EXETER, Calif. (FOX26) — An Exeter Union High School graduate who went missing in action during World War II in 1943 returned home after 83 years.
The family of Sgt. Adolph P. Aguirre gathered at Fresno Yosemite Airport as his remains were brought home after being lost for 83 years.
Sgt. Adolph P. Aguirre, known by his family as Chicho, was 21 years old when the B-24 Suzy Q was shot down over Lacedonia, Italy, on August 16, 1943.
His parents, Maria Pimentel and Margarito Aguirre, were notified that their son was missing in action.
The remains of American airmen were buried as unknowns in Lacedonia and later moved to an American military cemetery in Naples, Italy.
Chicho’s family carried his memory forward for decades.
In 2006, his first cousin Juan Aguirre began searching for more information about his life and military service.
The U.S. Army reopened the case in 2019, and family members later provided DNA samples to assist with identification.
In May 2026, the family learned that Chicho had been identified.
The following month, they received the news they had hoped for: he was coming home.
A public viewing of Sgt. Adolph P. Aguirre will be held on September 17th at the Exeter Veterans Memorial Building.
A burial service will be held on September 18th where he will be laid to rest beside his parents with full military honors.