Southington To Honor WWII Airman After 80 Years MIA

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A local man who gave his life for his country is now officially coming home, with his hometown planning to give him the honors he so justly deserves.

Southington residents will gather later this month to honor a hometown World War II airman whose remains were identified more than 80 years after he was declared missing in action.

The Town of Southington Veterans Committee has organized a series of public events June 22-23 to commemorate U.S. Army Air Corps Tech. Sgt. Donald A. Dorman, a Southington native who was killed in action in March 1945 when his B-17 bomber was shot down over Germany during one of the final weeks of World War II in Europe.

Dorman was 21 years old.

More than eight decades after his final mission, Dorman will finally return home to Southington next week for burial among family, friends and a community determined to honor his service and sacrifice.

"We are so honored to be giving this soldier a proper homecoming," Southington Veterans Committee Chairperson Rachel Wache wrote in an invitation announcing the events.

The public is invited to attend calling hours from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 22, at Plantsville Funeral Home, 975 S. Main St., followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, at First Congregational Church, 37 Main St.

A military funeral with honors will take place immediately afterward at Oak Hill Cemetery, followed by a Celebration of Life reception at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville that day.

The ceremonies will culminate a major effort among local town and veterans officials to give Dorman the honors he deserved.

It all began late last year, when the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced on Nov. 17, 2025, that Dorman's remains had been identified through DNA analysis after being recovered in Poland, where his aircraft is believed to have crashed after sustaining damage from German anti-aircraft fire and fighter aircraft.

A graduate of Lewis High School, now Southington High School, Dorman briefly worked at Chandler Evans Corp. in Meriden before entering military service during the war.

He served as an upper turret gunner with the 29th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group.

On March 22, 1945, Dorman was among a 10-man crew aboard a B-17G bomber assigned to attack oil refineries in Ruhland, Germany.

According to military records, the aircraft was struck by flak and enemy gunfire. The crew bailed out before the plane crashed in Poland. Eight crew members, including Dorman, were killed. Only the pilot and co-pilot survived.

For decades, Dorman remained listed as missing in action, a designation that changed last fall when his remains were positively identified, bringing closure for his descendants.

Wache said family members from across the United States and Canada are expected to attend.

"There’s going to be rather good size attendance from the family," Wache told Patch.

She said planning for the homecoming began shortly after learning Dorman's remains had been identified.

"It will all be local," Wache said. "I've been working on this pretty much the moment I got the news. We're finally at the point where all the pieces are coming together."

Dorman will receive full military honors during the burial ceremony.

Reflecting on Dorman's story, Wache said his death just weeks before Germany's surrender makes his sacrifice particularly poignant.

"It's a tragic story," she said. "So young. He never got to see his life ahead of him."

Wache, whose son and grandson both served in the military, said Dorman's story underscores the risks faced by service members.

"As a mom and a grandmother of boys that served, it really gets to you. You get it," she said.

From April 10: 'After 81 Years, Southington World War II Hero Coming Home'

For the official announcement of Southington resident Donald A. Dorman's remains being identified, click on this link.

For the full story on Southington resident Donald A. Dorman's World War II service, click on this link.