28 U.S. Soldiers in War of 1812 Finally Home
The remains of 28 American soldiers killed in the War of 1812 were taken from Canada to their native soil in flag-draped coffins Thursday in the first repatriation ceremony held between the two countries.
“There can be no finer expression of the good relations between our countries than the reverence we show for these men,” George Hees, Canadian minister of veterans affairs, said as he transferred possession of the remains to U.S. officials.
The ceremony took place near Old Ft. Erie in the province of Ontario, the scene of some of the worst fighting of the war.
After the ceremony, 28 hearses carried the coffins over the Peace Bridge that links Ft. Erie and Buffalo, N.Y. Fighter jets flew by the bridge in missing-man formation.
Continue to Cemetery
The procession continued to Bath National Cemetery in central New York, where officials dedicated a memorial to the soldiers. The remains will be buried privately today.)
The remains of the servicemen were discovered during residential construction in Ft. Erie last October.
Archeologists determined that the skeletons were American but were unable to make individual identifications.
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