Missing New York WWII Airman Finally Returns Home After 80 Years

The remains of a missing World War II airman from Upstate New York have finally been identified and brought home.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that the remains of World War II Airman Lt. Joseph L. Burke have returned home to New York, 80 years after his death.

Remains Of Upstate New York Army Air Corps LT Returned After 80 Years

Lt. Burke served in the U.S. Army Air Corps when he was listed as missing and presumed dead. He was buried as an unknown soldier with 431 other prisoners of war at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, until 2025, when his remains were disinterred and identified using DNA samples provided by his family.

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“It is a great honor to welcome home a New Yorker who fought and died for our country and the freedom and rights we have today,” Hochul said.

What Happened To 2nd Lt. Joseph Leroy “Roy” Burke

Joseph Leroy “Roy” Burke was born in Troy, New York, in February 1914. He joined the second-ever class at Siena College in 1938 before enrolling in a federal learn-to-fly program at the Albany Airport.

In the fall of 1940, Burke joined the Army Air Corps as a cadet pilot. When Japanese forces bombarded and invaded Corregidor on May 5, 1942, Burke was among the 11,000 Americans and Filipinos who surrendered the following day.

He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese and held in a POW camp. In 1944, Japan began shipping U.S. prisoners to Japan for forced labor.

Burke was one of 1,600 men crowded onto an unmarked transport ship. U.S. Navy planes, unaware of the prisoners on board, sank the vessel.

“A member of the greatest generation, Lt. Burke defended our country and fought off fascism and tyranny to ensure a better life for the generations that would follow. Today we honor these sacrifices as Lt. Burke returns to the place he called home," Hochul added.