SENECA FALLS --
The remains of a serviceman missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified as those of a Seneca Falls man.
The body of Air Force 1st Lt. David Thorpe will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He will be laid to rest June 23rd at Arlington National Cemetery.
On October 3, 1966, Thorpe's C-130E, with four other men aboard, failed to arrive at Nha Trang Air Base following their departure from Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. Eight days later, rescue personnel later found their remains at the crash site in South Vietnam. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
Between 1984 and 1996, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received human remains tentatively linked to Thorpe and the other crew members from various sources including refugees from the Vietnam War and Vietnamese citizens. Due to a lack of advanced scientific tools and complete records, JPAC was unable to identify Thorpe, so he was buried as part of a group at Arlington. Other remains associated with the entire group were held at JPAC's laboratory for future testing.
As DNA testing procedures improved in the late 1990s, mitochondrial testing was used and a sample matched the DNA from Thorpe's sister. His dental records also helped confirm the identification.
To date 1,687 service members remain missing from the Vietnam War.
