ALBANY – The remains of a U.S. Marine from New York City have been identified from among the remains of 36 American World War II servicemen found buried on a Pacific island, the Pentagon announced Monday.
The remains of Pfc. James P. Reilly have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial, military officials said.
The 20-year-old from Queens was among the more than 500 Marines and sailors listed as missing in action after the three-day battle for the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa in November 1943. About 1,000 Marines were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded.
In June, the Florida-based nonprofit organization Honor Flight announced it had found the burial site of what were believed to be 36 Marines. The remains were turned over to the military for identification.
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