The Defense of POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced on Friday that a U.S. Army Air Force pilot from Rhode Island killed in World War II was located.

The agency said 2nd Lt. Robert J. Barrat, 20, of Woonsocket, was accounted for on April 30.

According to the organization, Barrat piloted a B-17G “Flying Fortress” bomber in 1945.

On Feb. 9,1945, witnesses reported seeing his aircraft collide with another aircraft during a bombing mission to Lutzkendorf, Germany.

The aircraft was then seen hitting the ground, killing eight of the 9 crew members onboard.

After the end of World War II, the American Graves Registrations Command began working to recover missing American personnel in Europe.

In 1947, members recovered eight sets of remains from marked burials in the Eisenberg Civilian Cemetery.

The remains were transferred to the Central Processing Point at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium for analysis.

Members identified two sets of remains. The remaining six were identified as the collective remains of Barrat and five of his crew members.

The remains were then buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

In Oct. 1991, a German citizen reported finding the crash site and recovered debris from the aircraft, including two inscribed rings.

The debris was turned over to the U.S. Army Memorial Affairs Activity Europe in Landstuhl, Germany and then to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii.

In 2024, the remains were re-examined for further analysis.

Scientists said they used anthropological analysis and mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify Barrat’s remains.

According to the University of Rhode Island, he attended Rhode Island State College (RISC) in Sept. 1941 with the class of 1945.

Barrat left college during his second year and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in Nov. 1942.

He was posthumously cited for Gallantry in Action and Bravery and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Barrat will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 27.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WJAR) — The Woonsocket Police Department said a 17-year-old was sent to the hospital after a pedestrian crash on Park Avenue.

The department said the juvenile’s injuries were non-life-threatening.

The vehicle involved in the crash fled the scene but was later located and brought to the department for processing, and an individual was being detained.

The Rhode Island Foundation is inviting Newport County residents to share their thoughts about the issues that matter most to them at a free community dinner on Tuesday, June 2.

The event will be held at Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, from 5 to 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Registration is available at rifoundation.org/togetherri.

“We want to hear what matters most to you. Sharing your perspective will help guide our grantmaking, community engagement and more,” said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Your input will help us better understand how you see things in your community. These conversations will help us shape our work going forward.”

Participants will share ideas over family-style meals, with the Foundation providing moderators to help guide the conversations, though attendees will drive the discussions.

“We’re giving people the opportunity to talk face-to-face with each other over family-style meals,” Cicilline said. “Bring your ideas for improving your community and the local challenges you’d like to see the Foundation address.”

Three additional gatherings across Rhode Island are scheduled through September, and the public can attend any session regardless of where they live. The complete schedule is posted at rifoundation.org/togetherri.

As part of its “the Rhode Island Foundation in Your Community” initiative, Foundation staff will also be at Innovate Newport from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. to talk one-on-one with the public about local charitable giving, grantmaking and nonprofit capacity-building opportunities.

Last year, the Foundation awarded $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits for work in education, health care, economic opportunity, the arts, the environment and housing, among other sectors.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. More information is available at rifoundation.org.