A child thought he’d found a rock — it was actually a Marine’s jawbone
By Claire Barrett
Apr 17, 04:56 PM
A human jawbone discovered in the Arizona desert was recently identified as remains of U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Everett Leland Yager.
The issue? No one knew it was missing.
The 30-year-old World War II veteran was killed in July 1951 during a military training exercise over the skies of Riverside County, California. His remains were returned to his family and he was buried in his home state of Missouri.
Decades passed until a child, looking to build upon his rock collection, came across the unusual “stone” while scavenging in Yavapai County, Arizona.
Pocketed and taken home, the remains of Yager were swiftly turned over to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office where it became known as “Rock Collection John Doe” until January 2023.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/04/17/a-child-thought-hed-found-a-rock-it-was-actually-a-marines-jawbone/