Remains of Tennessee sailor killed in Vietnam War identified

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The remains of a Tennessee sailor who went missing during the Vietnam War have been identified.

The Tennessean reports a funeral for Lt. Richard C. “Tito” Lannom of Union City will be held March 2, decades after the 27-year-old went missing aboard an A-6A aircraft during a night mission in North Vietnam in 1968.

The Tennessee Dept. of Veteran Services says a team excavated a crash site on Tra Ban Island from October to December 2017. The team recovered enough remains to share with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. DNA and evidence found at the crash site were used to identify Lannom.

Gov. Bill Lee declared a day of mourning from sunrise to sunset March 2 in honor of Lannom’s ultimate sacrifice.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com