The remains of a US soldier killed during the Second World War have been returned to his hometown in Pennsylvania more than 80 years after his death, following DNA analysis that confirmed his identity.
John A Walko Identified After Decades
John A Walko, a US Army Private First Class who died on 20 October 1944 during the Battle of Aachen in Germany, was escorted from Pittsburgh airport to Commodore, Pennsylvania by a veteran's motorcycle group earlier this month, according to Cleveland.com.
Walko's remains were not accounted for after the war, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said. The American Graves Registration Command at the United States Military Cemetery Henri-Chapelle, Netherlands, took custody of a set of unknown remains in 1944.
The Identification Process
These remains were ultimately designated X-99 Henri-Chapelle. While it was known they belonged to someone killed by mortar fire in Aachen on 20 October 1944, the condition of these remains prevented a definitive identification at the time.
Three years ago, the US Defense Department and American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed X-99 Henri-Chapelle and transferred the remains to a DPAA laboratory. Using anthropological analysis, material evidence, and various DNA analyses, scientists positively identified the remains as those of John A Walko.
Family's Long Wait
Sally Gaydosh, 96, told Cleveland.com that she had waited nearly eight decades for news of her brother, sometimes even wondering whether he might just show up. 'And we waited and we thought, Oh, we're sure. We're sure they'll find him,' Gaydosh reportedly said.
Holly Gaydosh, Sally's daughter, described her uncle's return home as bittersweet. 'He was the uncle that was always missing,' she was quoted as saying.
Walko's sister said she received a letter in 2021 asking for DNA to identify her brother. Although she initially thought the letter was a scam, the family eventually submitted DNA samples.
Accounted for in 2025
The DPAA deemed Walko accounted for in July 2025. 'He called me on the phone and said they had good news,' Sally Gaydosh reportedly said.
As the veterans' group escorted Walko home, Commodore residents lined Main Street, greeting him with American flags and raised hands, according to Cleveland.com. Local firefighters honored Walko by displaying a sprawling American flag on a firetruck as the hearse traveled to the funeral home.
Walko was interred on Wednesday, laid to rest alongside his mother, father, and brother.
Another WWII Soldier Identified
The DPAA announced on 22 May that another military member killed in World War II had been identified. Robert J Barrat, a US Army Air Forces Second Lieutenant, died in 1945 during a bombing mission to Lutzkendorf, Germany. Witnesses reported seeing Barrat's B-17G Flying Fortress bomber hit another plane in formation.
Barrat's airplane struck the ground and exploded. Eight of the nine crew members on that plane died, according to the DPAA. Barrat and several crew members' remains were buried in St Louis, Missouri, but were exhumed two years ago for further investigation.
Like Walko, Barrat was identified through DNA analysis. He will be buried on 27 May at Arlington National Cemetery.
