2 Lt. Milton Hymes

WWII Hero Finally Comes Home: 2nd Lt. Milton L. Hymes, Jr. Laid to Rest After 81 Years

*Family Honors His Legacy in Savannah With Full Military Honors and Future Museum Exhibit*

Savannah, GA — July 17, 2025 — After more than eight decades of unanswered questions, the family of Second Lieutenant Milton L. Hymes, Jr. will lay his remains to rest with full military honors in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia at Bonaventure Cemetery on Friday, July 18th. A lost hero of WWII, Lt. Hymes’ return marks a powerful moment of closure and remembrance for generations of loved ones.

A native of Savannah and member of Congregation Mickve Israel, Lt. Hymes was just 22 years old when he was reported missing during a bombing mission to Germany on June 20, 1944. He served as a navigator on a B-24J Liberator in the 389th Bombardment Group, 565th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division of the Eighth Air Force. During the bombing mission, his aircraft collided with another B-24 and went missing. He was presumed dead, and his name was etched onto the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery in England, alongside many others still unaccounted for from WWII.

In 2019, Danish divers discovered the wreckage of Lt. Hymes' B-24 in the Baltic Sea, just two miles off the southern coast of Denmark. Between 2022 and 2024, several dives to the crash site led to the recovery of his remains. After years of dedicated work by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Lt. Hymes was positively identified through DNA and forensic analysis.

Lt. Hymes was the beloved son of Georgia H. Hymes and Milton L. Hymes, Sr. He was cherished by his parents and three sisters: Jean Hymes Pittman, Comer Hymes Gay, and Natalie Hymes DeLettre. Georgia and her daughters cared for Milton L. Hymes, Sr. during a long illness until his passing in 1942. Tragically, they never learned the fate of Lt. Hymes. Yet, the pain of his loss endured, leaving what family members have called "holes in their hearts."

Lt. Hymes is survived by the children of his sisters and their spouses, who, though they never met him, were raised to honor his service, memory, and legacy: - Ira Pittman, Jr., Milton Pittman, and Donald Pittman (Jean) - Milton Gay and Barbara Margulis (Comer) - Debbie Ray, Dewey DeLettre, Jr., Danny DeLettre, and David DeLettre (Natalie) Numerous great-nieces and nephews also attended the ceremony, standing as witnesses to the enduring impact of his sacrifice.

“This homecoming is very emotional for us,” said a family spokesperson. “We were determined to bring our Uncle Milton home to Savannah, and provide final closure to our family, honor his sacrifice to our country, and lay him to rest next to his mother, our grandmother. Though our mothers and grandmother did not live to see this day, their devotion lives on in us. This homecoming is not just for Uncle Milton — it’s for them, too. We are deeply grateful to the U.S. Army, the DPAA, and everyone who helped make this possible.”

In addition to the U.S. Army’s extraordinary attention to ensuring a respectful tribute to Lt. Hymes, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, Georgia, played an essential role in supporting the family. Their assistance included providing historical information and a place to reflect on Lt. Hymes' service as an Army Air Force Navigator.

To help others remember Lt. Hymes’ sacrifice, the family has donated his service medals, photographs, and items such as the telegram notifying the family of his missing status to the Mighty Eighth Museum. These will be featured in a future exhibit titled “Service Above Self,” which will commemorate the lives and legacies of Eighth Air Force personnel killed during WWII.

“The Hymes Family thanks the Mighty Eighth Museum for honoring our Uncle, the many Eighth Air Force airmen who served, and those who lost their lives in service to our country.”

To honor the memory of Lt. Hymes and the countless others who never came home, the Hymes family invites the public to support the work of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force by donating or visiting: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322     www.mightyeighth.org

God Bless the USA and those who serve our country!

Media inquiries can be directed to: Dawn Brosnan, Director of Communications and Marketing, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force  dbrosnan@mightyeighth.org | 912-988-1847 

Note:The family of Lt. Milton Hymes welcomes members of the public to attend his funeral service at Bonaventure Cemetery on Friday, July 18th at 10:00 a.m. They kindly request no interviews at the gravesite. Family spokesmen will be available to offer comments later that day at 1:30 p.m. at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.