Photographs by Jeremy Edward Shiok
Dates: September 25-27, 2015
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Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
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Background
1stLt Alexander "Sandy" Bonnyman, Jr., an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, was killed by Japanese forces during the Battle of Tarawa in November of 1943, and subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor for the actions that resulted in his death. He was buried on the islet of Betio, the site of the battle, along with hundreds of other fallen Americans. Sadly, over time his grave and the graves of many other brave men were lost. Efforts to recover the remains of the missing after WWII proved to be inadequate, and ultimately Lt. Bonnyman and the other Marines and Sailors of Tarawa were left behind.
That all changed six decades after the war when a non-profit MIA search and rescue organization called History Flight, Inc., led by Mark Noah, began the search for the missing Marines of Tarawa. History Flight has spent more than a decade enlisting the expertise of specialists from around the world to help locate and recover the remains of the nearly 500 missing men. In 2013, with the support of related U.S. military organizations tasked with locating MIAs around the world, History Flight intensified its operations on Tarawa, and since that time the remains of many Americans have been recovered and returned to the U.S. for identification. Several individuals have been identified and returned to their families for burial.
Lt. Bonnyman is one such return. His remains were discovered by History Flight in early 2015, aided in part by the efforts of his grandson, Clay Bonnyman Evans. On Friday September 25, 2015, Lt. Bonnyman’s casketed remains returned home to a hero’s welcome in Knoxville, the city of his upbringing. On Saturday September 26, 2015, a public service was held in his honor at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial. The following day, on Sunday September 27, 2015, he was laid to rest at Highland Memorial Cemetery, more than 72 years after his death, in a plot picked for him decades ago by his father. Lt. Bonnyman’s status is no longer “Buried at Sea.” Lt. Bonnyman is finally home.
That all changed six decades after the war when a non-profit MIA search and rescue organization called History Flight, Inc., led by Mark Noah, began the search for the missing Marines of Tarawa. History Flight has spent more than a decade enlisting the expertise of specialists from around the world to help locate and recover the remains of the nearly 500 missing men. In 2013, with the support of related U.S. military organizations tasked with locating MIAs around the world, History Flight intensified its operations on Tarawa, and since that time the remains of many Americans have been recovered and returned to the U.S. for identification. Several individuals have been identified and returned to their families for burial.
Lt. Bonnyman is one such return. His remains were discovered by History Flight in early 2015, aided in part by the efforts of his grandson, Clay Bonnyman Evans. On Friday September 25, 2015, Lt. Bonnyman’s casketed remains returned home to a hero’s welcome in Knoxville, the city of his upbringing. On Saturday September 26, 2015, a public service was held in his honor at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial. The following day, on Sunday September 27, 2015, he was laid to rest at Highland Memorial Cemetery, more than 72 years after his death, in a plot picked for him decades ago by his father. Lt. Bonnyman’s status is no longer “Buried at Sea.” Lt. Bonnyman is finally home.
The photographs shared here are divided into three parts, one for each day of Lt. Bonnyman’s return to Knoxville. They should be viewed with reverence for Lt. Bonnyman and all the brave Americans who fought at Tarawa, especially those who still lie beneath the sands of Betio. May they all be found and brought home where they belong.
Special thanks are given to the Bonnyman family for welcoming my participation in these remarkable events, and for allowing me to photograph so many personal moments.
Special thanks are given to the Bonnyman family for welcoming my participation in these remarkable events, and for allowing me to photograph so many personal moments.
Please click a gallery title below to view the photos.