During a recent trip to a war memorial in Pennsylvania, President Biden recounted a personal story about his uncle who served in World War II. He shared that his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, flew reconnaissance missions over war zones in single-engine planes for the Army Air Corps. Unfortunately, the plane he was on was shot down over New Guinea, an area known for its cannibals.
According to President Biden, his uncle was eaten by cannibals and his body was never found. However, the official account by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency differs from this recounting. The agency reports that the plane crashed into the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea due to engine failure and an aerial search party failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft or its crew members. Second Lieutenant Ambrose J. Finnegan from Pennsylvania remains unaccounted-for and is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates explained that President Biden is proud of his uncle’s service and used his story to emphasize the importance of honoring and supporting veterans. According to Bates, President Biden spoke about how American veterans are not “suckers” or “losers” while advocating for supporting and caring for them and their families.