Joe Biden recounted on Wednesday that his “Uncle Brosie” likely perished by cannibals on the Australian island of New Guinea during World War II.

Biden shared these remarks with the press around 12:05 p.m. at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Avoca, Pennsylvania, ahead of departing for Pittsburgh to address union steelworkers and advocate for tripling tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum to safeguard American producers.

The day before, Biden visited Scranton to promote a new tax plan benefiting middle-class American families. He also toured his childhood home and addressed the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local Union 445. A campaign event he attended faced claims of empty seats from conservatives, although journalists in attendance disputed this.

Speaking about his family history in response to a press question regarding his visit to the Veterans War Memorial in Scranton, Biden recounted, “Ambrose Finnegan—we called him ‘Uncle Bosie’—he was shot down.” Biden described his uncle’s service in the Army Air Corps, flying single-engine planes on reconnaissance flights over New Guinea during a time when cannibals inhabited the region.

Reflecting on World War II, Biden mentioned that after D-Day, all four of his mother’s brothers volunteered for military service. Three were accepted, while one was deemed “4-F” due to being unfit for military duty.

“They never recovered [Ambrose’s] body,” Biden continued. “But the government conducted subsequent investigations and found parts of the plane and other evidence.”