The wreckage.

Bill says, "at least now he's coming home to be with his mom and brothers."

Bill welch was a family friend of dale ross, the 22 year old world war two private first class serving as a runner on the island ..

Welch was there when ross' parents got the telegram that said ross was m-i-a.

Bill says, "even though i was young i can remember how difficult that was for them because they have three other boys all of them were in the service."

Ross' niece says his mother never gave up hope... vicki says, "there was a lot of men taken prisoner she never gave up hope until the prisoners were released and came home and and then at that point it was obvious that that wasn't the case."

Ross was a fast runner.

A month after enlisting... he was sent to deliver a message with his quick feet.

Dale says, "they heard shooting in the area where he thought he was and they never saw him again."

His dog tags were found two years ago by an 8 year old boy.

Dale says, "they had a path down to this real steep canyon where they went swimming and just overtime they beat a path down and one day they found something shiny they found the dog tags."

Shortly after, the little boy's father found the remains of ross.

And two years later, d-n-a matches confirmed his identity.

Vicki says, "we've kind of prayed all these years that there would just be a time of closure."

Cassidy says, "the family has a meeting on may 6 to plan the ceremony to honor and bury dale ross.

The plan is to finally reunite him with his mother and three brothers at the memory gardens cemetary in medford, bringing the family closure 76 years after he was reported missing."

Fire season