WESTFIELD, Mass. – A Marine killed in World War II in the Pacific battle of Tarawa has been buried in his Massachusetts hometown.
Capt. Richard Vincent's remains arrived by plane in Connecticut on Wednesday and were taken to Westfield, Massachusetts, for burial on Thursday. Vincent was reported killed in action 71 years ago, but his remains weren't identified until last October.
Firtion-Adams Funeral Service director Jim Adams tells Connecticut's The Hartford Courant newspaper (http://cour.at/1CeF5Qa ) Vincent's remains and dog tags were discovered during construction at Tarawa's airport. Vincent had been in a mass grave with the remains of more than 500 other Marines.
His coffin was escorted to Westfield by Marines, Massachusetts state police and local military veterans.
Vincent has no local survivors. But relatives from Colorado and Texas attended his service Thursday. He was buried alongside his parents.
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