Long lost veteran laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery | 7News Salutes

ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — Arlington National Cemetery averages about 30 funerals a day. Recently, it hosted a very special ceremony that a family has waited decades to attend.

Across these hallowed hills, thousands of marble headstones stand sentry, silently sharing stories of heroism.

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One family has long hoped their loved one could be added to these ranks, but his story was incomplete until now.

“I’m feeling joyous, honestly, Uncle Frank is home,” said niece Phyllis Del Mastro.

Frank Tedone, a 23-year-old Army Air Force Staff Sergeant, was a gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator named ‘Apocalypse.’

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On December 1st 1943 Tedone’s aircraft was in a bombing mission from Panagarh, India to the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, Burma.

After reaching the target, Tedone’s plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing the left wing to burst into flames.

Witnesses described seeing the ‘Apocalypse’ enter a steep dive and disappear below the clouds while three enemy aircraft were in pursuit.

No further contact was made with the plane.

“Our grandmother took this particularly badly and she chose not to discuss anything having to do with Frank,” said Tedone’s nephew Bob Digennaro. “But our grandfather would take us aside from time to time and he would tell us stories about Frank and this is how we know Frank.”

After the war, the US government recovered remains from a crash site that were believed to be from the 8 crewmen on board, but they couldn’t be identified.

Locals said there were no survivors and the Japanese had ordered local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves.

So they were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific for decades. But in 2024, after more than 80 years, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency used DNA technology to identify Tedone.

“We’ve heard the stories of Uncle Frank, we’ve seen the medals and stories about him in the paper and all, so we’ve been waiting, waiting to find him,” said Del Mastro.

Family members, most of whom he’d never met, came from around the country to watch a funeral befitting of a hero.

“We’re so thankful to the Army for keeping their oath to leave no man behind,” said Del Mastro.

“I just pray that they will continue this practice and it means so much to the families that have lost their loved ones, particularly when they don’t return home,” said Digennaro.

Now Tedone’s story is complete, and he and his family can be at peace.

Del Mastro has encouragement for other military families who are still waiting for their loved ones to go home.

“There is hope in this world. There really is. And there are good people out there trying to take care of other good people,” said Del Mastro.