WWII Pilot Lt. Morton Sher Returns Home After 82 Years

After more than eight decades, the remains of Lt. Morton Sher have been identified and returned to the United States. Sher, a pilot with the famed Flying Tigers, was killed in action in 1943 during a combat mission over China.

His identification was achieved through advanced DNA testing, which provided a conclusive match to his surviving family members. This scientific breakthrough ended an 82-year mystery and allowed for his proper burial on American soil. The repatriation honors the memory of a Jewish American pilot who served in a critical volunteer force during World War II.

The identification of Lt. Morton Sher represents a significant victory for forensic genealogy. For decades, the exact location and identity of his remains were unknown following his death in 1943. Modern DNA testing techniques allowed investigators to compare genetic material from recovered remains with samples provided by Sher's relatives.

This process of matching genetic profiles has solved numerous cold cases regarding missing service members from World War II. The successful identification of Sher confirms the power of these technologies in bringing closure to families who have waited generations for answers. The specific details of where the remains were recovered were not detailed in the available information, but the match was verified scientifically.

Lt. Morton Sher served as a pilot with the Flying Tigers, a volunteer group of American military aviators. This unit officially known as the American Volunteer Group (AVG), fought for the Chinese Air Force against Japanese forces prior to the United States' official entry into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Flying Tigers are renowned for their distinctive shark-faced nose art on their P-40 fighter planes. Sher's death occurred during a combat mission over China in 1943. By this time, the AVG had been disbanded and integrated into the US Army Air Forces, but the nickname and legacy persisted. His service highlights the dangerous missions flown by pilots in the China-Burma-India theater of the war.

Following the positive identification, the remains of Lt. Morton Sher were transported from China back to the United States. The return took place 82 years after his death, closing a long chapter for his family. The burial serves as a final tribute to his sacrifice during the global conflict.

The repatriation of fallen soldiers is a solemn and significant event. For Sher, a Jewish American who died fighting in Asia, the return to the US ensures he is honored in his homeland. The Flying Tigers are remembered as heroes in both American and Chinese history, and Sher's return adds a personal story of resolution to that legacy.

The story of Lt. Morton Sher is a poignant reminder of the global scale of World War II. American volunteers fighting in China demonstrated the international nature of the conflict against fascism. The Flying Tigers operated out of Burma and China, defending supply lines and engaging Japanese aircraft.

Many pilots and soldiers from this era were never recovered or identified. The use of DNA testing is rewriting the history of the missing. By identifying Lt. Sher, history becomes more complete, honoring the individual sacrifice behind the broader military statistics. His return to the US allows his story to be preserved and remembered alongside his fellow pilots.