HASTINGS, Fla — After his remains were identified in June, Lt. j.g. Ralph Cornelius Dupont, a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II, will be laid to rest with full military honors Sunday in Hastings, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Dupont, who joined the Navy in Florida, served in Fighter Squadron 18 (VF-18) during WWII, SJSO said.

On Oct. 12, 1944, Dupont piloted an F6F-5 Hellcat during the first day of the major strike against Formosa (present-day Taiwan). The carrier planes encountered several enemy fighters over the target and three of the F65 aircrafts were shot down, SJSO said.

During post-war searches, SJSO said Dupont was not accounted for, as he was eventually declared "non-recoverable."

But in 2023, SJSO said Dupont's family shared research with the Defense

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