ARLINGTON, Va — A Zippo lighter carried by missing Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. Michael Musashe during World War II has been returned to his family after 80 years.
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The lighter, inscribed with Musashe’s name and service number, was discovered through a Facebook post by a Swiss collector’s club, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
Musashe, a tail gunner on a B-17, went missing on April 29, 1944, during a bombing mission over Berlin.
“It was purely by coincidence,” Vince Musashe said, the sergeant’s nephew. “It was my cousin’s cousin that actually came across the Facebook post a year or so ago. He felt strongly that the lighter belonged with our family and was happy to be part of bringing a part of my uncle home.”
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On April 29, 1944, Michael was part of a mission involving 751 B-17 and B-24 aircraft sent to bomb Berlin.
Serving as the tail gunner on the “Spirit of Wanette,” his aircraft was hit by German artillery, leading to a series of events that resulted in his disappearance.
The War Department issued a finding of death for Michael on Nov. 7, 1945, after waiting for over a year for any sign of him.
The lighter was eventually traced to Rolf Gerster, a Swiss armed forces officer, who facilitated its return to the Musashe family.
Vince, a Navy veteran, believes their shared military background helped establish a bond that led to the lighter’s return.
Vince flew to Arizona to present the lighter to his aunt, Virginia Zoller, who last saw her brother when she was in the 7th grade.
She expressed profound joy at having a piece of her brother home after 81 years.
While the Musashe family still hopes for the remains of Michael to be found, the return of the lighter has provided them with a sense of closure.
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