Staten Island Reporter

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis honored National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which falls on the third Friday of September. Earlier this week, she recognized U.S. Army Air Force's 2nd Lt. Francis E. Callahan of New Brighton, Staten Island, whose remains were recently identified after 80 years by the Department of Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).

Lt. Callahan and ten other servicemembers were killed in action during World War II when their plane was shot down by an enemy combatant during a bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany.

At the time, the crash site could not be located by Allied forces or Army investigators. However, in 2015, an independent research group, Missing Allied Air Crew Research Team, contacted the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency historians with new information related to a possible crash site near Wistedt, Germany.

The agency’s investigators were able to find the location and recovered various pieces of wreckage between 2021 and 2023. Following extensive laboratory analysis—anthropological and dental analysis—along with available circumstantial evidence, an association between the remains and Callahan was established.

Now 2nd Lt. Callahan will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery to rest with his brothers in arms. Unfortunately, three of the ten members of Callahan’s crew still remain unaccounted for. They are among tens of thousands of other servicemembers who remain missing.

"The identification and repatriation of Lt. Callahan," Malliotakis stated, "along with Private First Class Raymond Smith of Brooklyn whose remains returned to NYC in 2021, 71 years after he went missing in action during the Korean War, give us renewed hope that our nation will fulfill its promise and commitment to leave no man behind."

She continued: "As a nation grateful to those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice, we must continue raising awareness of this issue and work toward the repatriation of all our POW/MIA to bring closure to their families and communities." Malliotakis emphasized that "as the POW-MIA flag states, these heroes are not forgotten," adding that efforts will continue "to honor their memory and bring them home."

Last weekend Congresswoman Malliotakis joined the Vietnam Veterans of America in her district to bring attention to more than 80,000 American service members who were Prisoners of War or still Missing in Action.

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