Lake Ronkonkoma native William Thomas Cleary was flying a mission near Italy in 1944 during World War II when the Nazis shot down his B-17 bomber and it crashed into the Adriatic Sea.

The 21-year-old and nine other soldiers aboard were killed. Cleary’s body was never recovered. He never had a funeral.

Until now.

After working for years with military officials to honor his death, the head of the Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association succeeded in getting permission to conduct services for Cleary with full military honors.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

A Lake Ronkonkoma man killed in World War II finally got his funeral on Wednesday, 81 years after his death.

William Thomas Cleary , a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Force, died when his B-17 was shot down by the Nazis in 1944 over the Adriatic Se

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