Pilot remembered 67 years later

LONG ISLAND More than 65-years ago, an Army pilot disappeared overseas and his remains have now been identified. The family of Joseph Auld has spent the last 50 Memorial Days could not properly memorialize him because the Government had not officially said he had been killed in action.

Finally, on this Memorial Day the family got the proclamation.

Army pilot Auld went down over Burma in 1944. It took more than 60 years for searchers in Myanmar to locate his plane and remains of what was believed to be his body. DNA confirmed the remains over the last year.

Monday, Auld's only surviving family member, 88-year-old Helen McGowan, received a proclamation signed by President Obama recognizing Auld's service, 67 years later.

"It's a great day for us, and I'm very thankful to everyone that's been so nice to us," said McGowan.

For years, Lt. Auld has aready been presumed dead and his name actually already appears on a plaque memorializing FP's native sons. But his family finally has closure. And it turns out, it's pretty bittersweet.