FORT THOMAS, Ky. — The remains of U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Joe A. De Jarnette, a Fort Thomas native killed during World War II, will be interred Saturday, April 26, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Erlanger, Kentucky.
Graveside services will be conducted by Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home in Bellevue, Kentucky.
De Jarnette, 24, was assigned to the 732nd Bombardment Squadron, 453rd Bombardment Group, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force. He was killed in action on April 8, 1944, when the B-24H Liberator bomber he was piloting was shot down by enemy aircraft during a mission over Brunswick, Germany.
His remains were recovered from the crash site between 2021 and 2023 and officially identified on June 20, 2024, by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
The U.S. Army Human Resources Command’s Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, based at Fort Knox, played a key role in the identification process. The branch works to locate family members of service members still missing from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The identification process involves locating the primary next of kin and requesting a DNA sample for comparison. Once identification is confirmed by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the family is notified and briefed on historical, forensic and DNA findings, along with burial and benefits information.
Funeral services will be 10-11 a.m. Saturday at Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
De Jarnette will be laid to rest immediately following the memorial service with full military honors at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Erlanger, Kentucky.
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