REMAINS OF VICTIMS TO ARRIVE IN U.S. TODAY FOR IDENTIFICATION.

Byline: The New York Times

The American ambassador in Croatia said Friday that the bodies of 33 Americans killed in a plane crash near Dubrovnik, including that of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, would be flown back to the United States today for identification and burial.

As a cold rain and fog lifted in Croatia, American helicopters, using winches and body bags, hoisted the last of the remains off a craggy, 2,400-foot mountain on Friday and transported them to a temporary morgue at the airport, about two miles away. Many of the bodies were burned or mutilated beyond recognition, but the number of corpses that have been recovered matches the number of passengers listed on the plane's manifest, Pentagon officials said.

Col. Mark A. Brzozowski, a U.S. Army spokesman, said that the graves and registration team handling the bodies would make no effort to identify the American victims in Dubrovnik. The identification will be done in the United States and could take several days, he said.

Today, after a brief ceremony in Dubrovnik to be attended by the Croatian president, Franjo Tudjman, and Galbraith, the remains of the 33 American victims - Brown, 13 U.S. government officials, 12 corporate executives, six crew members, and a New York Times reporter, Nathaniel C. Nash - are scheduled to be flown to the United States by two military C-17 cargo planes. President Clinton said he would receive them at a ceremony this afternoon at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Clinton, Vice President Gore, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and the families of many of the victims are to meet the plane, which is scheduled to arrive at about 4:30 p.m., the White House said.