Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michael Brown | A Netherlands national stands with Linda Chauvin recounting a story about the day 2Lt....... read more read more
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After almost eight decades and many phone calls Linda Chauvin, (who spells her name the original French spelling before it was altered by a nun at St. Patrick School where her father graduated) breathed a sigh of relief. Her father’s remains were identified and were returning home. Linda was only three years old when her father left to serve in World War II. His mission was to fly 11 pathfinders into the Netherlands to advance into Northern Germany during an operation known as Market Garden. The Aircraft, a Douglas C-47 sky train, was shot town near the village of Retie.
“I saw the German Anti-Aircraft gun firing into the sky,” said a villager. “They were three young German soldiers and I saw the artillery hit the aircraft”
Following the strike the aircraft billowed smoke, a fire developed and the aircraft exploded over the village. Six of the 11 Pathfinders made it out of the aircraft before the explosion, the remainder perished. The villagers of Retie examined the wreckage then recovered and interred the service members at a temporary mass grave site very close to the aircraft crash according to the villager. Seven of those service members were identified in the years following however 2LT. Shauvin was not found in the resulting repatriation.
Private Shauvin from Hillyard joined the 116th Observation Squadron, Washington Air National Guard August 15, 1937 at Felt’s Field Washington and served with the Guard unit until August 14, 1940. Shauvin went on to get a higher education and joined the Active Army Air Corps attending pilot training in California.
Following pilot training he was shipped off to support Operation Market Garden. His daughter never gave up hope of finding her father. The pandemic through a wrench in the operation to find him due to travel restrictions in Belgium. In May of 2021 the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency returned to the US with remains believed to be Shauvin’s. Later that year Linda received a phone call, the remains were an exact DNA match, her father had been found.
In July of 2022 she was able to finally get closure and had a memorial service at Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane where her father was laid to rest near other members of the Shauvin Family. Over 100 people attended the memorial to pay respects to the pilot who was finally back home.
After 77 years of being classified as Missing in Action, his status was changed to accounted for. Along with that status change came a unique ceremony that was hosted at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten Holland. The cemetery is the second largest in Europe for U.S. Service members, second only to Normandy.
The cemetery has a “Court of Honor” wall listing 1,722 U.S. Service members that were classified as Missing in Action. When a service member is accounted for they place a brass rosette next to the name signifying the change in status.
2Lt. Eugene Shauvin’s name has resided on that Court of Honor more than seven decades and on September 22, 2022 Linda was able to be there for the ceremony placing a Rosette next to her father’s name. Attending the ceremony along side her was Lt. Col. Tyson Frost, 141st Maintenance Group, Capt. Trevor Bland, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Chief Master Sgt. Kjell Anderson, 141st Maintenance Squadron and Senior Airman Joshua Haley, 141st Maintenance Squadron from the 141st Air Refueling Wing.
“The three days leading up to the ceremony were nasty,” said Lt. Col. Tyson Frost. “On the morning of the ceremony the skies opened up and the sun shone through. It was almost as if 2Lt. Shauvin cleared the way for his daughter to be able to celebrate this day.”
The ceremony was well attended and brought tears to the eyes of on lookers who just happened by the ceremony, according to those present.
“I can’t believe that you guys came all this way to support my father,” said Linda Chauvin.
“This is Spokane supporting Spokane,” said Lt. Col. Frost. “Once a member of the 116th always a member of the 116th and we are proud to be here supporting our former Airman.”
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2022 10:44 |
| Story ID: | 431555 |
| Location: | SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 193 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Journey Home: Former 116th WWII Airman's Remains Are Returned Home, by TSgt Michael Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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