SHAWANO, Wis. (WFRV) – It was a homecoming that many thought would never happen. A Shawano native killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 returned home Wednesday to be laid to rest.
Pvt. Herbert McLaughlin’s remains went unidentified for over 80 years before they were identified last year. Private McLaughlin was the first Shawano native killed in World War II.
On Wednesday, August 7, a funeral procession brought him home.
“A fellow Veteran who sacrificed his life during World War II finally being recognized and returned for a proper burial in his hometown is pretty significant,” said VFW Post 2723 Quartermaster Phil Nelson.
The procession followed the route all the way from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, while billboards paying respects to McLaughlin lined the highway for the return trip.
The VFW Post in Shawano is named in his Honor.
