#17. Missing for 80 Years—The Search for American Heroes Left Behind on Bataan

Listen and subscribe to the podcast on

And don’t miss this deep-dive bonus episode about the search for Bataan’s Unknowns, featuring John Eakin of BataanMissing.com

In January 1942, two young American officers – Alexander Nininger and Ira Cheaney – died in battle on the Bataan Peninsula.

In life, they’d been in The Philippines just 9 weeks.

But, in death, they’ve been left behind there for more than 80 years.

Because … of a rush to judgement, an inconvenient secret, and trusting in the wrong sources.

This Memorial Day, join the search for the WW2 servicemen still missing on Bataan.

Photos
Portrait of Ira B Cheaney, about age 20, ca 1937.
Military portrait of 2nd Lt. Alexander Nininger, age 22/23, ca 1941.
2nd Lt. Ira Cheaney’s grave marker at West Point in New York.
The green arrow on this map shows Quinauan Point, where Ira Cheaney was KIA on January 30, 1942. By that time, all US forces on Bataan had retreated to the yellow line. So, if Cheaney were to have been buried in Abucay, as was claimed, Americans would have had to go 5 miles behind enemy lines to bury him. And that just didn’t happen.
Battlefield cemetery locations on the southwestern part of Bataan.
Abucay Church in Abucay, Bataan, The Philippines.
Pictures of the 1949 excavation of the Abucay Churchyard Cemetery in search of Nininger’s remains.
More images from the 1949 excavation of Abucay Churchyard Cemetery.
Map of Abucay showing the location of the Abucay Churchyard Cemetery and the Abucay Town Cemetery across the river from the church. In the later 1940s, servicemen gave evidence stating where they believed Nininger’s body was buried in the Churchyard Cemetery. However, another officer later said he witnessed Nininger’s burial at the Town Cemetery.
Plaque commemorating Nininger on an above ground tomb at the Abucay Churchyard Cemetery.
Sources

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *