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Arlington Service Set For Slain U.S. Defense Expert

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- The U.S. military is paying final respects to a former Pentagon official from Delaware whose slaying last year remains a mystery.

The ashes of John P. Wheeler III are to be placed at 9 a.m. Friday at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Wheeler's body was found Dec. 31 at a Delaware landfill in a load of trash collected in Newark, Del. Police say the 66-year-old New Castle resident died from blunt-force trauma. He was last seen alive the night of Dec. 30 in downtown Wilmington. Police say they are actively investigating the case but have no suspects.

Wheeler was a graduate of West Point, Harvard Business School and Yale law school.

His 45 years in defense work included a key role in establishing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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