Latest news with #OperationAVALANCHE
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Missing World War II Veteran laid to rest 80 years later
CENTRAL CITY, Ky. (WEHT) –After more than 8 decades missing in action, a Central City hero is finally home. At 29-years-old, Private First Class Kenneth Burgess went missing during World War II. His remains were finally identified in September 2024. Burgess was laid to rest on Wednesday with full military honors. Dozens gathered at Tucker Funeral Home where a long overdue service was held for Burgess whose body has been missing in action since 1943. He was previously declared non-recoverable by the war department after German forces never reported him as a prisoner of war and no body was recovered. In the Fall of last year, decades of uncertainty came to a close as his family got a call sharing his body had been found. 'Taking care of military families is something special.. Today is something that we've never done before,' says Tim Tucker of Tucker Funeral Home. 'If someone makes the ultimate sacrifice not only for our freedom, but [others'] freedom…that just sends chills bumps up my back,' says Colby Joe Carver, Tucker's business partner. Burgess was apart of Operation AVALANCHE, an invasion of Italy. He was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery with full military honors. A bugler played taps and three rounds were fired in his honor. A flag was presented to his niece. 'Right before [the family] walked into the to the funeral home. They were expressing how rejoiced they were and how happy this is to finally have him home. All of the coordination with [Fort Campbel for] the escort…. I mean that was huge for us. We've never seen that before. Having an escort with the body from start to finish that was truly incredible to witness,' says Carver. It's all thanks to a historian whose research pushed for unidentified remains under the name x- 152 to be exhumed and sent to a lab. DNA analysis confirmed what they hoped. Eyewitness News spoke with Burgess' great niece, Linda Burgess, in February after the family was alerted of his confirmed identity. 'I've been fighting tears all day. An epilogue has been added to this book. I've been trying to read it and put the chapters together all my life,' says Linda Burgess. The World War II Veteran's name is on the walls of the Sicily-Rome American cemetery along with others still missing from the war. Now, A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. His story is no longer one of loss but of legacy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remains of Central City soldier from WWII to be buried
HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – The remains of a U.S. soldier that went missing in action during World War II will be interred on May 7 at Rose Hill Cemetery in Central City. U.S. Army Pfc. Kenneth D. Burgess was assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, 'Darby's Rangers' in the Mediterranean Theater. He was reported missing on September 25, 1943, at age 29, during Operation AVALANCHE. 'He's coming home' family of missing WW II soldier reacts after remains are ID'd Officials state Burgess was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on September 13, 2024, after his remains were exhumed in March 2022 from the U.S. Military Cemetery, Nettuno, now known as Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Rome, Italy, for laboratory analysis and identification. To identify Burgess' remains, scientists used anthropological, circumstantial and mitochondrial DNA analysis. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II soldier welcomed home after 81 years
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — On Thursday after 81 years the remains of Private First Class Robert L. Bryant were brought home. 'It's been an exciting day,' said Julie Bryant, Bryant's niece. 'I always remembered my mom telling us about my Uncle Bob. That he had died in the war but we had nobody. We just always had stories because we were not even thought of.' Bryant was killed in action in September 1943 during World War II. 'I do our family tree and genealogy. So, I tried looking up different things about our Uncle Bob,' said Margie Bryant Dillow, Bryant's niece. Pfc. Bryant was reported missing after Operation AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy near Salerno. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, his remains were first declared unrecoverable in 1949. However, in 1947, remains were recovered but unidentified and were interred at Military Cemetery Nettuno, which is now Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. 'I keep telling everybody it's a miracle,' said Bryant Dillow. Soldier's remains returning to Bloomington after 81 years The community gathered at Calvert and Metzler Memorial Home to welcome the procession. Bryant's remains were flown into the Chicago Midway International Airport. His great-great nephew Adam Dillow, who is in the army himself, was able to escort his remains to grandmother Margie is truly proud of this moment. 'We were there when Adam got off the plane. And he had to stay with Uncle Bob's remains from then on everywhere he went. That, first of all, just seeing him do that got to my heart,' she said. Local law enforcement temporarily closed Veteran's Parkway from Shepard Road in Normal to Washington Street in Bloomington for the procession. But the support went beyond the Bloomington-Normal community. Bryant Dillow said that from Chicago to Bloomington, they saw a multitude of supporters. 'The whole of I-55 was stopped from Chicago to here. Almost every bridge, if not every overpass, there were either fire trucks, ambulances, or other emergency vehicles,' she said. 'People with flags, people in uniform, then they'd salute. There were people on the side of the road. All the way.' Bryant's family is thankful for the overwhelming support. 'We are so grateful for the community. I mean a hero was brought home,' said Julie. 'There's just not words to describe what's going through my heart right now,' said Margie. Veteran's Parkway closing for procession escorting World War II soldier Many intricacies make this homecoming a poetic one. Bryant's family found out his remains were identified 81 years to the date he died. His great-great nephew is in the Army and was able to escort his remains home. Veteran's Parkway was temporarily closed to welcome this soldier back to Bloomington. And Bryant will be buried next to his brother, Harold Dean Bryant, who was a World War II Paratrooper and the father of Margie and Julie. For those who missed the welcome home procession, there is still a chance to join the family in honoring Private First Class Robert Lee Bryant. Repatriation services are on April 12 at 1 pm. The procession will leave Calvert and Metzler at 12:15 p.m. and head to Park Hill Cemetery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WATCH: Returning soldier funeral procession makes it way through McLean County
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Watch as the procession escorting the remains of Pfc. Robert Lee Bryant makes its way through Bloomington-Normal on Thursday. For the procession, the southbound portion of Veterans Parkway was closed from Shepard Road in Normal to Washington Street in Bloomington. Veteran's Parkway closing for procession escorting World War II soldier Law enforcement is expecting the closure to last from about 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both the Bloomington Police Department and Normal Police Department ask the public to use alternate routes and to expect minor delays. Bryant was killed in action during World War II. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Bryant participated in Operation AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy near Salerno in September 1943, while assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, 'Darby's Rangers,' in the Mediterranean Theater. After 81 years, his remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in September 2024. Bryant's remains are being flown into Chicago Midway International Airport and then escorted to Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home. His family received permission to have his remains escorted by his great-great-nephew Adam Dillow, a Bloomington native who is stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas. His repatriation services are on April 12 at 1 p.m. at Park Hill Cemetery, with the processions beginning at 12:15 p.m. at the funeral home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Veteran's Parkway closing for procession escorting World War II soldier
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — On Friday afternoon, Veteran's Parkway will be temporarily closed for a procession escorting the remains of Private First Class Robert Lee Bryant. The southbound portion of the road will be closed from Shepard Road in Normal to Washington Street in Bloomington. Bryant was killed in action during World War II. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Bryant participated in Operation AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy near Salerno in September 1943, while assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, 'Darby's Rangers,' in the Mediterranean Theater. After 81 years, his remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in September 2024. Soldier's remains returning to Bloomington after 81 years Bryant's remains are being flown into Chicago Midway International Airport and then escorted to Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home. His family received permission to have his remains escorted by his great-great-nephew Austin Dillow, a Bloomington native who is stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas. Law enforcement is expecting the closure to last from about 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both the Bloomington Police Department and Normal Police Department ask the public to use alternate routes and to expect minor delays. Normal PD said the department will update its Facebook page when the procession was closer to the area. Pfc. Bryant's repatriation services are on April 12 at 1 p.m. at Park Hill Cemetery, with the processions beginning at 12:15 p.m. at the funeral home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
