Staff Sgt. Byron Nelson, an airman with the Iowa National Guard, is finally returning home — more than 73 years after being shot down on a bombing mission during World War II, the Iowa National Guard said in a press release.

Nelson served with the 721st Bomber Squadron, 450th Bomber Group, 15th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Corps, and was last seen April 25, 1944, over Varese, Italy, when he and nine other crew members were shot down, according to the release.

Nelson and Sgt. John White were officially declared dead, while two others were taken as prisoners of war by German forces. The remaining six crew members evaded capture and returned to friendly lines.

Nelson's remains were dug up by the American Graves Registration Service in a cemetery near Fognano, Italy — where it is believed locals had buried him after the crash — but he was never identified. Instead, his remains were classified as "Unknown X-190" and buried in the Florence American Cemetery in Italy on May 26, 1949.

After a new historical investigation and the use of new technology, Unknown X-190 was identified as Nelson when he was disinterred in August 2015 by the Defense Department's POW/MIA Accounting Agency and a DNA analysis was conducted, said the release.

Nelson was the recipient of the Purple Heart, Air Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze service star, World War II Victory Medal, Enlisted Aircrew Member Wings and Aerial Gunner Badge Wings.

According to the Iowa National Guard, a memorial service will be held for Nelson at 1:30 p.m. July 1 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Iowa.

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