White House in a Lurch After Biden’s Shocking Cannibals Story
During a recent visit to a war memorial in Scranton, Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden made a comment that raised eyebrows. He hinted that cannibals on the island of New Guinea may have eaten his uncle’s body after he was shot down during World War II.
However, official records and the White House have indicated that the facts surrounding his uncle’s death may be different from the story Biden shared.
Biden paid tribute to his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan, at the war memorial. Finnegan’s name was engraved on the monument, and the president, who was just one year old when his uncle died in 1944, reached out to touch it.
In his remarks to an audience of steelworkers in Pittsburgh, Biden mentioned that his uncle was shot down in New Guinea where there were cannibals. He also stated that parts of the downed plane were recovered by the U.S. government.
However, according to official Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency records, Ambrose Finnegan’s plane was on a courier flight to New Guinea and “forced to ditch in the ocean” off the coast. The crew members did not emerge from the sinking wreck, except for one who was rescued.
The agency’s website states that an aerial search the following day found no trace of the missing aircraft or crew members. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Finnegan lost his life when the military aircraft crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea, not over land.
Despite the discrepancies in the stories, Jean-Pierre defended Biden, emphasizing the emotional importance of honoring his uncle’s memory at the memorial. Biden highlighted his uncle’s story to show support for veterans and contrast himself with Donald Trump, who allegedly made disparaging remarks about military members killed in war.
For Biden, the issue is personal given his son Beau’s military service and death from brain cancer. Historically, cannibalism has been reported in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific nation occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea.
