Remains of WWII Veteran Will Be Returned After 80 Years

NEED TO KNOW

The remains of a WWII soldier who died more than 80 years ago will finally be laid to rest

Blanchard Pruitt of Florien, La., was just 19 years old when he died in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines in 1943

Blanchard will be buried next to his mother in his home state of Louisiana

The remains of a young WWII veteran who died over 80 years ago will finally be returned home.

U.S. Army Pvt. Blanchard Pruitt of Florien, La., was 19 years old when he died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Philippines on Jan. 1, 1943, per a press release from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). His remains were identified in March, and he will be buried in Louisiana in September.

Blanchard was the second-eldest of eight siblings, and his family had been working to f