Families.
Dr. William Belcher, Resolute Promise’s lead Forensic Anthropologist, reflects at the Marine Corps Memorial honoring the 32 lost service members who remain on the mountain.
THE History
In December 1946 a Curtis Commando C46 crashed into the South Tahoma Glacier on Mount Rainier killing all on board. The 32 Marines lost in this tragic event continue to be mourned and memorialized.
The South Tahoma Glacier is one of the most dynamic glaciers in North America. Moving and melting at a most un-glacial rate of speed. Due to this rapidly changing environment much of the wreckage has shifted from the glacier into Tahoma Creek.
The Mission
August 2023 Resolute Promise will conduct a survey of the newly disbursed wreckage in the drainage of the South Tahoma Glacier.
With the melting of the glacier into Tahoma Creek significant debris has moved downstream, mapping and understanding this movement is important to a number of scientific disciplines but, none more so than the most important group, to the family members of those lost in the tragic crash. This survey will be the beginning of Resolute Promise’s effort to return these lost service members, tell their stories, and bring a final resolution to their lives.
Marine Corp Memorial
Stronger United
If you lost a family member on that tragic day, please reach out to Resolute Promise. We would like to speak with you about the mission, learn about these service men’s stories, and create a path for providing communication about our progress.