The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr. Finnegan: Fact or Fiction?
The White House recently shared a story recounted by President Biden about his uncle, Mr. Finnegan, who was a second lieutenant on an aircraft that crashed into the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea in May 1944. Three men, including Mr. Biden’s uncle, were lost in the crash, while a fourth was rescued by a passing barge. There are no indications that the plane was shot down or that Mr. Finnegan was flying the aircraft.
Contrary to rumors of cannibalism surrounding Mr. Finnegan’s death, anthropologists and locals in New Guinea have stated that he would have been an unlikely victim of such practices. Studies have shown that victims of cannibalism in the country were typically enemies from warring tribes or deceased relatives as part of mourning rituals.
President Biden shared this story after visiting a war memorial in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that honored his uncle. The White House stated that the story was meant to highlight Biden’s commitment to supporting troops and honoring veterans.
However, some inconsistencies have been pointed out in Biden’s retelling of the story. While he claimed to have traveled 1.2 million miles on Air Force Two in early 2016, the conductor he mentioned, Angelo Negri, retired from Amtrak in 1993 and passed away in 2014. It is possible that Biden may have mistaken another conductor for Mr. Negri, as he had previously recounted a similar interaction with an unnamed Amtrak employee in 2009.
Overall, the story of Mr. Finnegan’s tragic death and President Biden’s connection to it sheds light on the sacrifices made by military personnel during wartime and the importance of honoring their memory.
