Freestone County, Texas Obituaries Cecil Willard Biggs (June 13, 1917 - September 21, 1944) U.S. Veteran Cecil Willard Biggs June 13, 1917-September 21, 1944 1st Lieutenant-Army Air Force WWII Funeral services for World War II M.I.A. Lt Biggs were held on Saturday, June 9, 2007 at 2:00p.m. at Bowers Funeral Home in Teague. Interment followed the services at Salem Cemetery with full military honors and the Patriot Guard Riders escorting the procession. At the outset of Operation Market-Garden, 1st Lt. Cecil Willard Biggs was piloting a C-47A Skytrain transport plane with his four-member crew and, as part of his mission, dropped 16 Polish paratroopers near the city of Arnhem, Holland. Soon after departing the drop zone, flames engulfed the plane, causing it to crash and take the lives of the crew. The Germans opened dikes and flooded the crash site before any remains could be recovered. (The 1977 Movie, ”A Bridge Too Far” depicts this WWII Operation and its outcome. Cecil and his crew were classified MIA more than 60 years. In the immediate years following the war, remains from the crash site were discovered by Dutch inhabitants, who respectfully buried them in a nearby cemetery. In 1949, those remains were exhumed and later reburied as Group remains at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Kentucky. Fifty years after Cecil’s death in 1994 a Dutch national discovered more remains, which U.S. officials became the custodian of in 2001. Over the next few years, the remains were forensically tested and analyzed. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) headed the identification operation and utilized the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) for DNA testing. Recently, due to advances in modern science, the crew’s remains were positively identified and in January 2007, a JPAC official met with Cecil’s son, Cecil William Biggs, Cecil’s niece, Mary Susan McAlpine, and her son, Aaron McAlpine, to explain how Cecil’s remains came to be identified. A military funeral has been arranged for Cecil so that family can share the highlights of his life, not only as a dedicated member of the armed service but also as a loving and devoted son, husband, and father. The family is elated to finally bring him home. Cecil was born in Freestone, Texas on June 13, 1917. He attended grade school in Freestone and middle school in Teague, Texas. He then moved to Mexia, Texas in 1932 for his high school years, graduating in 1935. Cecil was accepted into the engineering program in 1939 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. However, Cecil’s passion was behind the controls of an airplane, and in 1941, he left Texas Tech to further pursue his interest in flying. Mutual love of flying brought Cecil and his wife together. Mary Nan Manning’s stepfather, R. J. Cardwell, owned the Cardwell Flight Academy, which had locations in Mexia, Robstown, and Bryan, Texas. Mary Nan met Cecil while taking flying lessons and she later became a flight instructor, teaching lessons at the Cardwell Flight Academy in Bryan. The couple married on February 5, 1942 in Teague. Cecil joined the United States Army Air Corps. in 1942, and attended various flying schools, including the Lake Charles Flying School in Louisiana. In 1943, he was assigned to military service overseas, which sent him to Africa and Europe. For several months, Cecil served as a General’s Aide and personal pilot for Air Corps. General Mark Clark until he requested to be released from his Aide position so that he could become more involved with combat activity. Subsequently, he transferred to a base in England and joined the 315th troop carrier group. He remained based in England until his death in September 1, 1944. During Cecil’s honorary military career, he advanced to 1st Lieutenant and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross Medal (our Nation’s second highest award for valor, second only to the Medal of Honor), as well as many other accolades, including several Citations, the Air Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, and ultimately, the Purple Heart Medal. At the time of his death, Cecil was survived by his wife, Mary Nan (Manning) Biggs and two-year-old son, Cecil William Biggs, of Bryan. He was also survived by his parents, Benjamin French Biggs and Mary Ann (Rife) Biggs, and sister, Jimmie Bee Biggs, of Teague. Cecil’s wife, parents, and sister have since passed away. Today, Cecil is survived by his son, Cecil William “Bill” Biggs of Denton, Texas and eight grandchildren: Kristin Kathleen Lee of Highland, Utah; Adam Ashford Biggs, J.D. of McKinney, Texas; William Travis Biggs, J.D. of Denton, Texas; Walter Brandon Biggs of Collinsville, Oklahoma; Katherine Marie Secrest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Laura Elizabeth Biggs of Denton, Texas; Claire Marie Biggs of Denton, Texas and Benjamin Fletcher Biggs of Los Angeles, California. Cecil is currently survived by nine great-grandchildren. Cecil is also survived by niece, Mary Susan McAlpine of Teague; sister-in-law, Maxine Manning of Huntsville, Texas; half-sister, Claire Donovan Bunce of Huntsville; and their families. ============================================================================= Fairfield Recorder - Thursday May 10, 2007 edition - front page Services planned for WWII pilot A WWII pilot who died in a 1944 crash in Holland will be buried with full military honors at Salem Cemetery in Freestone county next month. The pilot, Firs Lt. Cecil W. Biggs, was a native of Freestone Community area. He died Sept 21, 1944, when his C-47A Skytrain while delivering Polish paratroopers to a drop zone south of Arnhem, Holland, in support of Operation Market Garden. Biggs was the only son of Ben and Mary Ann Biggs, graduated Mexia high school in 1935 and was an engineering student at Texas Tech University when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941. A niece, Mary-Susan McAlpine, lives in Teague as well as great-nephew, Aaron McAlpine. Another great-nephew, Chris McAlpine, lives in Roswell, NM. At the time of his death, Biggs had a wife, Nan, and a 18 month-old son, Bill, who were living with Mrs. Bigg's parents in College Station. Mrs. McAlpine, who was born several years after the pilot's death, says she grew up hearing stories about her uncle. She reports that because Lt. Biggs was an only on, he had to receive his parent's permission to enlist in the military. After completing flight school, the pilot as assigned to Spanhoe Airfield in England and became the personal pilot for Gen. Mark Clark. His niece says that the officer wanted to get into combat and was able to wrangle a transfer. "Cecil wanted to see combat, so that is why he transferred from general's aide to fly the transport", Mrs. McAlpine says. His mission in Operation Market Garden was to fly 16 Polish paratroopers to a drop zone near Arnhem, but less than a half-mile from the drop point German forces shot down the aircraft. The C-47 burst into flames on impact, which prevented anyone from reaching the remains of the crew and paratroopers. The Germans then opened the dikes in the region where the plane crashed and flooded the area. When Dutch citizens returned to their homes in Arnhem the next year, they recovered remains from the Skytrain's wreckage and buried them in a nearby cemetery. A U.S. Army graves registration team later disinterred the remains which were reburied as group remains in 1950 at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Kentucky. In 1994, a Dutch citizen located more human remains and other crew-related materials at a site associated with the C-47 crash, which were eventually turned over to U.S. officials. Using dental records, other foresnic tools, such as DNA, scientists at Joint POW.MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, identified the remains of five men. Aaron McAlpine says that DNA samples were taken from his mother and brother to aid in the identifiation of Lt. Biggs. The family was first contacted by the Army in January 2006 that efforts were underway that might identify the pilot, and confirmation was given in January of this year. Funeral service for the WWII pilot are set for June 9 at 2 p.m. at Bowers Funeral Home in Teague. Burial with full military honors, will be at Salem Cemetery. Veterans who wish to attend the ceremony are invited. ====================================================== The Austin American-Statesman May 2, 2007 Family bringing pilot's remains home By GREG OKUHARA Bryan-College Station Eagle BRYAN, Texas — Teague resident Mary-Susan McAlpine never met her uncle, Cecil Biggs, but feels as though she has always known him. Biggs was an Army Air Force pilot during World War II. When his plane was shot down during a 1944 mission over the Netherlands, his widow was living with family in Bryan. Witnesses said the wreckage was consumed in a massive fire, and the four-member crew was killed. Six decades later, a DNA match has identified Biggs' remains, which were found in the Dutch field where the plane crashed. And on June 9, Biggs will receive a military funeral in Freestone County. Although the funeral is for a man she never met, McAlpine said the event will be special and emotional. "We're finally bringing him home after 63 years. He deserves a good homecoming." McAlpine said that during her girlhood, she was told countless stories about her uncle's all-American smile, with a personality to match. In fact, McAlpine said she heard so much about Biggs — from her mother, Jimmie Lee Biggs (Cecil's sister), and her late grandmother, Mary Ann Biggs — that she grew up practically knowing him. The process of closure on his death began in January 2006, when McAlpine received a phone call from Department of Defense officials who said her uncle's remains possibly had been found in the Netherlands. McAlpine and her son, Aaron, submitted blood samples for a DNA test in January. A few weeks later, she learned of the match. The identification provided a sense of relief that her mother and grandmother never got. They died in 1990 and 1986, respectively. "I can't even imagine how they'd react. It's unbelievable. My grandmother about lost her mind because she had no closure." McAlpine said Biggs was a natural at everything he did. He excelled in sports and was a good student. "His nickname was 'Ace.' He was very smart. He never opened a book to study, but he always managed to make straight A's." Biggs was the only son of Ben and Mary Ann Biggs. He was born June 3, 1917, in Freestone County. After graduation from Mexia High School, he enrolled at Texas Tech University as an engineering major. But his heart belonged in the skies. He married Mary Nan Manning, whose parents just happened to operate an airport in Mexia. Airplanes fascinated Biggs, McAlpine said. After two years at Texas Tech, he convinced his mother to let him join the Air Force in 1941. Because he was an only son, he needed permission from a parent to join the military. "His father was very protective of him," McAlpine said. "He didn't let him play football. And my grandfather never forgave her for (letting him enlist)." When Biggs was assigned to Spanhoe Airfield in England, his wife moved in with her stepfather and mother in Bryan. Meanwhile, Biggs worked his way up to first lieutenant and was the personal pilot for Army Gen. Mark Clark. On Sept. 21, 1944, he took the helm of a C-47 transport plane during Operation Market Garden. His mission was to fly 16 Polish paratroopers near the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands. Less than a half-mile from the drop point, German forces shot down his aircraft. Upon impact, the C-47 exploded into flames, preventing villagers from getting close to the wreckage. McAlpine said witnesses watched the plane burn for days. Before anyone could get to the remains, German forces destroyed a dike and flooded the area. The wreckage and the four-man crew were trapped in a watery grave for more than a year. Once the area dried, some remains were discovered a few years later, but the technology of that time provided no means of identifying them. Because Cecil Biggs' body was never recovered, his parents clung to the belief he might still be alive, McAlpine said. Her grandmother took the news the hardest, she added. Years after the crash, McAlpine said her grandmother would stop people in the streets who she thought resembled her son. "They were grasping at straws," she said. The certainty of Biggs' death began to be resolved in 1994, 50 years after the crash, when a Dutch boy with a metal detector discovered the wreckage and some bones. Workers with the Joint MIA/POW Accounting Command excavated the remains and took them to its headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. (JPAC was created by the Department of Defense in 2003. The group is in charge of recovering and identifying remains of U.S. soldiers from World War II to the Persian Gulf War.) Researchers tracked down the McAlpines in Teague. Aaron McAlpine, like his mother, felt an attachment to his great uncle without ever meeting him because of the stories he heard. "I'm into history, but this is more on the emotional side for me," he said. "I know (my grandmother and great-grandmother) had hope he was still alive because we have all these pictures of him, and they'd always pull them out and show them to people." Now that Biggs' remains are identified, his son, Bill Biggs of Denton, is coordinating a military funeral for him at the family burial plot near Teague. Veterans who wish to attend are invited. "It's unbelievable. We'd given up hope that he'd be found," Mary-Susan McAlpine said. "I cried (when the results came back) I was so happy. But I was happy and sad at the same time, because my grandmother and mother weren't here to hear the news. But they'll be together in heaven." ====================================================== Times Leader newspaper [of NE Pennsylvania] May 5, 2007 The remains of BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com The remains of a World War II U.S. Army lieutenant from Kingston have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors nearly 63 years after his death. According to Larry Greer, director of public affairs at the Pentagon’s Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, announced Wednesday that representatives of the Army met with the families of five U.S. servicemen – including those of 2nd Lt. Thomas R. Yenner of Kingston – to explain the recovery and notification process and to help coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. Lt. Yenner’s niece, Mrs. Rita Harper of Wyoming, has been notified of her uncle’s identification and she is making funeral arrangements, Greer said. Contacted Wednesday, Mrs. Harper said she is arranging to have her uncle’s remains buried in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C., on July 30. Mrs. Harper, 72, is the oldest living relative of Lt. Yenner’s and she was visited Feb. 15 by U.S. Army personnel and told of her uncle’s indentification. “I’m glad they found out what happened,” said an emotional Mrs. Harper. “Now he can finally rest in peace.” Mrs. Harper also said the news brought peace to her and other family members. “Yes, we all have peace of mind now,” she said. “Even though I vaguely knew him, I remember that he was a really nice kid and very, very smart.” Mrs. Harper said that “quite some time ago” her cousin, Beatrice Charniak of Pringle Street, Kingston, submitted to a DNA test at the request of the Army. It was from that sample that the remains of Lt. Yenner were conclusively identified. “Then the Army came to my house in February and gave us the news,” she said. “Now we will give him the burial he deserves.” Greer said the reactions of families vary, but he said all are greatly relieved to know the truth. “Every family is different,” Greer said. “Younger family members are usually astounded and they can’t believe that the U.S. or anybody for that matter actually cared or remembered their loved one. Older family members get great comfort from knowing what happened. In most cases, the victim’s mom and dad have died without ever knowing what happened to their child. We feel it’s extremely important to bring closure to all of these cases to give peace to surviving family members and to give the deceased a proper military burial.” Greer said in addition to the DNA sampling, the Army also looked at dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence in the identification of the five men. He said scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory did the mitochondrial DNA testing. On Sept.21, 1944, a C-47A Skytrain crewed by the five airmen was delivering Polish paratroopers to a drop zone south of Arnhem, Holland, in support of Operation Market Garden. Soon after departing the drop zone, the plane crashed and there were no survivors. The Germans opened the dikes in the region where the plane crashed, flooding the area before any remains could be recovered. According to Greer, when Dutch citizens returned to their homes in Arnhem the next year (1945), they recovered remains from the Skytrain’s wreckage and buried them in a nearby cemetery. A U.S. Army graves registration team later disinterred the remains which were reburied as group remains in 1950 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Kentucky, Greer said. In 1994, Greer said a Dutch citizen – a souvenir hunter - located more human remains and other crew-related materials at a site associated with this C-47 crash. The remains and items were eventually turned over to U.S. officials in 2001, Greer said. Also identified as killed in the crash were: 1st Lt. Cecil W. Biggs of Teague, TX; 1st Lt. William L. Pearce, San Antonio, TX; Tech. Sgt. Russell W. Abendschoen, York, PA; and Staff Sgt. George G. Herbst, Brooklyn, N.Y. Pearce was buried April 27 in Louisville, KY; Herbst will be buried June 8 in Arlington National; Biggs will be buried June 9 in Teague, TX; and Abendschoen’s funeral is set for June 13 at Arlington National.