Arkansas World War II pilot's remains found in Austria

FORT SMITH -- Bob Mitchell waited 77 years to know where his brother is.

Henry D. Mitchell of the Tontitown area was shot down over Austria in 1944 flying in his Lockheed P-38 Lightning in a mission with the Army Air Forces' 48th Fighter Squadron.

Bob Mitchell, 90, of Fort Smith found his brother's remains through the help of U.S. legislators from Arkansas and Austrian searchers, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark.

The discovery concludes Mitchell's 24-year search.

"I'm just so thankful that his brother, who lived right across the street from my former office here in Fort Smith, lived to see the day when proper respects could be paid, positive ID could be made and a proper burial could take place," Womack said at a Tuesday event in Fort Smith.

Mitchell remembers his brother as "a quiet guy" who knew how to fly even before he fought in World War II. He said his brother became a flight instructor at Starnes Flying Service in Conway after he earned an engineering degree at John Brown University.

He put this skill to use in the Army Air Forces, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant.

"He had rather been flying than pounding the ground in the Army, because he had made that comment several times," Mitchell recalled.

He was stationed in northern Africa in 1944 before moving to Italy, he said. Henry Mitchell flew a sweep mission over Austria from Italy. He was shot down July 8, his brother said.

"They were hit by anti-aircraft fire, and the Germans set up some planes to conflict with them," he said.

Henry Mitchell's family was told he was missing in action three days after he was shot down. Mitchell said he wasn't as affected as his parents since he was only 13.

It wasn't until 53 years later, in 1997, that Bob Mitchell reached out to then-3rd District Rep. Asa Hutchinson about his brother. He obtained his brother's war file from the Pentagon through his search efforts, he said.

Staff members of the offices of Womack and U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., connected with Markus Reisner, who leads a World War II aircraft search group in Austria. Reisner's group found the downed airplane in 2017, Womack's release states.

The former owner of the property didn't let them excavate, but the owner's son eventually gave them permission, Womack said.

Henry Mitchell's remains were found in a nearby shallow grave, his brother said. He noted his brother's bones and wrist watch were in decent condition when they were found.

Bob Mitchell doesn't know who buried his brother.

"If they hadn't have done this, this was in a heavily wooded area, and the animals would have gotten to his remains, I'm sure," he said.

Mitchell said he was "tickled to death" when they found his brother's remains, noting how long he had searched for him.

Henry Mitchell's remains will be returned home for burial in Fayetteville National Cemetery with military honors, Womack's release states. His gravestone in the cemetery will be changed from "Missing In Action" to "Killed In Action," his brother said.

Boozman in the release said these efforts reaffirm legislators' commitment to bring service members home. He said there is "nothing better than helping reunite these brothers."

"There are certainly a lot of veterans missing, either missing as veterans or missing as POWs, and we can't let that go," said Mauricio Gonzalez, chief director and service officer for Veterans Services of Sebastian County. "They made the ultimate sacrifice, and I think it's up to us to bring them all home."