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Local veterans group asks St. Marys City Council to back petition seeking remains of MIA Gene Alton Dennis
Summary
A Veterans Foundation representative asked the St. Marys City Council to approve a resolution supporting a petition to federal lawmakers and agencies to recover the remains of Gene Alton Dennis, a 1944 Memorial High School graduate reported shot down over North Korea on Sept. 28, 1952; council agreed staff could prepare a resolution for the next meeting.
A representative of the Veterans Foundation asked the St. Marys City Council on Tuesday to endorse a petition urging federal lawmakers and agencies to redouble efforts to recover the remains of Gene Alton Dennis, the only service member from Saint Marys still listed as missing in action from the Korean War.
"His name is Gene Alton Dennis," the representative said, noting Dennis graduated Memorial High School in 1944 and was shot down over North Korea on 09/28/1952. The speaker said a rescue mission found no evidence of survival, the soldier was declared dead at war’s end, and the family has provided DNA samples for identification.
The representative said the Veterans Foundation has prepared a petition to present to the city’s congressman and U.S. senators and is seeking signatures from local veterans organizations and community groups. "We'd like to ask the city council if they would consider maybe a written resolution in support," the speaker said.
A council participant offered to draft the resolution if council approved. "If council's okay, I'll prepare it. We can have it for next meeting," said an attendee identified on the transcript as Unidentified Speaker (S6).
Why it matters: The petition aims to bring additional local formal support to federal efforts to locate remains and to signal community backing for continued identification work. The council did not vote to adopt a resolution at the meeting; staff agreed to prepare draft language for consideration at the next regular meeting.
What’s next: The representative said the group plans signature drives with veterans organizations and at a high school football game; the council’s staff will prepare a draft resolution for the next meeting, per the offer recorded in the meeting.
