WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (FOX 13) - The remains of a soldier who was killed during World War II in southeast Asia are finally coming home.
Alfred Sandini's plane was shot down by the Japanese in the Himalayas in 1943. The remains of five of his fellow airmen were recovered, but his body was never found -- at least not until recently.
"He deserved to come back to this country. This country is great because it never leaves anybody behind," said Alfred's 94 year-old brother, John Sandini.
Six months ago, John got a letter from a facility in Hawaii that identifies the remains of the military. It asked John to send a DNA sample because they thought they had found his brother's remains.
The DNA was a match.
After 75 years, Alfred is finally coming home.
When asked what it is like to have closure after all this time, John simply responded, "Peace."
Alfred will be buried in a family plot next to his mother in Massachusetts in July.