OGDEN, Utah — A U.S. Army Corporal, lost in action in one of America’s most brutal battles of the Korean War, will be laid to rest Friday in Ogden.

The repatriated remains of David B. Milano were returned to Utah Tuesday in a solemn ceremony with the Utah National Guard.

Milano was lost in action December 2, 1950 in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. He was only 17, but he was a hero to his family. They always had faith he would be brought home.

“My mom always kept his memory alive,” said Kevin Jordan, one of the soldier’s nephews. “She always had his picture on the wall.”

They never met their Uncle David Milano, but Kevin and David Jordan saw him as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their mother, Dolores, spoke of him as a young man with great character.

“He was her protector. She lost her sight when she was 12. She was blind,” Kevin said.

Cpl. David B. Milano pictured with his sister, Dolores Milano Jordan.

Milano was born in Chicago. His family relocated to Utah, where his remains will be buried next to his mother, sister and brother-in-law in Ogden.

“The mourning has been done, and now, it’s joy-filled. And this isn’t a closure, this is just the ending of this chapter as we move forward,” said David Jordan.

They believe their mother has finally been reunited with her brother in heaven.

“It’s not a closure because his memory will always live on and his legacy that no soldier should be left behind,” Kevin said.

Two years ago, they found out Milano’s remains had been identified. His DNA and circumstantial evidence helped identify him among 55 boxes of remains returned to the U.S. by North Korea in 2018.

COVID put a hold on proper ceremonies. When his remains arrived in a flag-draped coffin Tuesday, the family was there.

“It was emotional inside for me because we grew up with his memory,” Kevin said.

It was the closest they had ever been to their uncle.

“Now, his memory can live on going forward that he is no longer MIA,” David said. “We know where he’s at.”

More than 7,500 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

The Jordans are grateful they now know where their uncle will rest.

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