What happened to Ace on that day?

Because my father never had a regular burial or funeral, a good deal of mystery surrounded his death, a mystery that for some of those left behind prolonged the stages of grief described by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and elaborated by others: Shock, denial, anger and anxiety, bargaining and guilt, letting go, and acceptance.

This page explains how I discovered what happened to my father on March 19, 1945, as well as the long process of that discovery. It has the following sections, which you can skip to if you like:

Introduction
Setting the scene (before March 19, 1945)

Missing
Wondering what happened (March through November 1945)

Fantasy
Dreaming of his return (December 1945 through the 1950s)

Heritage
Following in his footsteps (the 1950s)

Anecdote and artifact
Picking up bits and pieces (last half of the 20th century)

Squadron
Meeting the men who served under him (2002 and 2003)

I hope you find this page interesting.

Allan C. "Ace" Edmands, Jr.
January 2003