Forty-three years after Green Beret and Army medic James Leslie Moreland went missing in action in Vietnam, the young soldier is coming home.

Moreland’s unit was attacked by the North Vietnamese Army in February 1968 at Lang Vei. He was mortally wounded. But while the battle left some of his comrades dead, Moreland was never found. Until now.

His remains will be flown home in May and buried in Alabama, beside his parents’ graves, she said.

Moreland, known as “Les” to his fellow soldiers, was only 22 when he was killed but his story touched people he would never meet.

“He’s the real deal, this is a real hero,” said Mike Hughes, a member of the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association. “He was young, he was a medic and involved in this horrific firefight – it’s amazing story.”

Hughes learned of Moreland when he found a metal memorial plaque with Moreland’s name on it lying in some bushes in the 2100 block of South Hacienda Boulevard. After learning who Moreland was, Hughes and the HHIA had a concrete monument built and remounted the plaque in his honor.

Hughes knew Moreland was MIA and never forgot about him. Read more about the fallen soldier at Moreland.