The remains of Maj. James E. Sizemore of Lawrenceville, Ill., and Maj. Howard V. Andre Jr., of Memphis, Tenn., were laid to rest with full military honors on Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., according to the cemetery’s website. The burials took place four days after the Pentagon announced that Department Defense forensic scientists had identified the remains of these two airmen, who had been missing in action since the Vietnam War. On July 8, 1969, Sizemore and Andre died in the crash of their A-26A Invader in Xiangkhoang province, Laos, during a night armed reconnaissance mission, according to DOD’s release. In 1993, a joint US-Lao team investigated the crash site and recovered aircraft wreckage. Twice in 2010, joint teams excavated the site, recovering human remains, aircraft wreckage, personal effects, and military equipment associated with Sizemore and Andre, states the release.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…