He was 17 years old, and inspired to serve by his Navy father. He volunteered. His mother, Gladys, afforded him permission, and he left high school to go where his country needed him.

He wrote a letter home and went on patrol. Three days after his 18th birthday and exactly one year after his enlistment date, Cpl. Edward J. Smith of Bethlehem was labeled Missing in Action in the cold forests of the Korean Peninsula.

Seventy-four years later, the few remaining survivors of his family were stunned by notification from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which, true to its pledge, had not left Smith behind. Ever-improving DNA technologies enabled the positive identification of Smith’s remains from a recently donated sample from his younger brother, David, Edward Smith’s remains were flown to Philadelphia Aug. 16 and brought home for an honorable funeral in his hometown Aug. 23.

A private man, David Smith desired a small, personal affair, but his wife Anita impressed upon him the importance of a more open service. Elected the family spokesperson, Anita Smith said, “When we were notified, you could have knocked me over with a feather. It’s wonderful – a miracle. David got used to his brother being MIA, but I told him, ‘you have to share this.’”

Anita said support from the Army had been exceptionally helpful, and everyone she has spoken with in the community was elated. She thanked the efforts of Sgt. First Class Brandon Nelson for performing as a personal aide in making arrangements, but policy is not for him to take credit.

“He made it very easy on David and I. But people that we know or people that we run into are elated. Everyone has been very nice, very helpful, very supportive.”

David was a child when Edward left home, but Anita knew of him. “I’ve heard stories over the years from his mom when she was here and from David, of course. David and Eddie weren’t close in age but they were very close physically. Eddie took him a lot of places ... he was a wonderful big brother.”

There isn’t much left to mark Edward Smith’s time in the world. His mother had retained just three letters, one from his brief posting at Fort Lewis, Wash.

But Edward Smith, like more than 4,800 other service members declared MIA and deceased during the Korean War, is recalled by the impression he left behind and the honor he added to the rolls of Americans’ ongoing sacrifice for the ideals of freedom and noble purpose.

“People really do need closure,” Anita Smith said. “ I know [David is] glad he’ll really be home.”