A map shows the location of the site where a C-124 Globemaster II crashed into Mount Gannett in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska in 1952. In 2012, a survival raft was discovered on the north-flowing Colony Glacier, just above Lake George, reigniting recovery efforts. Due to the kinetic conditions of the glacier, the debris field is constantly moving, causing remains to be found over 12 miles away from the original crash site. (Department of Defense)
The last of the 52 service members killed in a 1952 transport plane crash in Alaska have been identified, closing a project begun 13 years ago when glacier movement first revealed remains of the missing.
“Reaching this point — identifying all 52 of our fallen service members — represents the highest fulfillment of our sacred duty to bring our fallen home,” said Air Force Col. Martha Sasnett, the commander of Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations.
The four-propeller C-124 Globemaster II was on a flight from McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash., to Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage on Nov. 22, 1952, when it went down on Mount Gannett.
Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine personnel were aboard the flight, which the Air Force said was connected with the ongoing Korean War effort.
Using triangulation of radio signals between the plane and ground controllers, searchers found the plane six days after the crash.
There were no survivors.
Much of the wreckage fell into deep crevasses of Colony Glacier, where recovery was impossible. The crash might have caused an avalanche, burying parts of the plane under tons of snow.
For 60 years, the crash site returned no new clues.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Travis Lockwood, Operation Colony Glacier ground forces commander and recovery team lead, searches for remains of a C-124 Globemaster crash from 1952 on Colony Glacier, Alaska, June 17, 2025. Lockwood has participated in the operation for two years, spending two months in the summer searching the glacier for personal effects and remains from the crash. (Madeline Baisey/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force Senior Airman insignia, recovered from Colony Glacier, Alaska, is examined along with other personnel effects from the debris field of a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier, Alaska. The insignia, along with other personal effects and remains, are sent to Dover Air Force Base to be returned to families of the fallen and used to make identifications of the 52 fallen members of the crash. (Madeline Baisey/U.S. Air Force)
A photo from a wallet that belonged to one of service members killed in a 1952 C-124 Globemaster crash, viewed in 2025. (Madeline Baisey/U.S. Air Force)
The glacier’s movement gradually brought wreckage to the surface — some of it as much as 12 miles from the original impact.
In 2012, an Alaska National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter spotted a yellow life raft on the glacier. A team that was sent to the site found clothing with name patches, chess pieces, a 1952 schedule of Catholic masses, parachutes, a flight suit and other equipment.
Military teams returned to the site repeatedly to look for more remains as, over time, each of the 52 dead were eventually identified.
“It reflects years of dedication by countless airmen, scientists and support personnel committed to returning these heroes home,” Sasnett said.
The mortuary affairs office worked with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System on the project.
The identification process was conducted by AFMES experts using advanced DNA analysis and forensic techniques to ensure each service member was accurately recognized.
“Each identification represents a promise kept,” said Air Force Col. Andrew Rohrer, the AFMES director. “Our scientists and forensic specialists worked meticulously for almost a decade to give every family certainty, closure and the assurance that their loved one’s service will never be forgotten. It is a privilege to support this mission of honor and humanity.”
Now that the identification process is complete, the Air Force is assessing whether to formally close Operation Colony Glacier, as the recovery site no longer shows evidence of additional remains or material emerging from the glacier.
“Every step of Operation Colony Glacier reflects our commitment to care for those who serve and the families who have waited for answers, ensuring that even decades later, their sacrifices are honored with dignity,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services.
An Air Force C-124 Globemaster II like the aircraft that crashed in Alaska in 1952. (U.S. Air Force)
