More than 80 years after his plane was downed by lightning, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot is finally coming home. The route back to the United States for 1st Lt. Franklin McKinney has been long and paved by the efforts of many, including a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet, a Thai air force officer, and an American expat.

Discovery and Identification

Remains recovered from a rice paddy in northern Thailand have been confirmed as those of McKinney, who disappeared while flying an F-5E, the reconnaissance version of the P-38 Lightning fighter, on November 5, 1944. The U.S. military declared McKinney dead in March 1946, though no crash site had been identified, let alone any remains of the man from Providence, Rhode Island.

The origin of the discovery goes back to 2008, when Dan Jackson, then a first-class cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, contacted Sakpinit Promthep, then head of the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, for help with his senior thesis. The two stayed in touch, and their efforts eventually led to the recovery of McKinney’s remains.

A Promise Kept

The U.S. military maintains a “sacred promise to leave no one behind,” even decades later. This promise has been kept in McKinney’s case, thanks to the dedication of many individuals. Writing in a Facebook post, Jackson noted the “no one left behind” bond that spans military generations. “After almost 82 years, Frank McKinney is home again. America has kept its promise,” he wrote.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.