Bones of My Grandfather

Reclaiming a Lost Hero of WWII

By: Clay Bonnyman Evans

Narrated by: Clay Bonnyman Evans

A grandson’s quest to bring a fallen war hero home.

In November 1943, Marine 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr. was mortally wounded while leading a successful assault on critical Japanese fortifications on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa. But it was not until August 2015 that he was finally laid to rest.

Bonnyman Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart for his heroic actions during the bloody battle, which would ultimately claim the lives of almost 2,000 Marines and 5,000 Japanese soldiers. But the lieutenant, along with hundreds of other Marines, was buried in an unmarked grave. He was left behind and his remains never recovered.

More than seventy years later, Bonnyman Jr.'s grandson, Clay Bonnyman Evans, took up the search for his grandfather and those other Marines left behind. In Bones of My Grandfather, Evans tells the story of his mission against all odds. His journey began at home, where research into his grandfather’s past uncovered a flawed hero with a checkered past at odds with the narrative he’d been told. Abroad, his first visits to Tarawa would be fruitless, frustrated by nature, bureaucratic red tape, and the US government's own stagnant search for the Marines.

But with the help of archaeologist Kristin Baker and Mark Noah, a former pilot who leads international efforts to locate lost American servicemen as part of his History Flight charitable foundation, Evans accomplished his mission. On May 29, 2015, Clay Bonnyman Evans exhumed the bones of his grandfather. More than seventy years after giving his life for his country, a World War II hero was finally buried alongside his family in Texas.

©2018 Clay Bonnyman Evans (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

An emotional and personal odyssey

What an amazing untold story about the process to find out what really happened to his grandfather. A very rewarding listening experience. One of the best books I’ve listened to. It had all the elements of an amazing adventure. Truly loved it.

An outstanding work by a grandson who held his late grandfather in the highest regard!

A frank story told by the grandson of Lt Bonnyman with admiration, a deep sense of gratitude and obvious love for a grandfather hero he never met. Who tirelessly worked to learn more, understand the man he was and to bring him home!

True history/real lives

What a story! What a history! What a journey! Your research and your honest examination of real lives and true history is compelling and remarkable.

Brought the story to life

After visiting Tarawa and being on the beaches for the 80th anniversary, it brought to life the stories I read about. I am glad that soldiers were brought home. I hope they continue to bring home those lost overseas and am thankful that Chris was willing to share his families story.

Amazing and sad

hope and pray 1 day soon I get to bury my great uncle, my great grandmother also died of a broken heart

heroism is genetic

I too am looking for a loved one. Reading this gave me perspective and hope!

An Amazing Journey

I’ve been interested in learning about WWII for many years. I’m not sure where my interest came from other than being an American. I also had an uncle I never met that was in the Battan Death March. He made it home but died a year later of tuberculosis. This book has touched my heart in many ways. I commend the author/grandson for his journey, his resilience and endeavor to bring his Grandfather home. His grandfather would be proud.
Thank you for sharing your remarkable journey.
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Self Congratulatory Author Basks in Grandfather’s Glory

The author is the grandson of Alexander “Sandy” Bonnyman, a metal of honor winner from the battle of Tarawa. While the book details Sandy’s life, it’s more about his grandson’s experience looking for his remains. The author is not a scientist or an expert, yet seems to bask in the praise earned by those who worked to find remains on Tarawa and thrives off of the glory earned by his grandfather. He airs his family’s dirty laundry and makes bitter jabs at named governmental workers. If you’re looking for good World War II read-skip this one. If you’re looking to read about petty dramas-dig in. While I appreciated learning about the remains recovery experience and Bonnyman’s war history, I would have enjoyed it more if the grandson didn’t take center stage riding the coat tales of others.