Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) has joined residents of Boonville, New York, in welcoming home the remains of World War II Army Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey. Pvt. Hennessey died in 1942 after suffering from disease and malnutrition while held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. He was buried with nine others in a mass grave known as Common Grave 704.
For more than eighty years, Hennessey’s family did not know if his remains would ever be identified or returned to them. The local VFW Post 5538 was named after him, and both his family and community continued to honor his memory over the decades.
In 2018, advances in forensic analysis led to the identification of two men from Common Grave 704, including Pvt. Hennessey. This development ended years of uncertainty for his relatives.
“Seeing a fallen serviceman be identified and delivered home after eight decades of the unknown is truly inspiring,” said Smullen. “During my 24 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, I had the honor and privilege of meeting and getting to know courageous men and women whom I will never forget. For those killed on active duty, it means the world to their families and loved ones to have their remains retrieved and returned home. My heart goes out to the family of Pvt. Hennessey—it is my hope they have found much-needed peace in knowing he is finally coming home. Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey: We thank you for your service to your nation. Welcome home.”
