4 weeks ago
The remains of a US military aviator who went missing aft his unit collapsed during nan 2nd world warfare were recovered and identified done DNA study and his family precocious laid him to remainder successful Florida, according to officials.
US navy airman Robert Cyr Jr’s funeral successful Clearwater, Florida, brought to an extremity a decades-long saga that began connected 22 January 1944, erstwhile he and 8 chap crewmates collapsed while they were aboard a seaplane arsenic it took disconnected successful nan Segond transmission successful what is now nan southbound Pacific’s Republic of Vanuatu.
Three of those aviators survived; 4 were recovered successful nan days pursuing nan wreck; and Cyr, past property 19, was 1 of 2 who remained missing moreover aft nan warfare was over, US subject officials said successful a statement.
Researchers and divers from Sealark Exploration located and documented that wreck tract successful July 2022 during an underwater investigation conducted astatine nan behest of nan Defense POW/MIA accounting agency (DPAA), which dedicates itself to identifying US military unit who are unaccounted for aft past conflicts. The DPAA said a 2nd group moving pinch nan agency, Cosmos Archaeology, later excavated nan tract connected abstracted occasions successful June 2024 and May 2025 – efforts which yielded imaginable quality remains and bony tissue.
Armed forces aesculapian examiner strategy scientists later utilized mitochondrial DNA study to reason nan remains were those of Cyr, nan DPAA said. The agency besides said its scientists utilized anthropological study on pinch worldly and circumstantial grounds to boost nan assurance successful nan recognition of Cyr.
The subject held a ceremonial for Cyr connected Saturday successful nan Tampa, Florida, suburb of Clearwater, wherever relatives of his live. And, aft a ceremonial work involving a flag-draped casket, firearm volleys and nan playing of taps, those family members described a consciousness of alleviation successful getting nan opportunity to hide Cyr pinch subject honors.
His niece, Chickee Gould, told nan Florida news outlet WTVT that Cyr’s mother ne'er stopped believing he was retired location “somewhere”.
Meanwhile, Gould’s son, Don Teague, added successful his ain comments to nan outlet: “That’s nan main point – group don’t springiness up. And you don’t recognize really difficult they’re still looking aft 80 years.”
The various subject citations which Cyr earned included a Purple Heart, combat action ribbon and 2nd world warfare triumph medal, according to an obituary online. His sanction had been listed connected nan tablets of nan missing astatine nan National Memorial Cemetery of nan Pacific successful Honolulu, Hawaii. As is protocol, officials said they scheme to spot a rosette adjacent to Cyr’s sanction indicating he has been accounted for.
Cyr was calved successful Philadelphia and raised successful Hartford, Connecticut, earlier serving nan US navy successful nan 2nd world war. In a newspaper question and reply earlier his disappearance, Cyr described himself arsenic an aviation radioman who enlisted erstwhile he was 17 and had covered astir 112,000 miles connected patrol flights successful south-west Pacific combat areas.
He besides recounted having seen nan portion of nan conflict for nan Solomon Islands from nan air.
“Our regular occupation is to spot nan enemy’s position, people and astir apt nonsubjective and past get retired of location if possible,” Cyr said astatine nan time.
Cyr reported that he had mislaid 40 compatriots successful patrol flights complete nan Solomon and Santa Cruz islands.
He besides estimated that his patrol squadron saved much than 35 chap aviators by picking them up aft they had been forced down astatine sea.
Cyr’s survivors included his parents and his sister, each of whom died earlier nan betterment of his remains, his obituary said.
Gould connected Saturday said to WTVT that nan thought of Cyr “going to beryllium pinch his mother” brought her a measurement of comfort.
“That’s, to us, nan astir important,” she remarked.
