On Thursday evening at BWI Airport, Private First-Class James Roosevelt Heigh returned to American soil for the first time in more than 80 years.
'We never forget': Fallen U.S. Army soldier missing since WWII returns home to Maryland
The Calvert County native enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and was reported missing in action in Italy in 1945. He was 24 years old.
Heigh has since been awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his sacrifice.
For decades, he had no final resting place — until recently, when his remains were found and identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
"There is a group of people always working to repatriate the remains, working with the countries where we had the fallen," Major General Janeen Birckhead, Adjutant General of Maryland, said. "And then once they come back in the country, that we meet them and give the proper respect that we should give to our fallen heroes."
That includes reaching out to any living family members.
At the time of his death, Heigh was married to a woman named Henrietta, and they had a daughter, Pauline. Her son, David Matthews, received an email from the military.
When asked about his reaction to reading that message, Matthews said, "I got another grandfather."
Henrietta remarried, so he grew up knowing another man as his grandfather. When that man passed in 2016, Matthews learned about James Heigh for the first time.
"It's kind of surreal, it's like you see movies about these situations or hear stories about these situations, but you never think it'll happen to you. It's a lot, and this ball has rolled pretty quickly," Matthews said.
Maryland Patriot Guard Riders escorted Matthews to Gate A3, so that with his wife, father-in-law and aunts by his side, Matthews could meet his grandfather for the first time.
"It's really prideful, it makes me proud just to know that I'm a small part of something so historical," Matthews said. "My mother was 3 when he was killed in action; it's just an honor to bring home a hero."
As a Southwest Airlines plane taxied in, passengers on the plane and in the airport were informed about the dignified transfer, many holding a hand to their heart or saluting to honor Private Heigh.
"The World War II heroes are the greatest generation; they're the ones that made this country what it is today," Bryan Stiers, State Captain of the Maryland Patriot Guard, said. "It opens your heart to be here, to be on the tarmac, to welcome him home and be one of the first to be here for him."
These dignified transfers happen all the time, but there aren't always family members here to witness it. Major General Birckhead says that's what makes this so special.
"We never forget our fallen, we don't leave anyone behind, and even after the war is long over and maybe WWII is far in your memory, then we bring home a fallen comrade, and we can remember how important it is to honor our war heroes," Birckhead said.
The Army Honor Guard carried Heigh's remains from the plane to a hearse. He will now finally be laid to rest at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery. He will also be honored in this year's Memorial Day Ceremony at Dulaney Valley.
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