More than 50 years after his plane went down, the remains of a U.S. pilot who fought in the Vietnam War have finally been identified.
U.S. Marine Corps Captain Ronald W. Forrester of Texas disappeared in 1972 after his plane vanished during a nighttime combat mission in Vietnam.
The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency works to recover service members who went missing during their service.
This week, the department announced they had discovered remains and material evidence believed to be linked to Forrester after years of searching.
Scientists from the agency used circumstantial evidence recovered from the crash site as well as mitochondrial DNA evidence to make the identification.
Forrester’s remains are scheduled to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 7.
