The family of a soldier who fought in World War II, survived the Bataan Death March and later died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp on Bataan Island in the Philippines was finally able to lay their family member to rest this month near the Idaho-Utah border.

The remains of Ballard King Yeates were returned to the Yeates family on May 14 at Salt Lake City International Airport. The 20-year-old soldier died at the Bataan POW camp on Bataan Island, Philippines, on July 29, 1942.

His remains were recently identified by Army officials after conducting DNA tests on them in Honolulu, Hawaii, which were found in a mass grave on Bataan Island. His bones and dental records were also used to determine his identity.

“He survived the Bataan Death March, but died a few days later at the Japanese POW camp,” said Nedra Pace, Yeates’ niece. “We always talked about Ballard growing up.

“There is no need to offer condolences. This is a closure you never think exists. We’re grateful to have him back after all of these years.”

The family was informed of his death by Army officials in the ‘40s and a funeral was held for Yeates in 1949 by his family.

“We’ve been putting flowers on his grave for 77 years,” Pace said.

His remains were finally interred at services held in Millville on Saturday, May 18. Yeates was one of four brothers and Pace’s Uncle Sid was notified that Yeates’ remains were identified. Yeates had three brothers.

“When I saw his casket come off the plane, we felt he was there with us,” said Pace. Nedra said a military honor guard was at the airport to receive his remains and there will be an honor guard present at his funeral service.

The army actually received Yeates’ remains in 1945, but the DNA technology didn’t exist back then to identify him and there were other soldiers’ remains buried in the same grave. The evidence was backed up by another one of his niece’s mitochondrial DNA.

According to Department of Defense records, Yeates was a technical sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, assigned to the 21st Pursuit Squadron of the 35th Pursuit Group when the war broke out on Dec. 7, 1941.

Yeates was born to Alma and Grace King Yeates on May 22, 1922, in Millville, Utah. He was the fourth child of six. He attended local Millville schools and graduated from South Cache High School.

After graduation, he studied radios at USAC (now USU). He also was an accomplished flutist and played in band, orchestra and won honors for solos. Yeates enlisted in the Army in March of 1941 and was training for the Signal Corps. He is survived by many nieces and nephews who are grateful for the privilege of honoring him.

His family celebrated Yeates’ life on May 18 at White Pine Funeral Home, 753 S. 100 East, Logan. Graveside services were held under the direction of the U.S. Army Honor Guard at the Millville Cemetery following the funeral service. The family wished a special thanks to Colonel Jim Bell and the Repatriation Committee who made all of this possible.

The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O’Donnell via San Fernando.

The transfer began on April 9, 1942, after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II. The total distance marched from Mariveles to San Fernando and from the Capas Train Station to various camps was 65 miles (105 km). Sources also report widely differing prisoner of war casualties prior to reaching Camp O’Donnell: from 5,000 to 18,000 Filipino deaths and 500 to 650 American deaths during the march.

The march was characterized by severe physical abuse and wanton killings. POWs who fell or were caught on the ground were shot. After the war, the Japanese commander, General Masaharu Homma and two of his officers, Major General Yoshitaka Kawane and Colonel Kurataro Hirano, were tried by United States military commissions for war crimes and sentenced to death on charges of failing to prevent their subordinates from committing atrocities. Homma was executed in 1946, while Kawane and Hirano were executed in 1949.