Long Delayed Funeral Planned For Winona Area War II Hero

La Crosse, WI (KROC-AM News) - A funeral mass is planned later this month for a Winona area man who lost his life in service of his country in World War II.

A news release posted by the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse says Sergeant Jack Hohlfeld was a native of Trempealeau and La Crosse. He died at a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines after surviving the Bataan Death March.

The statement also indicates that, after fighting in intense combat in the Philippines and being captured by Japanese forces, he died in captivity on December 26, 1942 at age 29. He was then buried in a common grave with the remains of five other soldiers.

Military records indicate three of the fallen service members buried in a common grave were identified using dental records shortly after the end of the war, but the conditions and existing technology prevented the positive identification of the other three, including Sergeant Hohlfeld.

The Defense Department says their remains were transferred to the American Military Cemetery in Manila in 1948 and their names were listed on the wall of the missing. The diocese says his mother, and later his niece persistently corresponded with military officials urging them to find a way to identify Hohlfeld's remains and bring him home.

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The U.S. Military reported that the process began in 2018 when the remains of the three identified service members were moved to a military forensic facility in Hawaii. Using modern DNA technology, Sergeant Hohlfeld's remains were positively identified in late May.

The church says his remains will be transported to La Crosse with the military Escort Officer prior to a visitation at St. Patrick's Parish in Onalaska on the morning of August 26. That will be followed by a funeral Mass officiated by La Crosse Diocese Bishop Gerald Battersby and a burial ceremony with full military honors at the Catholic Cemetery in La Crosse. The public is welcome to attend.

The news release notes that Sergeant Hohlfeld was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, World War II POW Medal, and numerous other citations for his military service.