BRIDGEPORT — Eighty years after Bridgeport native Charles George Reynolds gave his life in service to his country, his remains have come back home.

Reynolds was a 1st lieutenant and a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and he was declared missing in action in November 1943.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recently identified his remains, and eight decades after he disappeared Reynolds was laid to rest back home on Saturday, being buried with his parents. His funeral was held at Wilson Funeral Home with the interment at Weeks Cemetery in Bridgeport.

Charles Marty, Reynolds’ nephew, shared family stories at the service. He said Reynolds enjoyed being a pilot.

“That’s what he always wanted to do,” Marty said.

Marty said Reynolds also enjoyed playing basketball in high school and college. Reynolds graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1937 and got a degree in liberal arts at Washington and Jefferson College.

“He was a basketball star. … He was 6-foot 2 1/2, so he had to practice slouching down to pass his pilot’s physical,” Marty said.

Reynolds went missing in action before Marty was born, but Marty said that family stories about the veteran live on.

“I wish I could have known him. He was such a nice guy, and funny, too. In his high school yearbook, he put that his hobby is basketball and his ambition is to be a judge in a beauty contest,” Marty said.

Marty said he was amazed by the support that he has received from the community.

“The community really embraced this, and it shows that people really care about our veterans. It’s really touching. I couldn’t be more grateful for the outpouring of love and support,” he said.

During his education at Washington and Jefferson College, Reynolds was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. Two current students and members of the fraternity attended the funeral to honor Reynolds’ memory.

Department of Ohio POW/MIA Chairman Ralph Reynolds also attended the service and spoke at the podium.

“It is a great honor to stand here today to celebrate and honor the return of an American hero. …Today, we honor 1st Lt. Reynolds for his service to our country and for making the ultimate sacrifice protecting our freedoms and liberties,” he said.

“First Lt. Reynolds’ legacy does not stop here today. His legacy will continue as we educate and teach our youth and communities about the prisoner of war/missing in action issue and to continue to demand the accountability of our missing to bring them home and to teach the significance of the ultimate sacrifice. We will never forget,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds also presented an honor plaque on behalf of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Ohio as well as a plaque from American Legion Post 330 in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Staff from the Tri-State Military Veterans Museum in Belmont attended the service and stated their plans to place Reynolds’ name and photo on the Heroes Wall Honored Forever outside the museum.

A WWII pilot’s uniform was displayed in an open casket in memory of Reynolds.

Ohio State Highway Patrol and several local police, fire and sheriff departments attended the services and escorted the procession. American Legion Riders Post 336 of Flushing also escorted the procession on motorcycles.

During the funeral procession to the cemetery, local residents came outside to watch it pass and some waved flags, saluted or stood with their hand over their heart.

Current members of the military attended the graveside service and performed the 21-gun salute and “Taps” on a bugle.

At the cemetery, Reynolds was buried in a grave next to his parents, John and Mary Reynolds. His parents purchased the plot decades ago and placed a marker on the plot in memory of their son.

Jason Wilson, managing funeral director, said that a B-25 airplane was supposed to fly over the cemetery during the interment, but the weather was too cloudy.

Reynolds was 24 years old when he was labeled missing in action. At the time, he was serving in the Southwest Pacific Theater with the 498th Bombardment Squadron, 345th Bombardment Group. On Nov. 27, 1943, he was a crew member on board a B-25D Mitchell when it failed to return from a bombing mission at Wewak, New Guinea. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in the Karau Lagoon in the Murik Lakes after the aircraft had taken significant damage from enemy anti-aircraft fire. The entire crew was listed as MIA.

Reynolds’ remains were found after the war and were buried as an Unknown Soldier in the American Military Cemetery in Manila, Philippines.