ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It may have been 47 years later, but Monday's memorial service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery was still special for the family of Navy Lt. William Swanson.
"What a wonderful tribute for our brother and everyone who served our country," said Bob Swanson, Lt. Swanson's brother. "It meant a lot."
In 1965, Lt. Swanson's plane was shot down in Vietnam and his body was never recovered. But in 2010, a Laos/U.S. recovery team located the plane's wreckage and human remains. It took two more years to make a positive identification. It meant the remains of Lt. Swanson would be coming home.
"I wanted all of us to be together," said Peggy Ricker, a sister to Swanson. "This is closure for us."
The service included a military flyover and a rifle salute. It had all the elements for a soldier who sacrificed it all.
"It's comforting to know that he's home now," said Ricker.
Lt. Swanson was born in Zimmerman, MN, but grew up in Brooklyn Center. He attended the University of Minnesota and was studying to become a doctor before entering the U.S. Navy.
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