The remains of 1st Lt. Ray F. Fletcher, an airman from Westborough, Mass., missing in action since 1944, have been identified and returned to his family, Defense Department officials announced Tuesday. He will be buried with full military honors on Friday in Burlington, Vt. Fletcher was among a crew of five that took off from Corsica on May 10, 1944, in a B-25C bomber on a routine courier mission across the island. The aircraft never reached its destination and was subsequently reported missing. In May 1989, Corsican authorities turned over human remains collected from a mountainous location on the island. The handover of more remains followed about 15 years later. A DOD team excavated the location in September 2005 and found additional human remains and crew-related equipment that led to Fletcher’s identification.
The Air Force Historical Foundation has recognized two Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber wings among the winners of its 2025-2026 prestigious annual awards, selecting both for their part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the daring raid on Iran’s fortified nuclear weapons sites.
