Sharpsville veteran laid to rest, years after he was lost

HERMITAGE, Pa. – Lt. James Wendell Blose of Sharpsville, Pa. vanished at age 23 on a World War II military mission in Fiji, and was finally laid to rest here Saturday.

His few remaining family members as well as many of his contemporaries, now in their 80s, came to pay him tribute at a memorial service at the John Flynn Funeral Home.

Blose, who would have been 89, vanished when flying a patrol mission in bad weather April 22, 1942, on Viti Levu Island, Fiji. Despite an extensive search at the time, no trace of him was found.

Then, on what would have been his 88th birthday — Aug. 30, 2006 — his niece, Susan Blose Crowley of Hermitage, received a call from the U.S. Mortuary Office.

The office was requesting a DNA sample from a family member because they believed they had recovered his remains. Among personal effects found were his Sharpsville class ring and wallet.

For more, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com