His forgetfulness is not good.
During his remarks criticizing former President Donald Trump’s comments about the military, President Joe Biden shared a story about his uncle Ambrose J. Finnegan’s death during World War II. However, Biden’s account of his uncle’s death included inaccuracies, as he mentioned that Finnegan was shot down in New Guinea and implied that cannibalism was involved.
Contrary to Biden’s statement, U.S. military records do not support the claim that Finnegan’s aircraft was shot down or that cannibalism occurred. The records state that Finnegan’s plane was forced to ditch in the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea due to engine failure at low altitude. The crash resulted in the deaths of Finnegan and two other individuals, whose bodies were not recovered.
While White House spokesman Andrew Bates did not directly address Biden’s apparent misstatement, he emphasized Biden’s pride in his uncle’s service and reiterated the president’s commitment to honoring veterans and their families.
During his speech, Biden contrasted the military service of his family with Trump’s controversial remarks about military members, including allegations that Trump referred to fallen soldiers as “suckers” and “losers.” Biden expressed strong disapproval of such rhetoric, particularly in light of his own family’s military history.
In addition to discussing his uncle’s service, Biden often speaks about his son Beau Biden, who served in the Delaware Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq. However, Biden has previously made errors in referencing his son’s military service, including stating inaccurately that Beau died “in Iraq,” when he passed away in the U.S. after returning from deployment. Similarly, Biden has mischaracterized the war record of another uncle, Frank, when discussing attempting to present him with a Purple Heart.
