President Joe Biden paid tribute to his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., during a speech in Pittsburgh, but his account contained inaccuracies regarding Finnegan’s death in World War II.
Biden mentioned his uncle’s service and recounted his tragic death, stating that Finnegan was shot down in New Guinea and that his body was never recovered due to the presence of cannibals in the area. However, official records from the U.S. government’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency do not support these claims. According to the agency, Finnegan was a passenger on an Army Air Forces plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the northern coast of New Guinea on May 14, 1944, for reasons unknown. The agency’s listing states that Finnegan, along with two others, failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and remains unaccounted-for.
Despite the discrepancy between Biden’s account and official records, the White House did not immediately address the issue.
Biden also made errors regarding the timing of his uncles’ military enlistment, stating that they joined the military “when D-Day occurred, the next day,” in June 1944. In reality, they enlisted weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
During his speech, Biden criticized former President Donald Trump, stating that Trump did not deserve to be the commander in chief for his son and uncle. Biden’s son, Beau, passed away in 2015, and the president believes his death was linked to his deployment in Iraq, where burn pits were used for waste disposal.
The president’s remarks come amid ongoing controversy over allegations that Trump disparaged fallen service members. While some former Trump officials have made such claims, Trump has denied them, calling the allegations absurd.
Biden’s uncle, known as “Bosie” to the family, received condolences from Gen. Douglas MacArthur following his death. Biden briefly mentioned his uncle in his 2008 book “Promises to Keep,” describing him as a flyer killed in New Guinea.
