Staff Reports
Researchers hit the jackpot in the dogged pursuit of a long-lost American hero, Second Lieutenant Allan W. Knepper, who took a nosedive into history after being shot down over Sicily on July 10, 1943. A recent press release from Cranfield University, a name that doesn’t pop up nearly often enough in discussions of American military pride, confirmed that Knepper’s remains have finally been identified after a search that stretched across decades and multiple continents.
Knepper’s trusty steed in the sky was none other than the P-38 “Lightning,” a genuine piece of American engineering that tore through the skies during World War II. This plane was no slouch; with its distinctive twin booms and the sort of cockpits that made heroes feel invincible, it represented freedom and strength on a global stage. That young airman had one crucial mission: to obstruct enemy movement and give the Allies a fighting chance to land troops on Sicilian soil. Unfortunately, amid intense anti-aircraft fire, his daring mission met a tragic end, and it was assumed Knepper didn’t survive the crash.
19-year-old WWII sailor identified after 80 years through DNA evidence https://t.co/McXloxRUh3 pic.twitter.com/Gyl7Ifo9sy
— New York Post (@nypost) April 13, 2024
Some might think locating a downed plane would be a straightforward affair, but those are the folks who clearly haven’t tried searching for a needle in a haystack that spans decades. A lucky break came when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the U.S. National Archives unearthed a German report that claimed two P-38s went down near Caltagirone, Sicily. This little nugget of information helped redirect efforts from the myriad of other likely spots where the plane could have ended its flight, proving once again that history often changes course in unexpected ways.
Once on the ground, it turned out the recovery team had their work cut out for them. Armed not with just determination but also with metal detectors and a decade’s worth of archaeological prowess, Dr. David Errickson of Cranfield University laid out the painstaking process. Given that many P-38s faced the same fate in Italy, finding distinguishing features like data plates became as important as a grandparent at a family BBQ talking about “the good old days.” Identifying a 70-year-old wreckage filled with fragments is no picnic, yet this project persevered with the ferocity of a bulldog.
Following eight long years of digging, sifting, and a shocking volume of patience, Knepper was finally brought home, where he was laid to rest in Idaho on August 2. Despite the prolonged search, the real triumph is the commitment to honoring American heroes who fought bravely, even when the odds were stacked against them. The collaboration of Cranfield’s team and the dedicated efforts of the DPAA serve as a reminder that in a world focused on fleeting trends, some things—like preserving the memory of our courageous military—are worth the sustained effort.
