On the afternoon of November 22, 1952, a C-124 Globemaster II was flying from McChord Air Base in Washington state to Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska, when a mayday call went out, picked up by a nearby passenger aircraft. It was the last anyone heard from the military flight, with 11 crew members and 41 passengers from the Army and Air Force aboard.
Search parties later found the tail section of the Globemaster near the summit of Mt. Gannet, but it wasn't until many years later, in 2012, when a debris field was located at the foot of Colony glacier. Over time, the movement of the glacier began to reveal more signs of the crash, and Operation Colony Glacier was launched, a joint recovery effort held by the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
After 13 years, Operation Colony Glacier has achieved mission success, recovering all 52 service members lost in the crash. The identification of the remains was completed using advanced DNA analysis and forensic techniques.
"Reaching this point — identifying all 52 of our fallen service members — represents the highest fulfillment of our sacred duty to bring our fallen home," said Air Force Col. Martha Sasnett. "It reflects years of dedication by countless airmen, scientists and support personnel committed to returning these heroes home."
The Air Force is currently considering closing the recovery operation altogether now that the lost service members have been repatriated to their surviving family members, and no further wreckage seems to be uncovered by the glacier. For those involved in the recovery, it now appears their mission is also over.
"Each identification represents a promise kept," said Air Force Col. Andrew Rohrer. "Our scientists and forensic specialists worked meticulously for almost a decade to give every family certainty, closure and the assurance that their loved one's service will never be forgotten. It is a privilege to support this mission of honor and humanity."