Half-century of waiting ends

[douglas9]

Linda Sanders said her generation always had a single standing order from the older members of the family — "Bring Pat home."

On Thursday, that mission was accomplished after nearly 50 years when an urn containing the remains of Lt. Commander William Patrick Egan was handed to his widow on the steps of a funeral home in Webster.

"He's finally home," Sanders, of La Porte, said of her beloved uncle. "Our family is back together. We're complete."

Egan, who was born and grew up in Houston, was shot down April 19, 1966, while bombing targets in Laos. The crash site was eventually located, but his whereabouts remained a mystery. A DNA sample Sanders provided about 10 years ago was a near-perfect match for bone fragments a farmer in Laos turned over to U.S. officials in late 2009.

"I've been waiting for them to find him all these years," said Anne Egan, cradling his urn. A burial for the Navy pilot is scheduled for Saturday.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7654294.html

[PoliticAverse]

1. I'm glad this family finally got closure. n/t

[Historic NY]

2. Welcome Home LCDR Egan.