JACKSON, Minn. – It will be an extra special Memorial Day for one southwest Minnesota family as a World War II pilot is finally coming home more than 80 years after his death.
Thomas Ruth, 26, of Jackson was killed during a Pacific aerial mission in 1943 when his plane crashed in the Solomon Islands. He was declared dead in 1946 after being listed as missing in action.
Investigators later discovered the crash site in 2013, and DNA testing confirmed Ruth’s identity in April of 2025.
Lt. Ruth will be buried May 27 at Riverside Cemetery in Jackson.
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