her classroom and was grateful for their presence. “I cannot tell you how thankful I am,� she said, “because I know they are busy and have so many things that are so important but nothing is more important than 6-year-olds learning to read.� Briggs, a teacher at North Elementary School in Colonial Heights, was brimming with pride and appreciation watching Fort Lee Soldiers interact with her pupils during reading activities Oct. 25 at the school. “I’m watching the faces of the children but also the faces of the military, and it’s so exciting to see the connection being made,� she said during the reading sessions. The Soldiers, all assigned to Alpha Company, 832nd Ordnance Battalion, 59th Ord. Brigade, located on the Ordnance Campus, are part of the unit’s effort to extend hands of support to build meaningful relationships with the communities outside its confines, said its commander, Capt. Forrest Clay.
“The community outside the gate is the cornerstone of what we have here at Fort Lee,� he said. “Every time we go outside those gates, those civilians are there to support us so we have to make sure we give back to them as much as they give to us.� During the most recent school visit, Eight Soldiers and one senior noncommissioned officer were on hand to help Briggs with her class of roughly 20 students. At one table, two Soldiers played a bingo-like game with the pupils, jokingly and gently urging them on. At another table, children read aloud as Soldiers listened. There were also many instances in which reading took a back seat to students’ curiosity and questions Afterward, Soldiers said time spent with the children furthered their personal enrichment and aspirations. “I love children, and I want to be a teacher one day,� said Pfc. Ashley Kinsey, a 21-year-old Bamberg, S.C. native. “Anything I can do to brighten their day and perhaps help with their future – all it fulfills me as a person.� Twenty-year-old Pvt. Rachel Bailey had similar sentiments. “I know I loved reading as a child,� she said. “Even now, reading is a really big escape for me. I was telling one of the students the last time I was here that you can go
anywhere you want to go and be anything you want to be reading a book.� Sgt. 1st Class Paula Bond, a member of the Alpha Co. cadre, spent much of her time with one child who on a previous occasion wasn’t as open as the other children, displaying a level of shyness and introversion. He initially showed the same signs during this session but quickly opened up to the senior NCO. Bond was clearly enlightened by the experience and said getting to know the kids was just as valuable as the reading assistance. “Being able to interact with the children is very rewarding,� she said. “We make some great connections while reading to them and hearing them read as well as getting a little feedback on who they are, what they like, etc.� Clay, who has a son in Briggs’ class, said he could have chosen a number of activities to make contributions but education has the biggest payoff. “It is the foundation of everything,� said the former middle school teacher. “We have to make sure we are educating those around us. Reading, science and math are going to help our economy, our Army, our world to be better places. It all starts with education.� Alpha Co. will continue to work with the school and hopes to adopt it in the future, said Clay.