Montana National Guard Brings Lost WWII Soldier Home

After 80 years, with help from the Air Force, Henry Bordner finally returned to Montana.  

On April 15, an airman with the 120th Airlift Wing at Great Falls Air National Guard Base, transported the remains of Army Pvt. Henry David Bordner to Montana, where he will be buried in Butte, his hometown. 

Bordner endured a great deal before he died. Serving in the Pacific, he was captured by Japanese forces, becoming a prisoner of war (POW). He was forced to take part in the brutal Bataan Death March. After his death in captivity, Bordner’s remains went unidentified for decades until finally being accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on April 2, 2025.  

“This mission represents something bigger than a single flight,” said Col. John Salotti, 120th Operations Group commander. “It reflects our nation’s unwavering commitment to never leave a service member behind and to bring every one of them home.” 

Bordner’s remains were brought home by a C-130H aircraft. Known for its swift mobility and combat readiness, it took on a different mission in Montana. 

“We fly missions all over the world, but this one carries a different weight,” Salotti said. “We’re fulfilling a promise to a soldier and his family that his service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Death March to POW Camp 

Serving as a member of the 194th Tank Battalion in the Philippines, Bordner and his unit fought Japanese forces for months after they invaded the islands in December 1941. Finally, the Allies were forced to surrender the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, followed by Corregidor Island less than a month later. 

Thousands of American and Filipino military members were seized and taken to POW camps, including Bordner. From April 9 to April 17, Bordner joined 76,000 other prisoners as they trekked 66 miles in the grueling Bataan Death March, culminating at the Cabanatuan POW camp. More than 2,500 would not survive in the prison. 

Following his death on Oct. 20, 1942, Bordner joined other unknown soldiers buried in the Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery, Common Grave 701, in the Philippines. 

Finally, more than eight decades later, forensic science helped positively identify Bordner’s remains. 

Flying him from the Philippines back to Montana was deeply personal to the flight crew, Salotti said. 

“Our role is to execute the mission with the highest level of professionalism, but also with respect,” Salotti said. “Every detail matters because this is someone’s family member, and someone who answered the call when the nation needed him.” 

Following his return to Butte, Bordner was welcomed home with a dignified transfer ceremony as the community honored one of their own. The ceremony was coordinated by the Montana National Guard, collaborating with casualty assistance personnel and Butte officials to make sure Bordner received full military honors. 

“For his family and for the people of Montana, this is about closure,” Salotti said. “For us, it’s about ensuring that no one is forgotten.”

Bordner is one of many once unidentified soldiers finally being identified and returned to the U.S., thanks to a broader effort to find them. The soldier will be buried in Butte after a military funeral at a later date.