Photo By Scott Sturkol | A scene from the graveside service for Army Pvt. Robert L. Skaar, a Soldier killed...... read more read more
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Another Soldier, once missing in action, has made it home to Wisconsin.
Dozens of family members, military members, and community members gathered together Oct. 1 at Woodlawn Cemetery in La Crosse, Wis., to honor the return of Pvt. Robert L. Skaar to his hometown 79 years after he was killed in action in France during World War II.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) posted Sept. 5 in a press release that “U.S. Army Pvt. Robert L. Skaar, 18, of La Crosse, Wis., killed during World War II, was accounted for June 7, 2024.”
Additionally, the release stated, “In early 1945, Skaar was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division. On March 10 (1945) Skaar was killed in action while his unit was on patrol near Wildenguth, France. The Germans never reported Skaar as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not immediately recovered.”
So, for 79 years, it was mainly unknown what happened to Skaar. The release states the history of how the search for Skaar took place as well as how he was identified in 2024.
“Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, searched the area around Wildenguth,” the release states. “None of the investigations uncovered any leads regarding the disposition of Skaar’s remains. Consequently, he was declared non-recoverable on March 12, 1951. DPAA historians have been conducting on-going research into Soldiers missing from combat around Wildenguth. and found that X-5726 Neuville (X-5726), buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Neupré, Belgium, could be associated with Skaar. X-5726 was disinterred in August 2022 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for analysis.”
The release also states that to identify Skaar’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial genome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.
Skaar’s niece, Cheri Honey of Ullin, Ill., said during a visit to Fort McCoy on Sept. 30 that she and other family members supported the DNA analysis efforts. And she said they were glad it helped bring him home.
During the graveside service, which took place at 9 a.m. at the cemetery, Skaar was escorted to the cemetery by the Patriot Guard Riders. According to their website, the Patriot Guard Riders “is a 100 percent volunteer, federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which ensures dignity and respect at memorial services honoring fallen military heroes, first responders, and honorably discharged veterans.”
Once he arrived, he was greeted by a U.S. Army Funeral Honors Team from the Wisconsin Army National Guard that carried him to his final resting place in his hometown of La Crosse. Surrounding the team and Skaar were more military members, including those who completed the three-volley salute, and also Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez-Ramirez who made the trip to honor a fellow Army Soldier.
Also, very close by were Skaar’s family members, many from southern Illinois and others from La Crosse. Some of the family members said the service actually served as a family reunion of sorts as some of the family members hadn’t previously met each other before.
Honey had also said for years her mother, Skaar’s sister, had hoped for many years that he would be found, so the service and the return of Skaar was something the family was grateful for.
“We’re just glad, and we’re just honored that so many people worked on this for so long to get us to come together,” Honey said.
Through the service, Chaplain (Capt.) Daniel Shimon with the Wisconsin National Guard provided words of comfort for the family and honor for Skaar. Another speaker recited words of honor that are specific to the 42nd Infantry, Skaar’s unit.
And to complete the service honors, the U.S. Army Funeral Honors Team completed the playing of Taps, held the three-volley salute, and then folded the U.S. flag and presented to Honey who was the designated representative for the family.
When Skaar was brought back to the Midwest, he was flown to Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport where he was greeted by a planeside honors team from the Minnesota Army National Guard and his family members, including Honey and several of her siblings from southern Illinois and Kentucky.
They all were then driven from Minnesota to La Crosse with an escort from the Patriot Guard Riders. Honey recalled her ride.
“When we were driving from the airport from St. Paul (Minn.), when we were being escorted in, one of the most emotional parts of it was when … I saw the sign that said La Crosse,” Honey said. “It hit me that after 79 years, he was brought back home again.”
Skaar was always remembered. According to DPAA, “Skaar’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozé, France, along with others still missing from World War II.”
And now that he’s found and home, the DPAA release also stated, “A rosette will be placed next to his name (in Dinozé) to indicate he has been accounted for.”
For more information about DPAA, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil. Also see Skaar’s profile with DPAA at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000001nzSxZEAU.
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on DVIDS at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2024 15:30 |
| Story ID: | 483017 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Honoring a Hero: Army private killed in action in 1945 returns home to Wisconsin, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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