(no subject)
Jay Widener, of Chili holds a picture of one of his sons, James Widener. James Widener served in the military in Vietnam and was killed there in 1967. The U.S. government recently informed the family that his remains had been found. He will receive a military burial in Arlington Cemetery.
(September 21, 2006) - CHILI -The family never gave up hope, but they were realistic.
On Wednesday, the Marine Corps came to Jay and Lenore Widener’s home and told them half the news they wanted to hear. Their son, missing in action for 39 years, was found, but he was dead as they had expected.
Marine Pvt. James E. Widener of Chili was reported missing June 11, 1967, when his helicopter was shot down over South Vietnam. James Widener was a student athlete at Churchville-Chili High School and enlisted in the Marines after graduating in 1966. Trained as a radio operator, he volunteered for reconnaissance duty after arriving in Vietnam.
On his mother’s birthday, his squad was pinned down by heavy enemy fire. The helicopter he was in was hit by ground fire, knocking off its tail and sending it to the ground. All seven abroad were reported missing in action.
As of Jan 1, there were 1,382 people remaining missing in the Vietnam War, according to the U.S. Defense Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel Office.
James Widener will have a full U.S. Marine Corps military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.
The remains had been recovered by the Vietnamese. “His body was stored in a warehouse and they never let us know he was dead. We tried to find him after the war, hoping for years that maybe he was alive,” said his father, who still holds bitter feelings toward Vietnam officials. “Even in war, there should be some fairness.”
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Chili Marine's Remains Identified
by Seth Voorhees
Published Sep 21, 2006
Four decades have passed since U.S. Marine PFC James Widener's helicopter was shot down over South Vietnam. Presumed dead, his family prayed for closure, because Jim's remains were never positively identified. Until now.
Widener’s family was notified Wednesday that remains found in South Vietnam were that of the Churchville-Chili graduate. The Wideners received a report from the military this week, outlining how and where Jim's remains were found.
Though thankful for the confirmation, the Wideners suspect the government withheld information for years.
“The news is a bittersweet relay of information,” said brother Mark Widener. “This is proof positive that it's not where we were told by the government in ‘67.”
“They knew and didn't let us know,” said Jay Widener, the Marine’s father. “”There's no excuse for that kind of stuff.”
Now that they've been ID'ed through DNA and dental records, James Widener's remains will finally be flown home. A soldier no longer missing in action, as listed on Widener's plaque at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Highland Park.
“With an MIA, there's never a point of closure,” said Mark Widener of the family’s decades-long ordeal. “You can never give up hope. Hope is something you can't extinguish.”
A memorial built in that summer of 1967 still stands in the back yard of the Widener home. James Widener's final resting place will be at Arlington National cemetery in Virginia. His burial -- a moment a family's waited for, for forty years.
“In every American war this family has lost a son. It's about time one went to Arlington,” said Jay Widener of his family’s military history, which, he says, dates back to the Revolutionary War.
“I think he's earned it.”