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BUTTE, Mont. — More than eight decades after he died in captivity during World War II, the remains of U.S. Army Pvt. Harry David Bordner returned to his hometown Monday aboard a 120th Airlift Wing C-130H, where he will be laid to rest with full military honors.
Airmen from the Montana Air National Guard conducted the April 15 transport mission, concluding a long effort to identify the Butte native, who served with the 194th Tank Battalion in the Philippines. Bordner was captured after the fall of Bataan in 1942, endured the Bataan Death March, and later died as a prisoner of war. He had been buried as an unknown until the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency confirmed his identity in 2025 through modern forensic analysis, according to officials.
“This mission represents something bigger than a single flight,” said Col. John Salotti, 120th Operations Group commander. “It reflects our nation’s unwavering commitment to never leave a service member behind and to bring every one of them home.”
Typically a workhorse for tactical airlift and global mobility, the C-130H carried a more solemn cargo on this flight, marking the final leg of a journey that spanned generations.
“We fly missions all over the world, but this one carries a different weight,” Salotti said. “We’re fulfilling a promise to a Soldier and his family that his service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
The aircrew treated the mission as both an operational task and a personal duty, Salotti said, emphasizing the care taken from departure to arrival.
“Our role is to execute the mission with the highest level of professionalism, but also with respect,” Salotti said. “Every detail matters because this is someone’s family member, and someone who answered the call when the nation needed him.”
A dignified transfer ceremony in Butte marked Bordner’s return. The Montana National Guard coordinated with casualty assistance personnel and local partners to ensure full military honors.
“For his family and for the people of Montana, this is about closure,” Salotti said. “For us, it’s about ensuring that no one is forgotten.”
Bordner’s homecoming underscores ongoing national efforts to account for missing service members from past conflicts. Funeral services in Butte will follow.
