73rd BOMB WING (VH)
POW HONOR ROLL

73rd Bomb Wing logo
source : 500th Bomb Group Memorial Association

created August 2019
Doug Comella
Updated 15 July 2026

1745

Within each man's Recovery and Identification sections
are documents that some may find disturbing.

You will not see any photos from recovery operations within these pages

 

RECENT UPDATES

15 July 2026
TSgt Raymond Carl Richmond

IDENTIFIED
13 January 2026
SSgt Chester Arthur Johnson, Jr

IDENTIFIED

 

 

April 2022

Remains of 37 Unknown POWs from
the Tokyo Military Prison Fire
have been disinterred from Manila American Cemetery.

Included are 12 men from the 73rd Bomb Wing.
________________

July 2026
Eleven of the 37 Unknowns have been identified.

Four of them are from the
73rd Bomb Wing
_______________

Please visit Michael Krehl's Facebook page
Quest for Repatriation
for updates

Monthly updates for all POWs are available at the
DPAA
web site

 

73rd Bomb Wing ( Very Heavy )

17 June 2025

Remains of SSgt Irvin C Ellingson
have been identified by the DPAA

( source: DPAA Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam )

 

20 October 2025

Remains of Sgt Leonard James McNeill
have been identified by the DPAA
( source : Michael Krehl )

 
13 January 2026

Remains of SSgt Chester Arthur Johnson, Jr
have been identified by the DPAA

( source: Michael Krehl )

 

15 July 2026

Remains of TSgt C Raymond Richmond

have been identified by the DPAA
( source : Michael Krehl )

 


October 2023

The

6th Bomb Group

John Creek

 

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92 men of the 73rd Bomb Wing were
Prisoners of War of the Japanese Government

37 survived

While this web site honors those who died in captivity, we cannot ever forget those survivors who suffered abuse and neglect.
They too are honored

Public Law 490

Reference to this document will appear within many files
Please click on the above link to view a jpg image obtained from Fold3

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Most sources are listed under each photo or document
  Surrender Terms

Nimitz Grey Book



Case History 051
Koishikawa Military
Cemetery, Tokyo

Case History 111

Tokyo Military Prison
Fire

Case History 328
Osaka Castle
Kempei Tai Headquarters

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15 February 2020

Honoring Irvin's Memory

Michael Krehl's grandfather, Sgt Leonard J. Mc Neill, is one of the 37 unknown POWs who were Killed in Action 25- 26 May 1945 during the Tokyo Military Prison fire.

Michael is spearheading a project with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to have the unidentified remains of 8 men buried in Manila American Cemetery identified and repatriated.

This PDF is titled Honoring Irvin's Memory. SSgt Irvin Casper Ellingson was with the 499th Bomb Group and is one of the 37 unknown POWs. These 88 pages are from a Power Point Presentation and provide a glimpse as to what Michael is pursuing.

  Honoring Irvin's Memory

Identified
17 June 2025

 



6 January 2022

Michael's effort to have the
37 Unknowns identified is successful !!!

Both the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency and
the American Battle Momuments Commission have granted their approval.

A sequence of letters beginning 15 September 2021
and concluding on 6 January 2022
can be viewed at the

Tokyo Military Prison Fire
DPAA


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THE 55

Virtual Cemetery
created by Scott Muselin
March 2020

Tokyo Military Prison

Osaka Castle

 

73rd Bomb Wing HQ

 

497th Bomb Group

497th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery




 




 




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498th Bomb Group

498th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery










 

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499th Bomb Group

499th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery






IDENTIFIED
17 JUNE 2025

TSgt Leo G Copulos

 

 

 

No Photo Available

 


 









 

 

 

No Photo Available









 





 


PAGE UNAVAILABLE

  
 
SSgt Howard R Woleslagle
  

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500th Bomb Group


500th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery



 

 






 

 





IDENTIFIED
20 OCTOBER 2025


 




IDENTIFIED
7 JULY 2026


 







PAGE UNAVAILABLE
Sgt Charles R Weiser


 

 


 

 

 

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