SukritiAn Old Hillbilly
Zora and her husband died without seeing their son’s remains. Even Jim Crawford lost all hopes. “I’d given up, I didn’t believe we’d ever get him back. They had him in their hands 2 days after the crash and they didn’t see fit to get him back to us. I figured nobody cared much for an old hillbilly who got killed in the war,” said Jim.
All Alone
Jim buried his parents knowing that their last wish wasn’t fulfilled. They knew their son’s remains will not be returned yet they waited silently and Jim knew it. He knew it was their sole wish, also, he was aware that he cannot give up on his parent’s last wish. Sadly, he too was very old to keep a record of this case and that’s when his daughter took the responsibility.
Never Give Up
Jim’s daughter, Judy still tried to get in touch with several Department of Defense’s officials and congressional representatives. “One office offered to get us a flag, I remember thinking we don’t want the friggin’ flag. That’s not what we’re after.” When the people in the government didn’t prove any help, the outsiders came to help.
Amazing Volunteers
In 2011, Judy contacted the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society, a historical group that dedicates all their efforts to preserve the heritage of the Hawaiian Aviation. They looked for the reports that Judy shared with them. After a lot of research work, they finally gave her information about one location that looked similar to the place that was mentioned in the reports. This was a big breakthrough for her when she was not given any hopes from anywhere these people gave her something to rely on for the least.
Hope Is In The Air
Even if this was the place where her uncle Harold’s remains lay, Judy had a long battle to fight. First of all, it was just a possibility, not an assurance. She still had a long fight to face before anything becomes clear.
The Search Begins
The search started and to reach to the site was one of the challenges she was yet to face. She always made sure that she kept Jim updated about everything that went on related to the search. So, they realized it wasn’t an easy feat even if they found the remains. Wondering why?