Returned to His Family: Airman who disappeared on a flight in 1942 is buried in his hometown
Published: March 25, 2006
A World War II airman whose frozen body was chipped out of a California glacier last fall was buried in his hometown yesterday, more than 60 years after he disappeared during a training flight.
Leo Mustonen’s two nieces were among about 100 people who gathered at First Lutheran Church to say goodbye. A full military funeral followed at a cemetery overlooking the Mississippi River.
“This is one of the most unique and special days that any of us will ever be a part of,” Pastor Andy Smith said. “Today we are burying a small-town boy from Brainerd, Minnesota, who dreamed of flying.”
Mustonen was 22 when his AT-7 navigational plane disappeared after taking off from a Sacramento, Calif., airfield Nov. 18, 1942. An engine, scattered remains and clothing were found over the following years, far from the plane’s intended course. All four men on board were killed in the crash.
Mustonen’s remains were not found until last year, when two mountain climbers in California spotted an arm jutting out of the ice. Forensic scientists at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii analyzed bones, DNA samples and the airman’s teeth before declaring in February that the body was Mustonen’s.
At the cemetery, Mustonen was honored with a three-volley salute and a bugler playing taps. The military paid for the funeral, as it does for any soldier who dies on active duty.
His nieces, Mary Ruth Mustonen and Leane Ross, said at a news conference before the service that they have been overwhelmed by stories told about their uncle over the past few weeks. Mary Ruth was 11 months old when her uncle died; Ross had not been born. “He really feels like he is ours now, and we’ve grown to love him,” Ross said.
He was buried beside his mother, Anna, who grieved for years over the loss of her son. “He’s no longer out there on a mountain alone,” Ross said.
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