ARTICLE FROM THE NW INDIANA TIMES, AUGUST 4, 2011:
Cecily Flowers, right in wheelchair, watches as a casket with comingled remains representing her brother, 2nd Lt. William J. Shryock, of Gary, and 11 other crewmen, is lifted for burial at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Thursday [August 4, 2011]. Remains of Shryock and 11 other crewmen had been missing in action since 1943, when the plane carrying them disappeared during a mission in New Guinea. Shryock also had a casket with his individual remains buried at the ceremony.
Picture credit: Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press
Shryock, missing since WWII, laid to rest
(Story by Marisa Kwik)
Cecily Flowers accepted the folded American flag that had covered her brother's casket Thursday and laid her head on it, overcome with emotion.
The remains of Flowers' brother, 2nd Lt. William Shryock, and 11 others were laid to rest Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia -- more than 65 years after the plane they were on crashed during World War II.
The downed plane's location wasn't discovered until 2003, when a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command received information about a crash site in New Guinea.
A team later excavated the site, finding human remains and identification tags belonging to the missing crew. Officials used DNA testing to identify the men's remains.
Shryock, a former Hobart and Gary resident, officially was accounted for March 3, 2010, U.S. Air Force Maj. Carie Parker said.
The discovery of Shryock's remains finally gave Flowers closure in the death of her older brother.
Flowers, who grew up in Northwest Indiana but now lives in Maine, was in eighth grade when Shryock went missing. She now is 83 years old.
"I will always miss him," Flowers told her daughter Patricia during Thursday's graveside ceremony.
Patricia Flowers said the "pomp and circumstance" of the ceremony was more than Shryock's family expected.
A carriage drawn by six white horses carried a casket representing all 12 servicemen to an Arlington chapel for a short service. A full military contingency joined the procession, Patricia Flowers said.
She said the service included a Bible reading and the singing of "Amazing Grace" and "America the Beautiful."
Shryock's family then followed the military procession to a burial site where Shryock and three others from the crash were being laid to rest in individual caskets.
Patricia Flowers said a B-52 bomber flew overhead at the gravesite, followed by a rifle salute, playing of taps and reciting of the Lord's Prayer. She said eight servicemen folded the American flags draped over each of the four caskets.
An officer spoke a few words before presenting Shryock's flag to Cecily Flowers. Patricia Flowers described it as the most emotional moment for the 16 Shryock family members in attendance.
Only one -- Cecily Flowers -- had ever met their fallen family member.
Patricia Flowers said she felt the loss even though she never had an opportunity to meet her uncle.
"I found myself thinking after the Lord's Prayer that my life would've been that much richer if my Uncle William Shryock would have lived," she said. "He would have helped us understand what World War II meant and how important it was to our freedom and freedom all over the world."
Other members of Shryock's crew
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Jack E. Volz, 21, of Indianapolis; 2nd Lt. Regis E. Dietz, 28, of Pittsburgh; 2nd Lt. Edward J. Lake, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass.; Tech. Sgt. Robert S. Wren, 25, of Seattle; Tech. Sgt. Hollis R. Smith, 22, of Cove, Ark.; Staff Sgt. Berthold A. Chastain, 27, Dalton, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Clyde L. Green, 24, Erie, Pa.; Staff Sgt. Frederick E. Harris, 23, Medford, Mass.; Staff Sgt. Claude A. Ray, 24, Coffeyville, Kan. and Staff Sgt. Claude G. Tyler, 24, Landover, Md.
Source: Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
This article was obtained from: https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hobart/shryock-missing-since-wwii-laid-to-rest/article_6da34f47-ab48-572c-bdfe-1ce6f1c3dab6.html.
THE FOLLOWING IMAGE APPEARS ON THE GOLD STAR FAMILY REGISTRY WEBSITE:
This image was obtained from: https://goldstarfamilyregistry.com/heroes/William-Shryock-218479.