After nearly 80 years, Pennsylvania airman finally comes home
After nearly eight decades, a Pennsylvania airman who was once listed as 'Missing in Action' has finally returned home.
Airman Glenn Hodak, from Cambridge Springs, PA, was shot down over Japan in 1945 during World War II. For years, his fate remained a mystery — until now.
The Hodak family recently learned that Glenn was captured and taken as a prisoner of war, held at the Tokyo Military Prison. Tragically, the prison later burned down, killing all of the U.S. POWs inside. Glenn Hodak is the first of them to be positively identified. After an 8-month process, his flag-draped casket finally made its way home.
On Friday afternoon, the tarmac at Pittsburgh International Airport was lined with honor: service members, Pennsylvania State Police troopers, firefighters, and members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood in solemn tribute. A few remaining members of the Hodak family were also there. All nine of Glenn's siblings have since passed.
'He was long gone before we were even born,' said Dennis Hodak, his nephew.
'Mostly only ever heard about him through stories,' added Russ Hodak, Glenn's great-nephew. 'That's what piqued my interest.'
That interest became a mission. While a student at Penn State in 2008, Russ began researching his grandfather's history and stumbled upon records related to his great-uncle. His research led to Glenn's identification in the fall of 2023, 78 years after his disappearance.
The procession that followed was fitting for a hero. It included military escorts and members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group known for honoring fallen service members with motorcycle escorts and flags.
'It's been a long time, and his family finally has some closure,' said Jeremy Barnard, a Ride Captain with the Patriot Guard.
Barnard and his fellow riders travel the country for these solemn missions.
'It's a very sobering and somber experience,' he said. 'There's usually not a dry eye anywhere. Seeing a service member's coffin, draped in the American flag, coming off a plane — it's something powerful.'
Russ Hodak says he hopes Glenn's long-overdue homecoming inspires other families of World War II service members to keep searching — and to never give up hope.
'Don't give up hope,' he said. 'Keep researching. Keep looking. It can happen.'
For those with loved ones still missing in action, this Family Member Resource Guide from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is a great place to start.
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