MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — A WWII airman was buried on Friday in Marana about 80 years after he was killed in action in December of 1943.
Technical Sergeant Harold Lynn Seifreid was laid to rest at the Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Marana surrounded by some family and members of the community.
His remains were not identified after the war and he had been declared missing in action until recently.
Chaplain Keith Saare said, “Eventually our government was able to identify the remains thanks to the technology that has been developed since the time of the crash.”
DNA matches from his family helped in identifying his remains.
“When I was approached with a request to supply a DNA sample to aid the efforts to find my long lost uncle’s remains, I was a willing participant,” said his niece, Joanne Lowry.
Marleen Seifreid says while she never met her Uncle Howie, she knows he was a jokester and always wanted to put a smile on everyone’s face. She said the service was such an honor. “I thank everyone involved, everyone that’s here today," Seifreid said. "Looking forward to coming to visit.”
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
