Melting snows uncovered the remains of 17 of the 52 U.S. service members who died in a crash outside Anchorage in 1952 and they have now been recovered and identified.
The crash site was rediscovered two years ago, and testing has confirmed the identities.
The Department of Defense on Wednesday said the remains of the 17 service members killed in the crash of the C-124A Globemaster will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
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The plane crashed while en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, from McChord Air Force Base, Washington. The wreckage was spotted soon after the heavy transport plane vanished Nov. 22, 1952, with 41 passengers and 11 crew members onboard, but it became buried in snow.
The Alaska National Guard discovered the wreckage in June 2012 on Colony Glacier, about 40 miles east of Anchorage.
The remaining 35 service members have not yet been recovered.
The Department of Defense has released names and ranks for the service members, but not hometowns. Identified by military branch were:
U.S. Army: Lt. Col. Lawrence S. Singleton, Pvt. James Green Jr., and Pvt. Leonard A. Kittle
U.S. Marine Corps: Maj. Earl J. Stearns
U.S. Navy: Cmdr. Albert J. Seeboth
U.S. Air Force: Col. Noel E. Hoblit, Col. Eugene Smith, Capt. Robert W. Turnbull, 1st Lt. Donald Sheda, 1st Lt. William L. Turner, Tech. Sgt. Engolf W. Hagen, Staff Sgt. James H. Ray, Airman 1st Class Marion E. Hooton, Airman 2nd Class Carroll R. Dyer, Airman 2nd Class Thomas S. Lyons, Airman 2nd Class Thomas C. Thigpen, and Airman 3rd Class Howard E. Martin
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