This week we have been reviewing the Top Stories of 2011. Today we reveal the top story of the Year.
It was a story that captivated all who heard it. Chief Warrant Officer Andy Howes returned home after being lost in the Vietnam War on January 10th, 1970. Although his remains had been in storage in Hawaii since the ’80’s, only improved testing allowed an Armed Forces Forensic Team to match DNA samples to those that had earlier been taken from relatives.
On August 1st, Andy Howes was brought to Knox, after being flown from Hawaii to Indianapolis. Escorted by Patriot Guards and family, the entourage was greeted by people lining the roads with flags, signs, and military salutes.
When his body finally arrived in Knox, hundreds of people lined Heaton Street to watch the slow moving procession enter the town where he grew up and graduated from high school.
After a service that hundreds attended at the Knox Community Center, Andy Howes’ remains were taken to Arlington National Cemetery for burial.
Many in the community called it Knox’s most patriotic moment.
Sunday begins another year that will be filled with it’s own memorable moments, and you can bet we will be there to chronicle them.
