Remains of World War II Soldier to be buried in Round Knob, Illinois
FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. William L. Leukering, a Soldier killed during World War II, will be interred July 18 at Round Springs Cemetery, Round Springs, Illinois. Aikens-Farmer-Loftus-McManus Funeral Home, Metropolis, Illinois, will perform graveside services preceding the interment.
A native of Metropolis, Illinois, Leukering was a radio operator assigned to the 816th Bomber Squadron (Heavy), 483rd Bomber Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force base. He was killed in action in the summer of 1944 after the B-17G Flying Fortress, on which he was aboard, was struck by enemy anti-aircraft during a bombing raid on German air defense installations in Memmingen, Germany. Leukering was 28 years old.
He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency March 20, 2023, after his remains were excavated from the crash site in 2018 for laboratory analysis and identification.
The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.
Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process including burial with full military honors.
For additional information about Tech. Sgt. Leukering go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3667486/airman-accounted-for-from-wwii-leukering-w/
Media interested in covering and/or obtaining more information about the funeral and interment should contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490 and/or Aikens-Farmer-Loftus-McManus Funeral Home, 618-524-2156.
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Date Taken: | 07.19.2024 |
Date Posted: | 07.19.2024 14:40 |
Story ID: | 476638 |
Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
Web Views: | 18 |
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