Houston soldier who died during the D-Day Invasion in World War II has finally been identified
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After eight decades, one family is finally getting the closure they've been looking for. A Houston soldier who died during the D-Day Invasion in World War II has been identified and is finally coming home.
"Nobody thought that he'd be found. We were, just after all them years, surprised," Celestia Hankel said.
Stories from her mother are the only memories Hankel has of her great-uncle Nicholas Hartman.
"I would've liked to meet him. I've only seen pictures, like I said. That would've been amazing, even for my mom," Hankel said.
It was the year 1944, and around 200 U.S. service members were on a landing craft to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
One person on board was a 20-year-old Private Nicholas Hartman from Houston.
Hartman and his fellow service members died when the craft hit an underwater mine and burst into flames.
His remains were never accounted for, and his family kept searching for answers.
"I knew he had died in the war, and my mom said that his mom kept looking out the door, waiting for him to come home every day. She said it got too bad and they had to put her into a nursing home because she'd walk out to the door looking for him," Hankel said.
But back in 2021, which was 77 years after Hartman's death, the Defense POW-MIA agency reported that the remains of the fallen soldiers were studied, and through a DNA analysis, one was identified as Hartman's remains.
"I was surprised. They thought he'd never be found. We were really happy about it," Hankel said.
While Hartman's family has received some closure, Hankel still wishes she knew more about the great-uncle she never met.
"What was his life like growing up? I don't know how many years he was in the military, but I would like to know - if he enjoyed it or what," Hankel said.
According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Hartman's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
