98236. Identification Lab Examines Bay of Pigs Remains From Nicaragua
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON -- The Army Central Identification Laboratory in
Hawaii is examining bone fragments found in Nicaragua that could be
those of two fliers missing since the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion in
Cuba.
"We have fragmented remains, but at this point we haven't
confirmed them as those of two individuals," said Johnny Webb, the
lab's deputy director. "It will take time to confirm them as two
individuals from that crash site. We have to go through the
identification process, which includes forensic anthropology and
dental examinations. It may require DNA comparison. We won't know if
we have remains of two individuals until the examinations are
complete."
B-26 pilot Crispin Garcia Fernandez and navigator Juan de Mata
"Nabel" Gonzalez Romero crashed in the Nicaraguan jungle on April 19,
1961, during a flight supporting the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs
operation. The crash site was so remote investigators and their
equipment were flown in aboard a Black Hawk helicopter, said team
anthropologist Bradley Adams. The only other access would have been by
riding a mule for a couple of hours from the nearest village.
Arriving in Nicaragua March 15, the nine-member laboratory team
spent nearly three weeks excavating the area before uncovering what
might be remains of the missing air crew. The team also found wreckage
of the plane.
"When we turned the plane over, there was an 'FA' on one of the
wings; the piece with the 'R' was missing," Adams said. "'FAR' refers
to the Spanish acronym for the Cuban armed forces."
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