Special Agent Ken Teich, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, works to display artifacts belonging to Blackie’s Gang, recovered at the crash site near the near the India/Myanmar border. The items were given to family members Monday as part of a ceremony at Motts Military Museum, where many of the items will remain as part of the collection. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
Recovered items returned to central Ohio
Marysville’s Capt. John Blackie Porter and Sgt. Harold Neibler are not yet home, but they are one step closer.
Monday, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Ohio hosted a repatriation ceremony, in which WWII artifacts believed to belong to Porter and his crew were returned to family members.
“These artifacts have traveled around the world, seen war and are now back home,” said Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio.
At the ceremony, held at Motts Military Museum in Groveport, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan took possession of the items — tools from the plane, shoe soles, a gun, a holster, parts from the plane, along with a variety of other items — for the families.
“This is a day we can celebrate that greatest generation that people talk about,” Jordan said.
Callender said the items are not vital to the investigation and it is “more important” to give them to the families and help bring closure.
Jordan called the museum “a fitting place to do such a ceremony.”
Many of the items will remain on display at the museum. Family members will keep some of the items, others will go to local museums and historical societies.
“This is just an awesome thing,” said Warren Motts, founder of the museum.
He called Porter “a fabulous man.”
“It means so much to me,” Motts said. “We are a museum that tells the story of people who served and some of them didn’t come back.”
He said he is proud to help educate others and bring healing to the families.
Ellen Vinson, the daughter of Porter’s widow, said she is happy the items have been returned and will be displayed.
“I am happy now that tens of thousands of people know what Blackie did in rescuing those downed pilots,” Vincent said.
On Dec. 10, 1943, Japanese Zero fighter aircraft shot down Porter’s U.S. Army B-25 plane which was on a rescue mission. Porter and Neibler, who were high school friends at Marysville High School, died together, along with Sgt. Harry Tucker, Sgt. Walter Oswalt and Maj. Ralph Dewsnup, as a result of the crash. Lt. James Spain survived the crash because Porter pushed him out of the overhead hatch, and was able to deploy a parachute moments before the plane crashed.
“Blackie’s Gang” as they had come to be known, pioneered search and rescue efforts by the military, introducing such efforts as parachuting medics to aid downed airmen. Porter and his crew were responsible for rescuing 127 allied airmen. “Blackie’s Gang” is considered a model for modern day search and rescue operations.
Last year, Vinson and the Marysville community raised more than $70,000 to send self-described professional adventurer Clayton Kuhles and a team of experts to go to a crash site near the India/Myanmar border and recover the remains. All of the money was raised from private individuals or organizations. No city money was used as part of the project.
Kuhles left Nov. 4. After he left, other team members learned there were no plane tickets, reservations or travel instructions made for them.
Kuhles said he never promised that anyone, other than himself, would go on the trip.
Before leaving on his recovery effort, Kuhles said any remains would be given to the Indian government for review, then turned over to the U.S. Embassy in India.
That didn’t happen. Kuhles loaded the artifacts, including what he said at the time were the recovered remains, into his backpack.
Callender said HSI got involved when a federal official received a tip that Kuhles would be entering the country with the remains of a U.S. serviceman.
“Just bringing in human remains is a crime,” Callender said.
He said investigators met Kuhles at the airport where he had several duffle bags containing what he claimed were artifacts and remains from the crash site.
Callender said agents were able to “detain” Kuhles at the airport.
“He willingly turned over, abandoned them to us,” Callender said.
He said that while Kuhles did not handle the remains or the process properly, when HSI took over, “we treated everything like they were war hero remains.”
Callender said that because it was the closest facility, the remains were taken to the L.A. County Coroner’s office for examination.
The bags had bits of metal and pieces from a plane wreckage, but the coroner’s office “determined there were no human remains among these remains,” he said.
The remains were then taken to labs at The Ohio State University, which confirmed the finding.
Vinson encouraged officials to continue with the process.
“It is my hope now, that the government will do what they said — leave no man left behind,” Vinson said.
Jordan called it, “a good start, that you see all these agencies working together.”
He said he feels confident staff member Barbara Taylor will continue to pursue the resolution.
Earlier this month Taylor said she is working to have the Department of Defense’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency begin an official search for the remains.
Callender said the investigation has been turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review. He said that office will determine whether to file charges against Kuhles.
Marysville City Council member J.R. Rausch, left, and U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan, right, talk after Monday’s repatriation ceremony, in which WWII artifacts belonging to Blackie’s Gang were given to Jordan on behalf of the families. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)