Remains of MIA Korean War veteran return to MN after 74 years

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Escorted onto the tarmac at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, this is the moment Virginia Bouvette and her family have spent 74 years waiting for.

"It's been a long, long process, a couple of years to get us to this point," says Virginia. 

On a plane from Honolulu, the flag-draped coffin containing the remains of U.S. Army Cpl. William E. Colby, or "Billy", as Virginia knew her long-lost cousin. At 84 years old, she is the last living member of her family with any memory of Billy. Virginia was a 9-year-old girl the last time she saw him.  

"As I got older, then I would hear them all talking that he was missing in action, and my aunt, oh, she would look at every tea-leaf reader and go to every psychic, and they'd all tell her that he was alive," says Virginia. "So she thought right up until the day she died, that he was alive somewhere."

Billy's service in the Korean War

When Billy joined the army at 17 years old, he became a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Dec. 2, 1950, at age 19, just months into the three-year Korean War. His unit was attacked by Chinese People’s Army Forces as tens of thousands attempted to withdraw near the Chosin Reservoir, a location that's now current-day North Korea. The conflict had so many casualties caused by harsh, frigid conditions as well as combat that the department of defense made a documentary about it. 

"We were retreating in that battle, and so because we lost ground and the area is today in North Korea, we haven't been able to go in and retrieve the remains," says Army Chaplin Lt. Col. Matthew Madison. "It was a very chaotic battle, and many, many of our soldiers, we suspected they were dead."

Absent evidence of Billy's survival, the U.S. Army presumed him dead in December 1953. But Virginia says his mother agonized the rest of her life, and never got closure.

"She missed him so much, it was her only child. And she just, you know, she just knew he was someplace, but she didn't know where," Virginia said.

Family DNA testing

Decades passed, and at some point, two of Billy's aunts attended military Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing In Action (MIA) events. As technology advanced, they offered their DNA for testing, in hopes of finding a match. As those aunts passed on, Virginia became the senior family member. 

"It's unbelievable that this can happen nowadays," Virginia said.

The pieces of this family puzzle started to fall into place more quickly following a summit between Kim Jong Un and then-President Donald Trump in 2018. North Korea turned over 55 boxes, reportedly containing the remains of American service members. Scientists were able to match a single bone with the DNA collected from Billy's late aunts years prior. For a few more years, Virginia ignored calls from the Department of Defense, until she was convinced it wasn't all a scam. Within the past few weeks, with the help of her daughter and close family, long-awaited funeral plans could be made. 

Paying respects

On Tuesday, exactly 74 years plus one day since he went missing, Virginia, her daughter, nephews and their spouses were able to pay their respects, acknowledge Billy's medals, place a family photo with his remains, and bring closure to a family mystery that has lasted a generation. 

"Now we're going to bring Billy home. After all these years, for my Aunt Mocky, he's coming home," says Virginia. "I don't want his ashes lying around anywhere. I want him out with the rest of his people out at the cemetery."

During the burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, it was not lost on anyone the massive effort far beyond the small group in attendance it took to get to this moment. Ultimately, hundreds of people play a role in bringing a service member home. 

To date, scientists have determined more than 200 separate people were represented among the 55 boxes of remains. There are 93 American service members who have now been identified among them, including Billy. 

"We’re all brothers and sisters, so, yeah, it's really an honor to serve and to carry on the tradition, and to honor those that went through far worse than I will ever imagine," says SFC Kayla Freeman.

Forever grateful, Virginia says as much as this was for Billy, this was also very much for his mother. May she finally rest in peace, along with her only son.

"I'm so glad I’m still here to do it for her," Virginia said.