Current:Home > BackWWII veteran killed in Germany returns home to California-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
WWII veteran killed in Germany returns home to California
View Date:2024-12-23 21:21:59
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After 80 years, a World War II sergeant killed in Germany has returned home to California.
On Thursday, community members lined the roads to honor U.S. Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport to a burial home in Riverside, California.
Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany, according to Honoring Our Fallen, an organization that provides support to families of fallen military and first responders.
One of the surviving crewmembers saw the plane was on fire, then fell in a steep dive before exploding on the ground. After the crash, German troops buried the remains of one soldier at a local cemetery, while the other six crewmembers, including Banta, were unaccounted for.
Banta was married and had four sisters and a brother. He joined the military because of his older brother Floyd Jack Banta, who searched for Donald Banta his whole life but passed away before he was found.
Donald Banta’s niece was present at the planeside honors ceremony at the Ontario airport coordinated by Honoring Our Fallen.
The remains from the plane crash were initially recovered in 1952, but they could not be identified at the time and were buried in Belgium. Banta was accounted for Sept. 26, 2023, following efforts by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency within the U.S. Department of Defense and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
veryGood! (12254)
Related
- Wisconsin agency issues first round of permits for Enbridge Line 5 reroute around reservation
- Law Roach Sets Record Straight on That Viral Zendaya Video From Louis Vuitton Fashion Show
- Russia unlikely to be able to mount significant offensive operation in Ukraine this year, top intel official says
- Dina Lohan Shares Why Daughter Lindsay Lohan’s Pregnancy Came at the “Right Time”
- Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
- Look Back on Bruce Willis' Best Roles
- Sudan crisis drives growing exodus as warring generals said to agree in principle to 7-day truce
- Facebook users reporting celebrity spam is flooding their feeds
- The Daily Money: Mattel's 'Wicked' mistake
- Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill Shares He’s In Treatment After Stage 3 Blood Cancer Diagnosis
Ranking
- Pie, meet donuts: Krispy Kreme releases Thanksgiving pie flavor ahead of holidays
- Customs officials find 22 snakes in woman's checked bags at India airport
- Surreal or too real? Breathtaking AI tool DALL-E takes its images to a bigger stage
- The Apple-1 prototype Steve Jobs used has sold for nearly $700,000
- Bowl projections: SEC teams joins College Football Playoff field
- My Holy Grail Smashbox Primer Is 50% Off Today Only: Here's Why You Need to Stock Up
- Kyra Sedgwick Shares the Hilarious Secret to Her 34-Year Marriage to Kevin Bacon
- Man arrested outside Buckingham Palace after throwing suspected shotgun cartridges over gates, police say
Recommendation
-
Wildfires burn on both coasts. Is climate change to blame?
-
Look Back on Bruce Willis' Best Roles
-
From vilified to queen: Camilla's long road to being crowned next to King Charles III
-
See Prince Louis waving, yawning during King Charles' coronation before retiring
-
Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
-
Russia claims Ukraine tried to attack Kremlin with drones in terrorist act targeting Vladimir Putin
-
Professional landscapers are reluctant to plug into electric mowers due to cost
-
Some leading robot makers are pledging not to weaponize them