A World War II soldier who had been missing since 1943 finally returned home to New Hampshire. Army Sgt. Richard Hammond was buried Wednesday in a somber ceremony at Ridge Cemetery in his hometown of Northwood. “This was very gratifying today,” said Rick Seavey, Hammond’s nephew. It has been 81 years since Hammond disappeared in North Africa. He was stationed near Tunisia when he was hit by an enemy tank shell during a battle with German forces. >> Download the free KeynoteUSA app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<"Sergeant Hammond was one of the first Americans to confront the Germans on a battlefield in North Africa," said New Hampshire National Guard Chaplain William Mullins. "It took courage. It took heart. It took training." His remains had been in the American military cemetery in Algeria, designated as X-5137. "I've been very active trying to identify him," Seavey said. Seavey, Hammond's oldest living relative, said he remembers the call coming from Fort Knox. In September he learned that new DNA technology could connect the remains to his uncle. "You can probably think of all kinds of adjectives that fit. Certainly, jubilation, number one," Seavey said. "The second, which is almost equal to euphoria, is gratitude. I didn't know that the Army that has the motto 'No person left behind' was so inflexible." "Now, 81 years later, it's X-5137 no longer," Mullin said. "His name and his inheritance have been restored." Seavey said the family is now at peace, knowing their loved one has finally returned home after being missing for the past eight decades. "We have a wall in Tunisia of all the Americans who are missing," Sevey said. "And every time they find one, they put a rosette on it. And Dick, my uncle, was the first one to get a rosette." The family hopes other families of the remaining unnamed soldiers will get the call that their loved one is coming home. .
NORTHWOOD, N.H. —
A World War II soldier who had been missing since 1943 finally returned home to New Hampshire.
Army Sgt. Richard Hammond was buried Wednesday in a somber ceremony at Ridge Cemetery in his hometown of Northwood.
“This was very gratifying today,” said Rick Seavey, Hammond’s nephew.
It has been 81 years since Hammond disappeared in North Africa. He was stationed near Tunisia when he was hit by an enemy tank shell during a battle with German forces.
>> Download the free KeynoteUSA app to get updates on the go: apple | Google Play <
“Sergeant Hammond was one of the first Americans to confront the Germans on a battlefield in North Africa,” said New Hampshire National Guard Chaplain William Mullins. “It took courage. It took courage. It took training.”
His remains were in the American military cemetery in Algeria, designated as X-5137.
“I’ve been very active trying to identify him,” Seavey said.
Seavey, Hammond’s oldest living relative, said he remembers the call coming from Fort Knox. He learned that new DNA technology was able to connect the remains to those of his uncle in September.
“You can probably think of all kinds of adjectives that fit. Certainly, jubilation, number one,” Seavey said. “The second, which is almost equal to euphoria, is gratitude. I didn’t know that the Army that has the motto ‘Leave no one behind’ was so inflexible.”
“Now, 81 years later, it’s no longer X-5137,” Mullin said. “His name and his inheritance are restored.”
Seavey said the family is now at peace, knowing their loved one has finally returned home after being missing for the past eight decades.
“We have a wall in Tunisia with all the Americans missing,” Sevey said. “And every time they find one, they put a rosette on it. And Dick, my uncle, was the first one to get a rosette.”
The family hopes other families of the remaining unnamed soldiers will get the call that their loved one is coming home.
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