Army Corporal Donald L. Menken was laid to rest on May 14 in Kentucky. He was serving in the Korean War when he went missing. They declared him killed in action, but his remains were never identified until this year.

Now, his family has a chance to say goodbye properly.

His sister, Marie Menken-Hinerman, last saw him in 1951 before he was deployed to fight in the Korean War. She reflected back on memories with him while looking at his picture with her daughter.

“He was just 21 years old and had so much life left to live,” Menken-Hinerman said.

Now, she is 98 years old. He would have turned 90 this year.

“He was a real sweetheart. Real friendly, outgoing, loved life and loved his family,” Menken-Hinerman said.

She remembers how her mother felt when they found out he was missing in action.

“She grieved until she died,” said Menken-Hinerman.

It was June 10 in 1953 when the outpost that Menken’s unit was defending was attacked. He was killed.

Months later, remains were recovered, but couldn’t be identified until this year.

“I have mixed feelings,” said Menken-Hinerman. “I mean, we have closure after almost 70 years, but now it’s very fresh in my mind again.”

But she is glad his remains are back home in Kentucky, where she willl be able to say goodbye. And she hopes her family’s journey to this point will offer hope for others.

“There’s still a lot of them that haven’t been identified and are missing, and I can really associate with their families because I know how they feel,” Menken-Hinerman said.

The grief is not gone for Menken-Hinerman, but her brother — a hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice — is finally back home.

Menken’s remains were part of a project by the Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Agency. The project seeked to identify 652 Korean War unknown burials in 2018.