WASHINGTON – Newly identified remains of three U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.
All three men died Feb. 6, 1969, when their UH-1H Huey helicopter crashed in bad weather in Quang Tri province. They are Capt. Ronald D. Briggs of Philadelphia; Sgt. 1st Class Robert C. O'Hara of Lost Nation, Iowa; and Maj. David E. Padgett of Washington, Ind.
The remains were recovered during search missions in 1993, 1995 and 1996 that found the crash site and residents who had remains and artifacts from the crash, a Defense Department statement said.
The remains were identified through mitochondrial DNA testing and dental records. The remains of three other servicemen killed in the crash were identified earlier.
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