The remains of a Mentone High School graduate missing in action in Vietnam since 1962 have been buried in Akron Cemetery.

Lt. Neil B. McKinney was flying routine air cover missions over Vietnam when his B-26 bomber failed to return to its base.

After a search failed to turn up any sign of the four-man crew, McKinney and the other crew members were listed as officially missing. A year later the Air Force declared Lt. McKinney deceased.

"I didn't know where Vietnam was when he left, and I am not a dumb person," said Grace Waechter, McKinney's former mother-in-law and a former teacher.

"He left in March and we found out in September that he was missing," said Waechter.

But since his disappearance 34 years ago there hasn't been much information on his remains.

"We would hear a story, and then we would hear another story and nothing would come of it," she said.

In March '92 the Vietnam government repatriated to the United States the remains and artifacts purportedly recovered from a B-26 crash cite in Kontum province in Vietnam.

The personal effects and other information indicated the identity of the crew at the time of the return. Forensic specialists studied the remains four years to ensure positive identifications.

"There was a military funeral, they really did a beautiful job," said Waechter of the Nov. 3 ceremony.

McKinney was born Sept. 8, 1934, in Ft. Wayne. He graduated from Mentone High School in 1952 and received a degree from Ball State University, where he was in ROTC.

At Ball State he met Barbara Waechter (now Rager) of Plymouth. They were married June 26, 1960.

McKinney received a commission in the United States Air Force and was assigned to Vietnam as an intelligence officer in 1962.

McKinney is survived by a daughter, Christa C. Smith of Zionsville, who was 9 months old when McKinney was officially declared missing. A half brother, Don Funk of Ft. Wayne, also survives. [[In-content Ad]]