In June 2013, I was contacted by the community of Manhay, Belgium, regarding a metal detecting permit in the area. An elderly local, Victor Jansen, had witnessed a plane crash during the Battle of the Bulge and sought help identifying the aircraft and its crew. My son Tom and I, equipped with metal detectors and shovels, eagerly began our search at the crash site in the meadows of Laos. As we arrived, Victor led us to the overgrown area where we immediately discovered debris. The plane’s belly imprint was still visible, helping us pinpoint where each piece came from.
Among our finds was a fragment of a Norden bomb site, a critical piece of World War II technology. I kept this artifact close, reflecting on its historical significance. Initially, we thought the wreckage was from a B-17, but after two years of searching, we discovered that the debris actually belonged to a B-24. The realization shifted our focus, and we updated our research to identify B-24 crashes in the region between December 20 and 27.
Myra Miller, an archive researcher from St. Louis, Missouri, joined our effort after I connected with her through Bob Conning, a local bed and breakfast owner.
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