WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The body of an Air Force colonel is returning home to Florida more than 52 years after his plane was shot down over Vietnam.

  • Air Force Col. Peter Stewart shot down in 1966
  • Family searched for Stewart for years
  • Military located Stewart's remains last month

Col. Peter Stewart died in the plane crash in 1966. He was 48 years old at the time.

Stewart's family said the military wasn't sure exactly what happened to him until last month.

"When they first notified us all those years ago, there was some thought he might have been a prisoner of war," said Jim Stewart, Stewart's son. "Between the time the first plane cycled back around, there was time for a guy to have gotten out and parachuted to the ground."

For years, the family searched. They even made several trips to Vietnam themselves.

The military notified them last month that his remains had finally been found.

"There's a big hole in our hearts for 52 years that we finally feel like something is there now. We can move on. We can get over this," Jim said.

On Tuesday, the mayor of Winter Haven, along with city council members, presented the family with a resolution honoring Stewart for his service.

"He was such a great guy, and I'm sorry everybody didn't get to meet him," said Stewart's widow, Margaret, noting that her husband would have been almost 100 years old now.

She said having the city honor him and having his remains returned meant a lot to her.

"I'm so grateful I could live long enough to be here," she said.

Stewart's remains will be flown to Tampa on June 16.

His family plans to hold a memorial service and funeral mass in Winter Haven.