HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Hubert Yeary and his twin brother Herbert both enlisted to serve their country during World War II. Only Herbert would return to Virginia.
More than eight decades later, the Yeary family finally received closure as the remains of Staff Sergeant Hubert Yeary were recently laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Researchers with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recently discovered the crash site of Yeary's B-24 Liberator bomber on a farm in Germany, answering questions that had lingered since April 8, 1944.
Yeary, a ball turret gunner from Henrico County, Virginia, and nine other crew members of the aircraft nicknamed "Little Joe" were shot down during a bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany.
The crash site remained undiscovered until recent excavations.
"It is overwhelming," James Yeary, nephew of the fallen airman, said. "To me I thought today's date was particularly sort of eerie. Because today is May 1, which is also known as May day. Which is the call when a plane is going down or in trouble."
Using DNA from James' father, Hubert's remains were positively identified last June.
Kelly McKeague, Director of the DPAA, says the military never stops searching for missing service members.
McKeague estimates 38,000 out of 81,000 service members still missing in action may be recoverable.
"Staff Sergeant Hubert Yeary as well as his nine crew are now home. There are 10 now off that list of the missing," said McKeague. "But not having human remains creates a void in both mind and heart. That we in DPAA are privileged to provide them disclosure. To provide the answers. After decades."
Before the discovery, Yeary's name was engraved on the walls of the missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, a solemn reminder of his sacrifice.
Angela Drew, Yeary's niece, described the identification as healing for the family.
"It was just a peace. It felt like so reverent. Just something that we could like a chapter that could close in a happy way," said Drew. "It feels like the honor he deserves."
Drew added that her son will help carry on the memory of the great-uncle he never knew.
"To be able to bring him home that is a feeling unto itself. It was just something we didn't really really talk about because it would've brought sadness to talk about it because we didn't know where he was," said Drew. "It is a legacy of our family. It is something that he'll never forget, and I will never forget. It is extremely poetic. It's something out of a book. It is magic that is happening in real life."
The Yeary family witnessed the emotional ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where military funeral processions are conducted with precision nearly 30 times daily.
"It is a perfect choreography without any direction. They just know what to do and when to do it. It is an amazing result," said James Yeary. "It is a long time coming, but feels right on time. It's a feeling of closure. And something you can't really compare it to anything else you have ever done because you don't do this twice."
Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of more than 400,000 service members, welcomed 20-year-old Hubert Yeary to his final resting place in Section 33 at Grave number 7569.
"It is that sacred commitment made," said McKeague. "To Service members that went off to War and who have not come home that we the United States are still looking for them. Still finding them and more importantly, reuniting them with their families here on American soil."
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