According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the remains of 17 service members have been recovered from a plane that was lost in Alaska more than sixty years ago.

On Nov. 22, 1952, a C-124 Globemaster crashed while on its way to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, from McChord Air Force Base, Washington, with 11 crew members and 41 passengers on board.

Despite extensive search efforts after the crash, it wasn’t until Jun. 9, 2012, that an Alaska National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew noticed aircraft wreckage and debris during a training mission over the Colony Glacier. Several days later, another team photographed the site and discovered artifacts related to the wreckage of the missing plane.

Later in Jun. 2012, a military team conducted a recovery operation at the site and recommended that it continue to be observed for possible future recovery operations. In 2013, a team conducted further recovery operations after additional artifacts became visible.

Scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory utilized forensic tools and evidence in the identification of 17 service members. The remaining personnel have yet to be recovered, according to officials, but the crash will continued to be observed for possible future recovery operations.

The Department of Defense has recovered the remains of the following 17 service members:

Army Lt. Col. Lawrence S. Singleton; Army Pvts. James Green Jr. and Leonard A. Kittle; Marine Corps Maj. Earl J. Stearns; Navy Cmdr. Albert J. Seeboth; Air Force Cols. Noel E. Hoblit and Eugene Smith; Air Force Capt. Robert W. Turnbull; Air Force 1st Lts. Donald Sheda and William L. Turner; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Engolf W. Hagen; Air Force Staff Sgt. James H. Ray; Air Force Airman 1st Class Marion E. Hooton; Air Force Airmen 2nd Class Carroll R. Dyer, Thomas S. Lyons and Thomas C. Thigpen; and Air Force Airman 3rd Class Howard E. Martin.