EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com)—
The remains of a Korean War veteran have been positively identified as that of Pfc. Green Finley, Jr. of East St. Louis. His last living immediate family member is his sister, Dolga Ross, who recalled her brother wanted to serve his country."He wanted to go and my mother signed for him to go in," said Ross.
"We knew that this day was coming," said Mary Ross, Finley's niece.
She never gave up hope of finding out what happened to her uncle.
"I'm very proud of him," she said.
Army records show Finley was captured by enemy forces and died of pneumonia in 1951. In 1993 North Korea turned over the remains of several POW's to a United Nations Command. Finley's family recently submitted DNA samples and that's how the match was finally made. Dental records confirmed his identity and now his remains are back home.
"To have his family as well as his community not know what had happened to him all these years its just kind of a remarkable story," said Carl Officer.
The longtime funeral home owner has never seen a case like this before.
"Whether it's a cremated remains or a grave we have something tangible to touch. Now they've got something tangible to touch," he said
Finley's family hopes their long and painful journey will show the families of other POW's there is reason to hold out hope.
"I would tell anybody don't give up hope on their family because they can make it too," said Mary Ross.
A funeral will be held at Noon on Friday, November 20th at Officer Funeral Home at 2114 Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis. Pfc. Green Finley will be buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery after the funeral.
