Just a personal story that relates to the Unknown Soldier...

Most never really consider everyone that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represents. I really never gave it much thought until I was stationed in England at RAF Woodbridge (now closed). In the midst of the, then new, on-base housing area there was a very large area left unfinished. Most of us stationed there heard rumors that the contractor building the new housing units had gone bankrupt and was unable to finish after several lots had been prepared for foundations. The truth came out and it stunned most of the personnel - The contractor, in an under-handed effort to get filthy rich, hid from the architectural firm certain maps and documents which showed what the vacant area was originally. During WWII Raf Woodbridge was a "crash base." These were airstrips which received the worst damaged aircraft when they returned from Germany. If there was a chance they would damage their homebase's airstrip, they were landed at Woodbridge. Many of these craft were unable to land safely and crash landed often injuring or killing many crew members. At that time the vacant lot was a large pit. If possible, the unsalvagable aircraft would be cleared of the dead and then pushed off into the large pit for burial later. But, some of the dead were unrecoverable, either because they were twisted inside the wreckage or burned to ash.

The pit was to remain untouched as a memorial to the crewmen who are buried there. The contractor ignored that and began to build over the pit until someone found out. To my knowlege the site is unmarked, but still clear of any development and the land was returned to the people of England when the base closed. Hopefully, the present and future residents will continue to honor our dead and unknown.


Tim - USAF, 1983-1992