WWII Navy Airman laid to rest in Clearwater more than 80 years after being killed in action

The Brief

  • Navy Airman Robert Louis Cyr Jr., killed in action during World War II in 1944, was laid to rest in Clearwater after his remains were identified last year.
  • Cyr was just 19 years old when the PBY-5 Catalina seaplane he was aboard crashed and exploded during takeoff in the South Pacific.
  • His family says the burial brings long-awaited closure after more than eight decades of unanswered questions.

CLEARWATER, Fla. After more than 80 years of uncertainty, the family of Robert Louis Cyr Jr. is finally able to bring their loved one home.

What we know:

Cyr was 19 years old when he died while serving as an aviation radioman aboard a PBY-5 Catalina seaplane stationed in Vanuatu.

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