Severe storms thrashed Atlanta Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of flights that would have carried the remains of Cpl. James T. “Tommy” Mainhart back to Butler.

Mainhart’s remains, which are arriving home 66 years after his death in Korea, were supposed to land Wednesday afternoon at Pittsburgh International Airport, where the Butler County American Legion Riders waited to escort them to Butler County.

However, flights from Atlanta were halted by severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings and hail.

After multiple delays and two canceled flights, the group of riders slowly dwindled from 160 to 20 throughout the day before they left after the second flight’s cancellation, according to Leroy Bunyan, one of the riders who waited with the family until after the second flight was canceled around 7 p.m.

homas E. Mainhart of Butler, the nephew of the deceased, said he was one of the family members waiting at the airport.

“It was a long day,” he said. “We weren’t quite sure what was going to happen.”

He said he had been there for almost eight hours. He said he was impressed that so many riders stayed as late as they had.

“They’re dedicated people,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for all of them.”

Bruce Vasey of Thompson-Miller Funeral Home said he received an official notice this morning regarding the cancellations.

“It was just inclement weather,” he said. “(They) couldn’t get a flight up.”

Vasey said the weather in Atlanta looks better today; however the National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a wind advisory for the state which is forecasting strong winds up to 35 mph.

Despite the wind, Vasey received a tentative confirmation from Delta airlines that the remains should arrive today.

Vasey said the funeral home staff will go to pick up the remains accompanied by a small group including a few family members, and they will return with a one-person military escort.

“There’s no motorcycles today; there’s no police,” he said.

He said it will just be the hearse and the group, hoping things will turn out better for the service planned at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Saturday may be especially important for some.

Thomas E. Mainhart, who was born in 1956, never had the chance to meet his uncle. But, he’s heard stories from his father and his grandmother. One thing he knows for sure is that James Mainhart never went by the name James.

“He went by Tom or Tommy,” Thomas E. Mainhart said. “When I was born, my Dad named me after him.”

The nephew said the weather may have ruined the escort, but it won’t have an effect on the services.

“No matter what the weather’s going to be, it’s going to be a good day,” he said. “Something like this can really bring a community together.”

Tommy Mainhart, who was 19 at the time, was killed in action Nov. 30, 1950, during the Korean War. His remains were considered unobtainable at the time of his death, but were obtained by the U.S. Army in 2004. In December 2016, the remains were positively identified.