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NEEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A World War II soldier, from Needham, never returned home after dying in 1943. But, his remains weren't discovered until recently. Now, he's returned home.
A service was held Saturday morning for 1st Lt. Joseph Finneran at Mt. Benedict Cemetery in West Roxbury.
Finnerman was killed after his B-24 plane was shot out of the sky during Operation Tidal Wave, where oil refineries in Ploiești, Romania were bombed in August of 1943. This launched a decades long investigation to find his remains.
At the time, the remains of only 27 Americans were accounted for. Finneran's remains were finally identified in August of 2019.
"It really is hard to put into words. The whole experience since last Friday when he came into Logan. And the people in Needham waving flags," Finneran's nephew, Bill Glennon, said. "Last night we met some incredible people at the wake. We met a man whose father was on the same mission and actually saw my uncle's plane go down."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kevin Coleman (@KevinColemanWBZ) reports
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