A World War II veteran will be buried 69 years after his death on Monday, Nov. 3.
According to Military Times, the remains of Detroit native Robert McConachie were brought to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii in 1987. They were not able to be identified at the time, but advances in technology prompted the lab to re examine the case in 2010.
The source noted that the Marine was killed at Kunishi Ridge in Okinawa, Japan. The lab contacted the relatives of soldiers who fought in this area and whose bodies were never accounted for. By examining dental records and using DNA of McConachie's late brother, provided by living family members, scientists were able to determine that the remains belonged to the soldier, who was only 18 years old when he perished on June 14, 1945.
Military Times reported that the soldier was only 17 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. His family spent the years since his death remembering his bravery and keeping his memory alive through various mementos, such as the official declaration of his death, signed by President Truman.
McConachie's nephew, Col. Andy McConachie, helped accompany the remains as they returned to the late soldier's home state on Friday, Oct. 31. They will be laid to rest at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan, reported WWMT.