The stays of a California airman killed throughout World Conflict II have been recognized greater than eight many years after his B-24 bomber was shot down over Italy.
Military Air Power Sgt. Adolph P. Aguirre was simply 21 years outdated when his airplane went down on Aug. 16, 1943, whereas coming back from a mission, in accordance with his obituary.
Now, 82 years later, his household lastly has solutions and is making ready to put him to relaxation later this month in Exeter, in Tulare County.
Aguirre might be buried subsequent to his mother and father at Exeter District Cemetery.
Born in Visalia on Oct. 29, 1921, to Mari Pimentel and Margarito Aguirre, Aguirre graduated from Exeter Union Excessive Faculty in 1941 and enlisted within the navy the next yr, in accordance with his obituary.
He was often known as “Pancho” and was affectionately referred to as “Chico” by his household. His obituary begins with the road, “Welcome Dwelling Sergeant Aguirre!”
The pilot was serving as a radio operator and gunner aboard a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber when the plane was shot down over Italy.
Aguirre served with distinction, incomes the Purple Coronary heart and Air Medal.
His mother and father knew their son was lacking however didn’t know what had occurred to him. In response to his obituary, they acquired a telegram notifying them that he was lacking after the airplane went down.
For many years, his destiny remained unresolved.
That started to vary in 2021, when the U.S. Military reopened the case involving stays that had beforehand been recovered in Italy and relocated from Lacedonia to Naples.
Aguirre’s cousin, Juan Aguirre, performed a key function within the yearslong effort to find out whether or not these stays belonged to his relative.
In Might 2022, the US Military Human Assets Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, requested Juan Aguirre to supply a DNA pattern that might be used within the identification course of.
The stays have been finally exhumed from a cemetery in Naples and delivered to a U.S. laboratory for examination. Investigators primarily used DNA evaluation in an effort to determine them.
The method continued for years. In February 2025, Juan Aguirre and different family members attended a gathering with the Protection POW/MIA Accounting Company in Sacramento, the company chargeable for accounting for lacking US service members.
Juan’s son, Julian, offered a further DNA pattern in hopes of giving investigators a extra exact genetic comparability.
In Might 2026, Aguirre’s household lastly acquired the information they’d waited a lot time to listen to: Aguirre had been recognized.On June 16, in addition they discovered that Aguirre could be returning to California.
Greater than eight many years after his mother and father have been advised their son was lacking in motion, Aguirre will now be laid to relaxation beside them.
In response to his obituary, the general public is invited to attend the providers.
A visitation might be held Sept. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Exeter Memorial Constructing, 324 N. Kaweah Ave.
A graveside service will happen Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. at Exeter District Cemetery, 719 E. Marinette Ave., adopted by a reception on the Exeter Memorial Constructing.
