Montana
Montana veterans proving 'No one gets left behind'
HELENA — A core part of the U.S. military is a commitment, “no one gets left behind.” But the realities of war can complicate that promise. Three Montana veterans recently helped a fallen marine come home, 80 years after his death.
“We always try to bring those people home, whenever there’s a chance we will. That’s what we do,” said Montana Veterans of Foreign Wars volunteer Tim Sowa.
Sowa joined the Marine Corps in 1971 and did a three-year tour as a generator mechanic in places like Okinawa and Thailand. He then served in the Marine Corps Reserve for 10 years. Following that, he served in the Montana Army National Guard for 27 years before retiring in 2011.
Courtesy: Tim Sowa
He recently returned from Kiribati where he participated in the return of the remains of a Marine who died in the Battle of Tarawa. He was joined by Fred Hamilton and Mike Pryor also with Montana VFW.
The remnants of Japanese and American forces still stand in Tarawa Atoll more than a half-century since the end of World War II.
The Battle of Tarawa was the first American Offensive in the Central Pacific region, with the intent of capturing Japanese-held territory within the Gilbert Islands.
Library of Congress
It was also the first time U.S. forces faced serious Japanese opposition to an amphibious landing.
On November 20, 35,000 troops from the U.S. 2nd Marine Division and the Army’s 27th Infantry Division assaulted Tarawa. After 76 hours the United States had taken the island, but at a significant cost.
There were 1,020 U.S. personnel reported missing or killed during the Battle of Tarawa. A reported 4,836 Japanese troops died, with only 17 survivors.
Library of Congress
The trip to Kiribati was a long time in the making. Sowa says in 2019, Montana VFW Adjutant Tim Peters met with the Department of Accountability about going with History Flight to Kiribati. But the even best-laid plans can be impacted by a worldwide pandemic. When all was said and done the trip was rescheduled for November, 2023.
“It turns out it coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Battle [of Tarawa],” explained Sowa.
The Montana veterans participated in the 80th-anniversary commemoration ceremony alongside members of the Marine Corps, U.S. Ambassador Marie C. Damourand, and the President of Kiribati Taneti Maamau.
Montana VFW
Sowa, Hamilton and Pryor also honored the marine as his remains were sent to Hawaii for identification.
“You’re humbled to know that that person gave his life for you,” explained Sowa. “And when we sent him on the plane you’re humbled again, and then when we walked the beaches you’re really humbled to know what they went through. You’re walking there but you don’t have bullets or shells or explosions around you.”
Courtesy: Tim Sowa
For the last decade, History Flight has been working with the Department of Accountability to identify more than 600 remains of the Marines killed during the battle of Tarawa, but there are still hundreds of Marines who died during the battle who are unaccounted for.
Of the U.S. Forces that died, most were buried in makeshift graveyards on the island with identifying markers. However, the markers were removed so Navy construction could build airfields and other infrastructure. In 1949, the U.S. government informed the families the remaining bodies, hundreds in total, on Tarawa were unrecoverable.
History Flight hasn’t accepted that answer and worked with involved governments to continue to identify and recover remains, even buying out homes so that remains can be recovered.
Courtesy: Tim Sowa
Sowa says he is thankful for the opportunity and commitment the involved organizations and governments have shown to help identify remains and get them back home.
“Thanks to the State of Montana VFW for letting us go to that and everybody that was contributing to that,” noted Sowa. “Just… It showed their warmth and their devotion to bringing people home, and that’s what matters to us, taking care of our veterans be they alive of dead and bringing them back.”
HELENA, Mont. — Montana counties have accepted enough signatures for Seth Bodnar, running for U.S. Senate and Michael Eisenhauer, running in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District, to be on the November ballot, although counts are still unofficial.
County election officials are continuing to verify signatures submitted by Tuesday’s deadline as part of the candidate petition process.
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has not yet verified, certified or accepted the petitions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Counties must submit candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s office by June 1.
The Secretary of State’s office will then conduct its “statutory review to ensure the petitions meet the necessary legal requirements under law.”
The deadline for the November general election ballot to be certified is Thursday, Aug. 20. By then, all qualifying candidates and any potential ballot issues that qualify for the general election will be officially certified.
The following was out by the Montana Secretary of State’s Office:
The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.
Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate
- 13,327 required
- 18,772 accepted
- 7,812 rejected
Kimberly Persico, MT-01
- 6,742 required
- 563 accepted
- 156 rejected
Michael Eisenhauer, MT-02
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- 7,274 required
- 7,754 accepted
- 4,720 rejected
Severe storms moved through parts of Montana on Thursday, prompting a total of 5 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Reports included strong wind gusts and hail in several communities, including Augusta, Choteau, Sunburst, Bigfork, Kalispell and Evergreen.
The strongest reported wind gust was 60 mph near Augusta, while hail up to 1 inch was reported near Evergreen and Kalispell.
STORM REPORTS:
12 SE Grant — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
7 NNE Augusta — 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Sunburst — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Ennis — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
3 SSW Ennis — 52 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 E Helena — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
19 E Swan Lake — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 NNW Yaak — thunderstorm wind damage – Multiple downed trees reported along Highway 2 between MM 3 and 8
3 WSW Blacktail — 53 mph thunderstorm wind gust
1 NNW Troy — 49 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Turah — 0.88″ hail
1 NNW Bigfork — 0.75″ hail
3 SW La Salle — 0.50″ hail
2 N Evergreen — 1.00″ hail
1 W Kalispell — 1.00″ hail
3 WNW Kalispell — 0.75″ hail
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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A man from Las Vegas has been sentenced after stealing coins and precious metals from a Helena shop in Montana.
This comes after Bishop Lott, 47, pleaded guilty in January to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
A judge sentenced Lott on Thursday to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $276,153.08 in restitution to the Helena business as well as five other theft victims.
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The government alleged in court documents that Lott, along with Ricky Rynell Rose, broke into Wayne Miller Coins in Helena and stole nearly $59,000 in coins and precious metals from a Helena business.
Rose pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to 39 months in prison.
The Helena Police Department received a call on March 3, 2024, reporting that Wayne Miller Coins had been burglarized earlier that day.
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As part of their investigation, Helena police officers reviewed surveillance footage from multiple businesses. They analyzed email account data, which led them to Lott and Rose, who had taken the stolen material to Nevada.
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