VA VA - Arlington, BlkMale, 13-16, UP128721. Recognisable. 2 November 1946

[HopeRains]

One of the articles in the thread indicated this could have been accidental given bullets found in his pocket and that he was shot thru the back. This would seem reasonable - of course what isn't is that no one reported it and he has not been identified.

And, for him, he was found in 1946 - racism and segregation ruled, everywhere, even in the military. Black veterans returned from WWII rallying for their rights - according to article, the NAACP went from 50K members in 1940 to 450K in 1946; registered Southern voters from 200K to 600K. I did not realize what a pivotal year 1946 was until I read this article in the Smithsonian. In order to think about this young man and who he might be, we also have to consider society at the time.

After Victory in World War II, Black Veterans Continued the Fight for Freedom at Home

These men, who had sacrificed so much for the country, faced racist attacks in 1946 as they laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement to come

www.smithsonianmag.com

There is a military association with him:

1. He was found by a Naval Gun Factory worker.
2. He was reported to be wearing Army khaki pants in one article; stamped UNSC (believe this to be article typo; most likely USNC - US Naval Corps)
3. Location indicated as ~ 1.5 miles west of Key bridge. The Key Bridge is in Rosslyn and connects Rosslyn/Arlington to Georgetown. More importantly, the Key Bridge is pretty much within a mile of the bottom of the hill on the backside of the joint force base of Ft Myer.

The entire DC-Metro area (inclusive of course of Virginia and Maryland) has long been associated with military with people supporting those efforts living in the communities.

 

[dream_sweet96]

One of the articles in the thread indicated this could have been accidental given bullets found in his pocket and that he was shot thru the back. This would seem reasonable - of course what isn't is that no one reported it and he has not been identified.

And, for him, he was found in 1946 - racism and segregation ruled, everywhere, even in the military. Black veterans returned from WWII rallying for their rights - according to article, the NAACP went from 50K members in 1940 to 450K in 1946; registered Southern voters from 200K to 600K. I did not realize what a pivotal year 1946 was until I read this article in the Smithsonian. In order to think about this young man and who he might be, we also have to consider society at the time.

After Victory in World War II, Black Veterans Continued the Fight for Freedom at Home

These men, who had sacrificed so much for the country, faced racist attacks in 1946 as they laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement to come

www.smithsonianmag.com

There is a military association with him:

1. He was found by a Naval Gun Factory worker.
2. He was reported to be wearing Army khaki pants in one article; stamped UNSC (believe this to be article typo; most likely USNC - US Naval Corps)
3. Location indicated as ~ 1.5 miles west of Key bridge. The Key Bridge is in Rosslyn and connects Rosslyn/Arlington to Georgetown. More importantly, the Key Bridge is pretty much within a mile of the bottom of the hill on the backside of the joint force base of Ft Myer.

The entire DC-Metro area (inclusive of course of Virginia and Maryland) has long been associated with military with people supporting those efforts living in the communities.

You know? the Naval Gun Factory worker discovering the body piece is confusing. The Washington Navy Yard (which was originally the Naval Gun Factory) is located in Southeast DC, near the Anacostia River. That's the opposite side of town! Do you think the worker who found the young man's body was on a boat headed down river to the NGF?

 

[HopeRains]

You know? the Naval Gun Factory worker discovering the body piece is confusing. The Washington Navy Yard (which was originally the Naval Gun Factory) is located in Southeast DC, near the Anacostia River. That's the opposite side of town! Do you think the worker who found the young man's body was on a boat headed down river to the NGF?

I think the area where he was found may have been more populated than it sounds, in terms of traffic through the area. It would be interesting to know exactly where his body was recovered; it may not be far from a park (Fort Bennett or Fort Smith as shown in the map you provided); perhaps there was housing in those areas at the time as well (?).

 

[dream_sweet96]

I've been looking into the .22 caliber penetrating bullet wound. All of the sources agree on a .22 caliber bullet that entered through the back, and into his heart. However, it appears that the bullet did not exit the body. (I'm basing this on the photo in newspaper.)

From my understanding, this is a very significant piece of evidence for determining the type of gun used and the distance fired. In order for a .22 caliber bullet to enter through a child's back, into their heart, but not exit the body, the most likely scenarios are:

A Handgun: At a distance of 10 to 50 feet

• .22 Revolver (like the Harrington & Richardson (H&R) Model 922)
• Target Pistol (like the Colt Woodsman)

A Rifle: At a significant distance (over 100 yards), where air resistance has bled off the bullet’s kinetic energy.

• Short-Barrel Rifle (like the Remington 510 or Winchester 74)