On Friday afternoon, forever young Second Lieutenant Robert Keown came home to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. His earthly remains were recovered from a mountainside in Papua New Guinea where his P-38 aircraft crashed after a mission in 1944.
His nieces and nephews were on hand for his welcome home according to the Associated Press;
Relatives never knew what happened to him until November. That’s when genetic testing confirmed that remains found years ago on the island were his.
Keown was buried Friday with full honors.
Nieces and nephews are the closest remaining relatives to attend the funeral of Keown, who grew up near Atlanta in Lawrenceville, Georgia, before moving to Scottsboro, Alabama.
His father died in 1937 and his mother in 1979. Keown’s two brothers also died while he was missing, the most recent in 2015.
Another bittersweet story- looks to me like he was an Army Air Corps pilot; glad he’s Home. Semper Fi, Lieutenant.
Welcome home, LT.
Rest well.
Welcome home Sir. Rest in peace in your home soil.
2LT Keown was apparently accounted-for by DPAA on 28 November of last year; his accounting was announced by DPAA on 13 December. Unfortunately, due to the delay in announcement of his accounting and posting of that info to DPAA’s Recently Accounted For webpage I missed it at the time it happened. Mea culpa.
Welcome home, elder brother-in-arms. Rest easy.
Rest well, Sir. You were gone but not forgotten.
“Mea culpa.”
No harm, no foul Hondo; Jonn had your back, surprising no one. I don’t think 2LT Keown minds, nor anyone here.
Welcome home.
Rest in Peace, LT.
What the others have said, LT. Rest in peace.
Thank you for your service. Truly a Hero for the ages now.
Thank you to the hardworking people that track these people, planes and families down. Unsung heroes all of them.
Welcome home, LT Keown.