(TheRedWire.com) – During a speech in Pittsburgh, President Joe Biden paid tribute to his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., who died during World War II, but he inaccurately recounted some details of his death. Biden mentioned that his uncle was shot down over New Guinea and suggested that the region was known for cannibalism at the time, though official records do not support this account. According to the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Lt. Finnegan died on May 14, 1944, when the Army Air Forces plane he was aboard had to ditch in the Pacific Ocean near New Guinea due to engine failure at low altitude.
The agency does not list Finnegan’s death as resulting from enemy action nor does it mention cannibalism as a factor. It states that three men, including Finnegan, did not survive the crash. His body has not been recovered or associated with any remains found post-war.
In his remarks, Biden also mistakenly said that his uncles enlisted the day after D-Day in June 1944, whereas they actually enlisted weeks after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Biden’s speech also touched on personal family traditions and his respect for military service, reflecting on his practice of saying three Hail Marys when visiting family graves—a tradition started by his grandfather. He used these reflections to contrast what he sees as the unworthiness of former President Donald Trump, whom Biden criticized, referencing reports that Trump disparaged fallen service members. Trump has denied these allegations.
In a related personal note, Biden connected the discussion to his late son, Beau, who he believes may have developed brain cancer due to exposure to burn pits during his military service in Iraq.
Biden’s comments come amid ongoing political discourse about respect and support for the military, underlining the deep personal connections many have to those who serve. A local newspaper from the time of Finnegan’s death published a telegram from General Douglas MacArthur, expressing condolences and underscoring the sacrifice made by Finnegan for a hopeful post-war world.
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