Defense Department forensic scientists identified the remains of Lt. Col. Robert E. Pietsch, 31, of Pittsburgh, and Maj. Louis F. Guillermin, 25, of West Chester, Pa., two airmen missing in action since the Vietnam War, announced the Pentagon. DOD officials are returning Pietsch’s and Guillermin’s remains to their families for burial with full military honors. Guillermin’s individual remains will be buried on Saturday in Broomall, Pa., according to DOD’s Sept. 30 release. The remains corresponding to both airmen, but not individually identified, will be interred on Oct. 16 in a single casket at Arlington National Cemetery. Guillermin and Pietsch went missing on April 30, 1968, during an armed reconnaissance mission when their A-26A Invader crashed in Savannakhet province, Laos. Between 1994 and 2006, joint US-Lao teams visited the crash site, recovering human remains, personal effects, and crew-related equipment that led to the identification of these airmen.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.