The remains of 1st Lt. Joe A. De Jarnette of the U.S. Army Air Forces, who died in action during World War II, will be laid to rest on Saturday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Erlanger, Ky. He will receive full military honors. A Fort Thomas, Ky., native, De Jarnette served in the 732nd Bombardment Squadron, 453rd Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force. He was 24 years old when he died on April 8, 1944, after his B-24H “Liberator” was downed by enemy fighters during a bombing raid over Brunswick, Germany.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified De Jarnette on June 20, 2024, after recovery efforts at the crash location were conducted from 2021 to 2023 and followed by lab testing and confirmation.

De Jarnette’s name appears on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. A rosette will be added beside his name to show he has been identified. The DPAA notes that around 81,000 U.S. service members from prior wars are still missing.