Six decades later, airman laid to rest

Mustonen was 22 when his AT7 navigational plane disappeared after takeoff from a Sacramento, Calif., airfield on Nov. 18, 1942. An engine, scattered remains, and clothing were found over the following years, far from the plane's intended course. All four men aboard were killed in the crash.

But Mustonen's remains were not found until last year, when two mountain climbers in California spotted an arm jutting out of the ice. Forensic scientists analyzed bones, DNA samples, and the airman's teeth before declaring in February that the body was Mustonen's.

At the cemetery, Mustonen was honored with a three-volley salute and a bugler playing taps. The military paid for the funeral, as it would for any soldier who died on active duty.

His nieces, Mary Ruth Mustonen and Leane Ross, said they have been overwhelmed by stories told about their uncle over the past few weeks.

Mary Ruth was 11 months old when her uncle died; Ross had not even been born. ''He really feels like he is ours now, and we've grown to love him," Ross said.

He was buried alongside his mother, Anna. ''He's no longer out there on a mountain alone," Ross said.