World War II Airman Finally Returns Home After 81 Years

PRESS RELEASE

After more than eight decades of uncertainty, Second Lieutenant Milton L. Hymes, Jr. is finally coming home. The long-lost U.S. Army Air Forces navigator, missing in action since World War II, will be laid to rest with full military honors on Friday, July 18, at Savannah’s historic Bonaventure Cemetery—just steps from the family and city he left behind. A native of Savannah and member of Congregation Mickve Israel, Lt. Hymes was just 22 years old when his B-24J Liberator disappeared during a bombing mission to Germany on June 20, 1944. Assigned to the 389th Bombardment Group, 565th Squadron, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing of the Eighth Air Force, Hymes served as navigator aboard a Liberator that tragically collided with another B-24 mid-mission. The aircraft went down in the Baltic Sea, and all aboard were presumed lost. Lt. Hymes’ name was later inscribed on the Wall of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England.

For decades, the Hymes family had no answers—only grief and the heavy silence that followed a wartime telegram. But in 2019, hope was rekindled when Danish divers discovered the wreckage of the downed B-24 just two miles off the southern coast of Denmark. Between 2022 and 2024, recovery efforts led by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) resulted in the identification of Lt. Hymes’ remains through DNA and forensic analysis.

Born to Milton L. Hymes, Sr. and Georgia H. Hymes, Lt. Hymes was one of four children, and was dearly loved by his three sisters: Jean Hymes Pittman, Comer Hymes Gay, and Natalie Hymes DeLettre. The Hymes women endured a double tragedy—first losing Milton Sr. in 1942 after a prolonged illness, and then receiving no further word on the fate of their son and brother. Though they passed without answers, their descendants remained determined to honor their memory and bring Lt. Hymes home.

“This homecoming is very emotional for us,” said a family spokesperson. “We were determined to bring our Uncle Milton back to Savannah—to provide closure, to honor his sacrifice, and to lay him to rest beside his mother. Though our mothers and grandmother never lived to see this day, their devotion lives on in us. This homecoming is for them, too.” Lt. Hymes is survived by the children of his three sisters and their spouses, including Ira, Milton, and Donald Pittman; Milton Gay and Barbara Margulis; and Debbie Ray, Dewey, Danny, and David DeLettre. Many great-nieces and nephews also gathered in Savannah to witness the return of a hero they never met, but whose legacy shaped their lives.

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, Georgia, played a critical role in the process, providing both support and historical context for the Hymes family. In recognition of their uncle’s service, the family has donated his wartime medals, photographs, and personal items—including the telegram that first notified the family of his missing status—to the museum. These artifacts will form part of an upcoming exhibit, Service Above Self, which will honor the sacrifice of the Eighth Air Force airmen who lost their lives in WWII.

“The Hymes family thanks the U.S. Army, the DPAA, and the Mighty Eighth Museum for their extraordinary commitment to honoring Uncle Milton and all those who never came home,” the family said in a statement. “We hope his story will inspire others to remember the courage and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation.”