Roy A Knight Jr..JPG

DALLAS (WAND) – It was a heartwarming end for a pilot whose body returned home from the Vietnam War on Wednesday.

Air Force Col. Roy A. Knight, Jr’s remains were accounted for on June 4, and returned home on Wednesday. According to Knight’s obituary, his remains were being flown home by his son, Bryan, a Captain with Southwest Airlines.

Bryan arrived with his father’s remains at Dallas Love Field, the same airport where he said goodbye to his father before he left for war 52 years before. Bryan was 5 years old at the time.

A reporter for Global News was there to witness Knight’s arrival. 

Reporter Jackson Proskow tweeted about the arrival of the plane and how the entire airport stood silent to watch as Knight’s remains were loaded off the plane.

In his tweets a woman responded saying “I wore his POW bracelet when I was a child. I would like to mail to his family. I am now crying.”

The Twitter user was able to send the bracelet back to the family. In the obituary, the family said they will place any POW/MIA bracelets returned in the casket prior to interment.

Southwest Airlines, the company Bryan is a pilot for, shared a video of the whole experience. 

In May 1967, Knight was the pilot for the 602nd tactical Fighter Squadron, assigned to Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. On May 19, 1967, Knight was leading a flight when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire.

Knight was declared dead in September 1974. His remains were finally recovered after a joint recovery team found his remains at the beginning of 2019.

Knight will be buried on Aug. 10 in Weatherford Texas.