Assigned to the 90th Bombardment Group, 320th Squadron, he flew missions in the Pacific Theater of the war until his B-24 bomber was shot down over Hansa Bay, Papua New Guinea, on March 11, 1944. He and the other 10 members of his crew were declared Missing In Action. For decades, his family and community held hope that he would be brought home. In 2017, his aircraft was located by a nonprofit group named Project Recover, and after a 2023 recovery mission by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, his remains have been positively identified.
"A journey our family stumbled into 13 years ago is coming to a conclusion that none of us could have predicted or imagined: laying my uncle to rest beside his parents and only sister. It still brings tears to my eyes. I have boundless gratitude for the dedication and extraordinary efforts of Project Recover and the US military. Without them, none of this would have been possible," said Kathy Borst, a niece of Lt. Kelly.
His return to Livermore will be marked by a solemn series of events, including a motorcade procession, Lying in Repose at Monte Vista Memorial Gardens and Mortuary. Members of the public are invited to pay their respects during the Lying in Repose at Monte Vista Memorial Gardens on Sunday, May 25, and to attend the funeral rites at St. Michael Catholic Church on Monday, May 26, on a space-available basis. The interment at St. Michael Cemetery will be private, out of respect for the family and due to space limitations. In honor of Lt. Kelly's sacrifice, Monte Vista Memorial Gardens will dedicate its planned veterans memorial in his name.
"Bringing Tommy home honors his sacrifice—and the hope his parents and sister carried that he would not be forgotten. We're deeply grateful to those whose unwavering effort made this homecoming possible," said Tom Borst, a nephew of Lt. Kelly.
Full ceremony details available at https://montevistamemorialgardens.com/lt-kelly.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Sadie Ferguson, 415-225-7097, [email protected].
SOURCE Monte Vista Memorial Gardens & Mortuary
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