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World War II Veteran Laid to Rest 84 Years After His Death
Physical and DNA testing identified the World War II soldier’s remains last year, allowing his family to finally bring him home.
- Army Air Force Private First Class Bernard Sweet, Bennington's first casualty of World War II, was laid to rest Saturday at Park Lawn Cemetery more than 80 years after his death.
- Captured by Japanese forces in the Philippines, Sweet survived the notorious 65-mile Bataan Death March but prison records indicate he died from disease while held as a prisoner of war.
- The Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency identified Sweet's remains last year through DNA testing; his niece Shirley McLenithan said she "never thought they would find him."
- VFW Bennington Post 1332 Commander Norman LeBlanc escorted the remains, fulfilling the veteran's mother's dying wish as community members lined the route with American flags.
- LeBlanc noted Sweet's return is part of a larger mission to recover missing service members, stating, "We promise to get everyone home, and we will never stop looking.
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84 years later, Fort Smith buries WWII soldier who died a POW
A World War II soldier who spent more than 80 years unaccounted for was laid to rest Friday, Aug. 7 with full military honors at Fort Smith National Cemetery, following a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identification announced earlier this year.
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