Charles Carlson: WWII Pilot's Remains From 1944 Identified

The remains of Charles E. Carlson, a World War II pilot from New York City, have been identified after Carlson was killed in combat in 1944.

The Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Monday the remains of Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson, of Queens, have been identified after being found last year by History Flight, a private Florida-based group, The Associated Press reported.

Military officials say Carlson was the 24-year-old pilot of a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter that was shot down near Bonn, Germany, during a dog fight with German planes Dec. 23, 1944.

German officials reported burying Carlson's remains at the crash site, but post-war efforts to find them were unsuccessful until his case was reopened in 2008.

Carlson's remains will be buried Friday at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

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