Corporal Wayne Richard Erickson, born May 24, 1924, was a member of the United States Marine Corps Bomber Squadron VMB-423 during World War II.  On the evening of April 22, 1944, Corporal Erickson was a crewmember (Gunner) on a PBJ-1D (B-25 Bomber) that took off in a rainstorm on a night training mission from Luganville Airfield on the Island of Espirtu Santo.  The aircraft failed to return from the mission and was reported missing.  Efforts to search for the missing aircraft and crew the following day proved unsuccessful.   In 2007, a search team that included family members of one of the other crewmen was able to locate and identify the crash site of the missing PBJ covered in jungle on a mountainside on the opposite side of the island from Luganville Airfield.   Evidence recovered by this team was provided to JPAC for further investigation.  During the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011, JPAC was able to recover remains and identify all six members of the crew.   After 68 year, these brave Marines are now coming home.  Corporal Erickson will be buried in DFW National Cemetery on Thursday May 24th, on what would have been his 88th birthday.