Casey, Specter, Cornyn, Cardin, McCaskill- Introduce Resolution to Designate a Site for Bakers Creek Memorial

Press Release

Memorial Would Honor Fallen Soldiers

U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) today introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing a commitment by the Senate to the importance of determining a final site for a small memorial honoring 40 members of the United States Armed Forces who lost their lives in a plane crash in Bakers Creek, Australia during World War II.

"This resolution would seek to provide a lasting tribute to the bravery and dedication of these young American men by building a memorial at an appropriate place of honor. In particular, I wish to pay tribute to six Pennsylvanians who lost their lives," said Casey. "Now is the time to mark their sacrifices with the proper level of respect and reverence."

"I am pleased to join in this effort to recognize the forty American soldiers who tragically perished at Bakers Creek." Senator Specter said. "A memorial on American soil will honor the memory of the fallen heroes, help to bring closure to their families, and let generations to come know of their contributions to our nation."

"This is an important effort to honor the sacrifice of those Americans who died in the crash," Senator Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. "It helps ensure the 40 fallen soldiers of the Army Air Corps, including two Texans, will be properly honored with a permanent monument on American soil. Fort Myer, Virginia, is a fitting and worthy home for this memorial, in my opinion. It has been 65 years since this tragic event, and Congress must move quickly on this bipartisan effort to honor the loss of these fine American soldiers, who were part of the Greatest Generation."

"The families of the 40 soldiers who lost their lives at Bakers Creek waited for years to learn the true cause of their loved ones' death. They should not have to wait any longer to find a home on American soil for the memorial in honor of these brave soldiers," said Senator Cardin. "It is my hope that this resolution will inspire the Army to act quickly to select a permanent U.S. site for the Bakers Creek Memorial marker."

The resolution proposed by the members seeks to relocate a memorial, currently located on the grounds of the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, to an appropriate site to be determined by the Secretary of the Army. The memorial honors 40 servicemen who died in a plane crash on June 14, 1943. At its current location, the memorial is on foreign soil.

Thirty-five servicemen and six crew members were aboard a plane traveling from Mackay in Queensland, Australia to battlefields in New Guinea during World War II. Shortly after taking off, the plane crashed, killing all but one person onboard. Due to the sensitivity of their mission, details of the crash were left unreported and remained so for 15 years after the end of the war. The accident remains the deadliest plane crash in Australian history and the worst single airplane crash in the Southwest Pacific during WWII. June 14th, 2008 marked the 65th anniversary of this tragedy.

To date, the Bakers Creek Memorial Association has located the families of 38 of the 40 casualties and the group continues to search for the families of the remaining two. Pennsylvania is still home to six of the known families, which is more than any other state.