Photo By Spc. Ashley Xie | Brenda Brewer, cousin of 2nd Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr., receives a folded United States...... read more read more
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U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Fred L. Brewer Jr. was laid to rest at Salisbury National Cemetery in Charlotte, N.C. on Dec. 6.
2nd Lt. Brewer was a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American military pilots who fought in World War II. In 1944, he and 57 other fighters led a mission escorting Italian bombers to Germany. During the flight, Brewer’s plane engine stalled, causing the aircraft to roll and crash. Brewer’s body was never recovered and as a result, he was declared missing in action.
79 years later, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), through anthropological data and mitochondrial DNA, were able to positively identify exhumed remains as belonging to Brewer. The remains, exhumed from an Italian cemetery in 2022, were identified in August using anthropological data and mitochondrial DNA.
At the start of the ceremony, a horse-drawn carriage escorted Brewer’s remains to his designated gravesite. A U.S. Army honor guard carried the casket from the carriage to the awning, and at 2 p.m, he was finally laid to rest.
Brenda Brewer, Fred’s first cousin, attended the service. At the end of the ceremony, Brenda was presented with various challenge coins and the U.S. flag, serving as a symbol of both appreciation and sacrifice. Having known Fred well, she had been working with the DPAA for a long time to recover her cousin’s body and emphasized the bittersweet joy of seeing him finally return home.
“Fred was one of the smartest and nicest people I ever knew and it is tremendous seeing him on American soil,” said Mrs. Brewer. “I’m so thankful that everyone has come out to support Fred.”
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. The group includes not only pilots, but also navigators, bombardiers, mechanics and crew chiefs who supported the aircraft. Throughout time, they have received endless praise for their accomplishments in combat while protecting American bombers, earning themselves three Distinguished Unit Citations. In attendance at the funeral today were several original members of the Tuskegee Airmen, including Jerry Burton, the national president of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
“There are a lot of American soldiers that are buried in Europe that may never return to American soil,” said Mr. Burton. “We are grateful that 2nd Lt. Brewer was among the few that were able to finally make it home. It’s a moving experience seeing everyone that came out today in support of our fallen soldier.”
The mission of the DPAA is to use teamwork and innovation to locate and identify every military service member killed in battle or missing in action. To discover more about the DPAA’s mission, read stories from families of recovered fallen soldiers and find out about volunteer opportunities, visit dpaa.mil.
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| Date Taken: | 12.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.08.2023 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 459538 |
| Location: | SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 495 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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