The remains of a US soldier killed during World War II have been returned to his Pennsylvania hometown more than 80 years after his death, following DNA analysis that confirmed his identity.

John A Walko, a US Army Private First Class, died on October 20, 1944, during the Battle of Aachen in Germany. His remains were escorted from Pittsburgh airport to Commodore, Pennsylvania, by a veteran's motorcycle group earlier this month.

The identification process involved DNA analysis conducted by military authorities to confirm Walko's identity after decades of his remains being unaccounted for. The Battle of Aachen was a significant engagement during the Allied push into Germany in late 1944.

The return of Walko's remains represents part of ongoing efforts by military identification units to locate and identify service members who died during World War II. Thousands of American service members remain unaccounted for from the conflict.

The escort to Commodore, Pennsylvania, provided a formal homecoming for the soldier whose family had waited eight decades for his return. Such ceremonies have become increasingly common as advances in DNA technology have enabled the identification of previously unknown remains from various World War II battlefields and burial sites.