Remains found in World War II aircraft wreckage identified

SUFFOLK, Va. -- Human remains found inside the wreckage of a World War II bomber in New Guinea have been identified as those of a Suffolk woman's brother, who disappeared more than 60 years ago.

Fern Lord learned Thursday that DNA testing confirmed the bones belonged to her brother, Charles "Buddy" Feucht, who was just 24 when he vanished along with the rest of his nine-man crew on a stormy night in 1943.

"It's been so long," said Lord, 83. "Every day, you wake up and wonder if this is the one."

Feucht, a bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator, was part of a formation looking for Japanese ships in the midst of a violent thunderstorm when his plane separated from the others to take a closer look at the water below.

The plane wasn't seen again until 2002, when a hunter came upon its rusted wreckage in a New Guinea jungle. He collected a human bone and a handful of metal ID tags and delivered them to the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea, along with the tail number and location of the plane he'd discovered.

In 2003, an excavation crew traveled to the site and found more bones, teeth and ID bracelets inside the shattered cockpit.

The remains were taken to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii and Lord submitted a vial of her blood for DNA comparison.

Johnny Johnson, a specialist with the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs operations center in Alexandria, called Feucht's family on Thursday with the good news. He told The Associated Press on Friday that additional human remains were found in the wreckage, but declined to say whether they have been identified as the other crewmates' families have not been contacted.

"I can only say that this is a historic event," Johnson told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. "We're glad we can give this news so families can finally have some closure."

Feucht's remains will be flown under military escort to Ohio. He will be buried with full military honors beside his parents.

"I told my sister, we'd better hurry up with the funeral," Lord said. "I didn't hold on this long to miss the ceremony now."

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.pilotonline.com