Letters were written to the Philadelphia Record, the Naval Historical Foundation, the National Naval Liaison Officer of the VFW and the Philadelphia County Committee of the VFW suggesting the exhumation of Captain Gwinn and his wife Caroline, and reburial at Arlington National Cemetery.
A new coffin was made to hold the couple's remains. During the transfer from the old coffin to the new one, 22 uniform buttons were removed from the which is a testament to the enduring quality of the U.S. Naval officer's garments. still intact uniform coat.
The moment of exhumation also afforded a closer look at Captain Gwinn himself, as no other images are known to exist (which is why I just had a picture of his gravestone).
The undertaker in charge of the project, Charles O'Neill, who was also commander of the Liberty Bell Post 1906, VFW, remarked "...never [have I seen] such large jaw bones as those of Captain Gwinn, also that there were four teeth missing, and in addition, that Captain Gwinn had red or auburn hair. Might also add that when the grave digger took hold of the skull of Captain Gwinn [it] broke in half across the skull."
--Brock-Perry
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