This weekend, a World War II veteran from Pittsburgh will go to his final resting place in Allegheny County after his remains were unidentified for 80 years.

As Lesa Naughton looked at her uncle's casket Friday afternoon, she was glad to be with him for the first time, but it was also bittersweet for her loved ones who were no longer here.

"It's like when you come to the end of a long journey, you know you have that closure, that peace," Naughton said. "They weren't able to ever witness this happening, so it's nice to be able to do it for them."

U.S. Army Air Forces Sergeant Paul Eshelman Jr. landed on Pennsylvania soil after more than eight decades away and made his way to H.P. Brandt Funeral Home in Ross Township.

The Pittsburgh man was killed on August 1, 1943, during Operation TIDAL WAVE at 21 years old. He was a radio operator and gunner in the top turret on the B-24 Liberator bomber "Tagalong," when it was hit by enemy fire.

"Their mission was to bomb the oil fields, the Ploiesti oil fields in Romania, because that was a huge source of oil and fuel for Hitler's army," Naughton said.

However, when his remains were found, they didn't have an ID on them, so he was placed in an unmarked grave in a cemetery in Romania.

Then, a little less than 10 years ago, Naughton got a call from the Department of Defense, asking for her and her brother's DNA.

"Almost given up hope at that point, you know, because it had been so long," Naughton said.

Two years ago, they received news. They matched, and their uncle's remains were identified.

"It was very exciting," Naughton said.

While they had the option of burying him at Arlington or another national cemetery, they decided to bring him home to Pittsburgh.

"I think if my grandmother was alive, she would have chosen to bury him with their family," Naughton said.

Naughton credits the federal government for never giving up for her and so many other families waiting for that closure.

"They're still trying and working hard to get them back to their families and loved ones," Naughton said.

Visitation will be held Sunday at H.P. Brandt Funeral Home, 1032 Perry Highway, Ross Township, PA 15237, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eshelman will then be buried at Allegheny County Memorial Park in McCandless at 3:30 p.m. The public is welcome to pay their respects.