A Florida woman whose grandfather disappeared aboard a military transport plane in Alaska more than 70 years ago is sharing her remarkable journey to help bring all 52 victims home.

The crash involved a U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster that vanished during the Korean War era. For decades, families had few answers. But one granddaughter refused to stop asking questions.

For nearly three decades, Anita Anderson has been on a mission. Her grandfather was one of 52 people aboard a C-124 Globemaster military transport aircraft that disappeared over Alaska in 1952. Anderson says her search for answers began with a simple question.

Anderson spent years contacting military agencies, only to discover the Globemaster was classified as an “operational loss” rather than a combat-related missing aircraft.

That meant after the initial search ended, no agency was tasked with continuing the search.

Then in 2012, a breakthrough. A military helicopter crew training on an Alaskan glacier spotted debris from the aircraft and a dog tag belonging to the pilot.

The discovery eventually led to recovery efforts that continued for years. Today, every person aboard the aircraft has been identified. Anderson says reaching that milestone is difficult to put into words.

The effort has grown far beyond her own family. Anderson now advocates for families connected to other missing military aircraft and works to raise awareness about service members lost during training flights and routine military operations.

She says many Americans don’t realize there are still missing military aircraft scattered across North America. Anderson’s advocacy also helped convince Alaska officials to rename the mountain peak where the Globemaster crashed.

Today, it is officially known as Globemaster Peak.

For Anderson, it’s a permanent reminder that those 52 servicemen will never be forgotten. Closer to home, one of those final heroes is returning to Marinette. Airman Second Class Daniel “Dinny” Frederick McMann, who was killed during the Korean War, will be laid to rest with full military honors on June 17th. A graveside service is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Forest Home Cemetery, bringing a local chapter of the Korean War to a close over 70 years after his sacrifice.

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