Missouri veteran killed in 1952 to be buried this week

DOWNING, Mo. -- A northeast Missouri man who died in the crash of an Air Force plane in 1952 finally will be laid to rest in his native state.

Wayne Dean Jackson of Downing died along with 51 others when their plane crashed into Mount Gannett in Alaska on Nov. 22, 1952.

An avalanche occurred after the crash, burying the plane until an Army National Guard crew spotted it in June 2012. Its extreme location meant recovery teams could go to the site only once a year. Identifying the remains of those on board took almost four years.

KTVO reported Jackson's body will be flown to Des Moines, Iowa, today. A funeral procession with the Patriot Guard will go take the body from Des Moines to Downing, Missouri, for burial.

Information from: KTVO-TV, http://www.ktvotv3.com