MELBOURNE, Dec. 17 The body of an Australian soldier killed in Vietnam in 1971 was on the way home to Melbourne after more than 35 years.
Lance Cpl. John Gillspie, a 24-year-old Army medic, was killed when his helicopter was shot down during a medical evacuation in Vietnam, the Australian Broadcast Corp. reported Monday.
His remains and the rest of the helicopter's passengers were believed to have been consumed in an ensuing blaze, but an excavation of the crash site discovered Gillespie's remains.
His widow and daughter were at Hanoi Airport as his casket was carried to a waiting airplane.
Gillespie had been listed as missing in action until an Australian recovery team, tipped off by former Viet Cong guerrillas, excavated his remains last month.
"We have waited a long time since the war for an opportunity to come back and find these missing Australians, in this case, for someone who died more than 35 years ago," said Brian Manns, leader of the Australian recovery team.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
