Six decades later, airman laid to rest
Crash victim's body was found by climbers
BRAINERD, Minn. -- A World War II airman whose frozen body was chipped out of a California glacier last fall was laid to rest in his hometown yesterday, more than six decades after he disappeared during a training flight.
Leo Mustonen's two nieces were among about 100 people who gathered at First Lutheran Church to say goodbye. A full military funeral followed at a cemetery overlooking the Mississippi River.
''This is one of the most unique and special days that any of us will ever be a part of," Pastor Andy Smith said. ''Today we are burying a small-town boy from Brainerd, Minnesota, who dreamed of flying."
Mustonen was 22 when his AT7 navigational plane disappeared after takeoff from a Sacramento, Calif., airfield on Nov. 18, 1942. An engine, scattered remains, and clothing were found over the following years, far from the plane's intended course. All four men aboard were killed in the crash.
But Mustonen's remains were not found until last year, when two mountain climbers in California spotted an arm jutting out of the ice. Forensic scientists analyzed bones, DNA samples, and the airman's teeth before declaring in February that the body was Mustonen's.
At the cemetery, Mustonen was honored with a three-volley salute and a bugler playing taps. The military paid for the funeral, as it would for any soldier who died on active duty.
His nieces, Mary Ruth Mustonen and Leane Ross, said they have been overwhelmed by stories told about their uncle over the past few weeks.
Mary Ruth was 11 months old when her uncle died; Ross had not even been born. ''He really feels like he is ours now, and we've grown to love him," Ross said.
He was buried alongside his mother, Anna. ''He's no longer out there on a mountain alone," Ross said.
