Apr 25, 2008 10:06 pm US/Eastern
Local WWII Servicemen Remains To Be Laid To Rest
Wreckage From Missing World War II Plane Found With Soldiers' Remains
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
More than 60 years after two Massachusetts servicemen disappeared in World War II, their remains have been found, bringing closure to their families.
Kenneth Cassidy, of Worcester, and Ronald Ward, of Cambridge, were among a group of 11 men aboard a bomber that went down during a run in New Guinea back in 1943.
Both men will be buried with full military honors. Cassidy was 23 years old when he went missing. His son said he never met his dad because he shipped out before he was born. His son said he was amazed and relieved that his father's remains were found.
The Department of Defense announced the discovery Friday after the remains of all 11 men crewed on a B-24D Liberator were identified.
Two years ago big pieces of the missing plane were found by natives deep in a New Guinea jungle. The Defense Department used DNA from remains found on the plane with living relatives to identify the men.
Interestingly, Cassidy's son followed in his father's footsteps by flying for the Navy for 37 years.
George Lund, 85, remembers seeing Ward, his brother-in-law and friend, a couple months before he went missing. Lund was in the Army serving under General Patton, while Ward was a bombardier fighting the Japanese in New Guinea.
Many families in the United States are still waiting for this kind of resolution. The Pentagon reports some 88,000 American soldiers from World War I are still considered missing in action.
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