The remains of Capt. George W. Grismore, an airman missing in action since 1944, have been identified and returned to his family, the Defense Department announced. A native of Salt Lake City, Grismore will be buried at sea with full military honors on Wednesday off the coast of Newport Beach, Calif., following a memorial service in his home city. On March 12, 1944, Grismore was one of six crewmen aboard a C-47 Skytrain that departed Tanauan Airfield on the Philippine Island of Leyte to resupply guerilla troops. The aircraft never returned. The Philippine National Police notified the US government of the aircraft’s discovery and human remains in 1989. In 2009, forensic DNA testing of recovered artifacts led to Grismore’s identification. He was 30 years old at the time of his death.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.