Evening star., 1947-01-09
Army Plans 10 Query
Relatives on Return
OF 100000 War Dead

In anticipation of bringing home
for burial next summer the first ol
the more than 100000 American
servicemen and woasen who diec
overseas in World War II, the Wal
Department said today 1t will issue
ouestionnaires to next of kin or
February to learn their wishes
for the final disposition of the
bodies.
The first bodies are expected to
be returned about mid-August, it
was said, from seven cemeteries in
Hawaii and one in Belgium.
Congress has set time limit OF
five years for the completion of the
program. Quartermaster General
T. B. Larkin estimates it can be
completed in less time.
Tell me about my boy" is the
request most frequently sent to the
Army Quartermaster General by
next of kin seeking additional in
formation of the progress of the
War Departments program. For the
information of families the War
Department today issued an ex-
planatory booklet which takes its
title from the oft-heard request.
Copies to Next of Kin.
Copies of the pamphlet will be
sent to all the known next of kin
and additional information sought
will be given prompt attention if
requests are made to the Office of
the Quartermaster General, Memo
rial Division, Washington. Informa-
tion also may be obtained from the
commanding officer of the nearest
American Graves Registration dis
tribution centers, which are listed
in. the pamphlet.
All relatives will not receive the
letter of inquiry and QUESTIONABLE
at the same time. 1t will be sent
only when the time approaches to
return the body.
To make it clear that the pro-
gram will be carried out in an
orderly fashion the pamphlet cites
q typical situation:
Two women are neXt-door neigh
bors in the same city. Both had
sons who died in the Pacific. The
first mother may receive a letter of
inquiry from the War Department
today. That is because her son is
buried in the United States Gene
terry at Homelani, on the island Of
Hilo, Territory of Hawaii. This is
one of the first eight cemeteries
which will be evacuated. ..'.
Seven Cemeteries Listed.
The second mother may not re-
ceive a letter until months later.
The reason for this is that her son
is buried in a cemetery which, per-
haps, for reasons of distance, can
not be evacuated until some months
hence.
The other seven cemeteries from
which the first evacuations are to
be made, starting probably in Au-
gust are Henri Chapelle in Bel
gium, and the following in Hawaii:
MakaWeli on Hawai-, Makawao on
Maui and Schofield Barracks, Maka-
pu, Nuuanu and Halawa on Oahu.
Despite widespread publicity given
rules governing the disposal of the
dead thousands of families are un-l
certain of the alternatives offered
by the Government. For their in
formation, the pamphlet stresses the
options as:
l. Bodies may be returned to the
nj rr
territory, for burial in a private
cemetery.
May Be Sent Overseas.
2. They may be returned to a
foreign country, the homeland of
the deceased or the next of kin, for
burial in a private cemetery.
8. They may be buried in a per-
manent United States military cem-
etery overseas or in a national GEM
etery in the United States
In any case, all costs of exhuma-
ton, preparation of the body, cask-
citing and forwarding to the place
designated will be borne by the
United States Government.
War Department officials said
steel caskets are now being shipped
overseas in preparation for return
ing the bodies as expeditiously as
possible. The primary reason for
the long delay in getting the move
nent started was the acute steel
shortage last August which pre-
vented casket manufacturers from
obtaining material.