He died as a prisoner of war nearly 65 years ago, but soon, an American soldier's remains will be making the journey home. (Video via KMGH)
Army Sgt. Floyd James Robert Jackson was captured during the Korean War in December of 1950. Just a few months later, not yet even 21 years old, he would die in a POW camp along the Yalu River. (Video via CNN)
As our partners at KMGH report, Jackson’s remains had been missing since his death, but using dental records and DNA samples from his family, they were recently positively identified at a military facility in Hawaii.
"It's the phone call Joann Mueller hoped she would get during her lifetime," the reporter said.
The veteran's niece told the reporter, "I couldn’t believe what I was hearing."
That was Jackson's niece Joann Mueller. As The Denver Post reports, she and her family have worked over ten years to determine the whereabouts of Jackson's remains.
"In a way I think he was trying to tell God that he wanted to come home. So, now he's coming home," Mueller said.
Once Jackson's remains were identified, the family was presented several medals earned by their late relative, including the Prisoner of War Medal and a Purple Heart.
The veteran's remains are now on their way back to Colorado, where he grew up.
He's set to be laid to rest with full military honors at a funeral open to the public.
"How do you want your uncle to be remembered?," the reporter asked.
Mueller responded: "He looked like he was a happy guy. He made friends easily. He loved his family."
This video includes images from Pahz / CC BY NC SA 2.0.
