Montana National Guard Brings Lost WWII Soldier Home

Soldiers assigned to the Montana Army National Guard Honor Guard carry the casket of Pvt. Henry Bordner from a Lockheed C-130 Hercules to a waiting hearse during a dignified transfer at Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Mont., April 15, 2026. Bordner, a World War II Soldier and former prisoner of war who endured the Bataan Death March, was officially accounted for in 2025 by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, ending decades of uncertainty and fulfilling a promise made generations ago. (U.S. Army National Guard/Daniel Temme) Military.com | By Kevin Damask Published April 24, 2026 at 3:00am ET After 80 years, with help from the Air Force, Henry Bordner finally returned to Montana.  

On April 15, an airman with the 120th Airlift Wing at Great Falls Air National Guard Base, transported the remains of Army Pvt. Henry David Bordner to Montana, where he will be buried in Butte, his hometown. 

Bordner endured a great deal before he died. Serving in the Pacific, he was captured by Japanese forces, becoming a prisoner of war (POW). He was forced to take part in the brutal Bataan Death March. After his death in captivity, Bordner’s remains went unidentified for decades until finally being accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on April 2, 2025.  

“This mission represents something bigger than a single flight,” said Col. John Salotti, 120th Operations Group commander. “It reflects our nation’s unwavering commitment to never leave a service member behind and to bring every one of them home.” 

Bordner’s remains were brought home by a C-130H aircraft. Known for its swift mobility and combat readiness, it took on a different mission in Montana. 

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Source: Military.com
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