Airman killed in WWII to be buried next week

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- A New York airman will be buried next week in Southern California -- 75 years after he died in World War II when his bomber crashed in the Pacific.

The Press-Enterprise reports a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Vincent J. Rogers will be held June 5 at the Riverside National Cemetery.

The remains of Rogers were identified earlier this year after they were recovered from the Pacific atoll of Tarawa. Rogers, of Snyder, and six others crew members died when their B-24 bomber crashed into a lagoon in January 1944.

The airman's story is currently the centerpiece of an exhibit at the March Field Air Museum, which is adjacent to the airfield where he trained and near the Riverside cemetery.

The exhibit features his letters and other artifacts of his service.