The remains of a Hamilton soldier declared dead in 1953 after vanishing in combat in Korea three years earlier are finally coming home to be buried. Army Sgt. Bucheit was 30 years old when he disappeared. In 1997, a North Korean farmer tilling new land plowed up two dog tags and the remains of 10 people, including Bucheit. After DNA testing by the military, Buchelt was identified and was buried in a full military funeral in his hometown. His family was told Bucheit, or Bob as they call him, had been a prisoner of war when he perished. But military officials now say they believe he died either in combat by being blown up or shot, or trying to escape from enemy capture. His 75-year-old sister, Mary Jo Bartlett, was 16 years old on Nov. 2, 1950, when the telegram arrived alerting the family that her second-oldest brother was missing in action. All these years, she held onto to his World War II dog tags and prayed for his safe return. Her parents and other two brothers have since died. In June, military officials identified some bones from the North Korean farm field as ones from the right side of her brother's body. After they were discovered in 1997, the remains were taken to a military DNA testing facility in Hawaii in 2000. The military also found his Korean War dog tags. He is buried next to his Mom and Dad.
The remains of a Hamilton soldier declared dead in 1953 after vanishing in combat in Korea three years earlier are finally coming home to be buried. Army Sgt. Bucheit was 30 years old when he disappeared. In 1997, a North Korean farmer tilling new land plowed up two dog tags and the remains of 10 people, including Bucheit. After DNA testing by the military, Buchelt was identified and was buried in a full military funeral in his hometown. His family was told Bucheit, or Bob as they call him, had been a prisoner of war when he perished. But military officials now say they believe he died either in combat by being blown up or shot, or trying to escape from enemy capture. His 75-year-old sister, Mary Jo Bartlett, was 16 years old on Nov. 2, 1950, when the telegram arrived alerting the family that her second-oldest brother was missing in action. All these years, she held onto to his World War II dog tags and prayed for his safe return. Her parents and other two brothers have since died. In June, military officials identified some bones from the North Korean farm field as ones from the right side of her brother's body. After they were discovered in 1997, the remains were taken to a military DNA testing facility in Hawaii in 2000. The military also found his Korean War dog tags. He is buried next to his Mom and Dad.
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