The remains of two soldiers missing in Iraq for over a year have been found.  Alex Jimenez and Byron Fouty were captured in an ambush near the beginning of the “surge” operation, and their abduction touched off a massive search in central Iraq.  Identification came from dental records, according to the BBC:

Spc Alex Jimenez and Pte Byron Fouty had been listed as missing since they were seized in an ambush in May 2007 in an area south of Baghdad.

The body of a third soldier, Pte Joseph Anzack Jr, was found in the Euphrates river a short time after the attack.

The Islamic State of Iraq, a group that includes al-Qaeda in Iraq, had released a video saying it killed all three men.

Both families spoke on the record after being informed of their sons’ deaths:

Spc Jimenez’s father, Ramon, told AP that the news had “shattered all hope” the family had to “see Alex walk home on his own”.

“Byron went to Iraq to help people who couldn’t help themselves,” said Mr Dibler [Fouty’s stepfather]. “I know their sacrifice was not for nothing. It was not in vain.”

Our prayers are with both families, and with the families of all the men and women serving our nation in the war.