‘Welcome Home, Soldier’: Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey Laid to Rest in New York After Eight Decades

After more than 80 years of uncertainty, the family of U.S. Army Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey is finally able to welcome him home. Assemblyman Robert Smullen joined the Boonville, New York, community earlier this month in honoring the fallen World War II soldier whose remains were buried in a mass grave following his death as a prisoner of war in 1942.

Pvt. Hennessey was one of 10 Americans laid to rest in Common Grave 704 after succumbing to disease and malnutrition in a Japanese POW camp. For decades, his family carried the heavy question of whether he would ever be identified. In 2018, that question began to find an answer, when forensic scientists using advanced DNA analysis confirmed his remains. On April 15, 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) officially announced that Pvt. Hennessey had been accounted for, making his long-awaited return to Oneida County possible.

Smullen, a retired U.S. Marine with 24 years of service, called the moment nothing short of a miracle. “Seeing a fallen serviceman be identified and delivered home after eight decades of the unknown is truly inspiring,” he said. “For those killed on active duty, it means the world to their families and loved ones to have their remains retrieved and returned home. My heart goes out to the family of Pvt. Hennessey—it is my hope they have found much-needed peace in knowing he is finally coming home.”

Hennessey’s name has long been remembered in Boonville. The Harland J. Hennessey VFW Post 5538 stands as a tribute to his sacrifice, ensuring that even in the absence of his remains, his service was never forgotten. Now, his return closes a painful chapter for his loved ones and the community that has honored him for generations.

The homecoming is also a reminder of the larger mission still underway. While Pvt. Hennessey is finally home, more than 81,000 American service members remain unaccounted for from past conflicts. The DPAA and related agencies—working with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, the American Graves Registration Service, and the American Battle Monuments Commission—continue their painstaking work to identify and repatriate the fallen. In the last fiscal year alone, 172 service members were identified and returned to their families.

This mission, though rooted in modern science, is part of a legacy stretching back more than a century. During World War I and World War II, the U.S. Army Quartermaster’s Graves Registration Service was tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Soldiers in these units worked under harrowing conditions, ensuring that even amid the chaos of battle, their fallen comrades were treated with dignity and respect. Their work laid the foundation for today’s efforts, where DNA analysis, historical research, and global partnerships come together to give families long-denied answers.

By the end of World War II, more than 170,000 Americans had been repatriated from temporary cemeteries overseas, while others were permanently interred at American military cemeteries abroad maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. These sacred grounds, stretching from Italy to France to the Philippines, stand as solemn reminders of the cost of freedom and the enduring duty to honor the fallen.

That duty has not diminished with time. As Smullen noted, the peace that comes with bringing a loved one home cannot be overstated. For the families of those still missing, the work of the DPAA is a lifeline of hope. For communities like Boonville, Pvt. Hennessey’s return is not only the closing of an 80-year chapter but also a testament to America’s commitment: no matter how much time passes, the nation will not forget.

In welcoming Pvt. Harland J. Hennessey home, New York pays tribute not only to one man but to every soldier who gave their life in service to their country, known or unknown. His return is a reminder that while war leaves scars across generations, the promise to remember, honor, and bring home the fallen endures.