U.S. Army Private First Class Nicholas Hartman, who died in Normandy, has been identified through DNA.
HOUSTON — After more than 80 years, a World War II mystery that haunted a Houston family has finally been solved.
U.S. Army Private First Class Nicholas Hartman, a young soldier from Houston who died during the D-Day invasion at Normandy, has been formally identified thanks to DNA testing by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Hartman was just 20 years old when he boarded a landing craft bound for Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. The vessel struck an underwater mine and was hit by enemy fire—ultimately erupting in flames. For decades, Hartman’s remains went unidentified.
That changed recently, when DNA analysis matched Hartman’s remains with samples provided by surviving family members.
“I was really happy that they found him. I couldn’t believe it,” said Celestia Hankel, Hartman’s grandniece who lives in Louisiana.
“I was astonished,” added Norman Graves, Hartman’s nephew who now lives in Washington state. “We had sent in DNA samples, but I never expected there to be anything of it.”
A Hero Remembered
Though Graves never met his uncle, he proudly displays Hartman’s military medals in his home.
“I’m beside myself with gratitude to the Army for their efforts,” he said.
Hartman’s story is also part of Houston’s history. As a child, he delivered newspapers for the Houston Chronicle and was just in 7th grade when featured in a local article. He would later go off to war, never to return. That is, until now.
“He was a kid, just like all of them who were there,” Graves reflected.
A Mother’s Endless Hope
Hartman’s mother, Nanny Hartman, never accepted that her son was gone.
“She never got the remains, so she stood by the door of her home on several occasions, waiting for his arrival,” said Graves.
Coming Home
Hartman’s remains will be flown to Houston in the coming weeks. His family plans to bury him at Hollywood Cemetery, near the Heights—next to, or near, the mother who never stopped waiting for him.
He will be laid to rest with full military honors.
After eight decades, Private First Class Nicholas Hartman is finally coming home.