Vietnam War vet identified as body found near Flagstaff in 1975 [Video]

COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — Human remains found 40 miles east of Flagstaff in 1975 have recently been identified as belonging to a Vietnam War veteran.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that genetic genealogy testing helped to connect the skeletal remains to Gerald F. Long, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. 

After Long was discharged in 1972, he returned home to Minnesota and told his family he was leaving to move to the West Coast. His family never heard from Long again.

The human remains were found in April 1975 by farmers who were chasing after a loose pig near Meteor City Road, the sheriff’s office said.

Multiple detectives and cold case volunteers tried to identify the remains in the ensuing years but failed to make a positive identification. Forensic …