Biden Attributes WWII Uncle’s Unrecovered Remains to New Guinea Cannibals
TL/DR –
President Joe Biden twice suggested that the remains of his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, who died in a plane crash near New Guinea during World War II, were not recovered due to cannibalism in the region. This account differs from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency’s version, which says the plane was forced to ditch in the ocean and no trace of the missing crew was found. Despite the discrepancy, Biden’s claim that Finnegan’s remains were not recovered appears to be accurate, with Finnegan memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Biden’s Comments on Unrecoverable Remains of WWII Uncle
President Joe Biden implied that the remains of his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, were never recovered after his plane crashed in New Guinea during WWII due to cannibals in the region.
Biden’s narrative differs from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency’s account. They claim Finnegan’s A-20 Havoc was forced to ditch in the ocean off the coast of the island for unknown reasons.
“My uncle, Ambrose… flew single engine planes over war zones,” Biden addressed the audience at the United Steelworkers Headquarters in Pittsburgh. “He got shot down in New Guinea, and they never found the body due to cannibals.”
Biden repeated the story before leaving Scranton, Pennsylvania earlier that day. Cannibalism was indeed documented in mid-20th century New Guinea.
The DPAA entry states that three men including Finnegan failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost. An aerial search is said to have found no evidence of the missing aircraft or crew members.
Biden’s claim of the military’s inability to recover Finnegan’s remains stands true. He is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. Biden paid tribute to his uncle at a veterans’ memorial in Scranton.
“President Biden respects his uncle’s service who lost his life when his military aircraft crashed near New Guinea,” said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates. No further details on Biden’s cannibalism claim were provided by the White House.
Biden’s comments came during his remarks criticizing former President Donald Trump over a 2020 report alleging Trump disparaged US service members killed in battle. Trump disputed the report, but was later corroborated by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
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