Houston Soldier Nicholas Hartman Identified 80 Years After D-Day

A Soldier's Long Journey Home

• 🇺🇸 US Army Private First Class Nicholas Hartman, a young soldier from Houston, has been identified 80 years after his death during the D-Day invasion.
• 💔 Hartman died in June 1944 when his landing craft vehicle heading to Omaha Beach hit an underwater mine and artillery fire, bursting into flames.

Family's Decades-Long Wait

• 💡 The identification was made possible through DNA analysis by the Defense Department, bringing closure to his family.
• 😭 His grand niece, Celeste Hankle, expressed happiness and disbelief that he was found after so many years.
• 😲 Family members, including nephew Norman Graves, were astonished, having previously submitted DNA samples without expecting a positive identification.

A Mother's Unwavering Hope

• 📰 As a child, Hartman was a paper boy for the Houston Chronicle and was only 20 years old when he lost his life.
• 💔 His mother, Nanny Hartman, never accepted his death, as his remains were not identified, and she would wait by her door for his return.

Final Resting Place

• ✈️ Nicholas Hartman's remains will be flown to Houston for burial.
• 🕊️ The family plans to bury him with full military honors at the historic Hollywood cemetery, near his mother.
• ✅ The identification means a soldier who was previously listed as 'known only to God' will finally come home.