Remains of World War II soldier repatriated after 79 years

The remains of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Woodrow Gerdes returned home to St. Louis for the first time in nearly 80 years on a special night Friday. Gerdes, who died serving his country, was welcomed by his next-of-kin, including great-niece Kristy Jung, at Lambert International Airport.

According to the military, Gerdes served in the 28th infantry division during WWII and was reported missing in action on November 9th, 1944, during intense battles with Nazi forces in Germany. Hailing from St. Clair, Gerdes was 31 years old at the time of his death.

In 2018, Gerdes’ body was exhumed from an American cemetery in Belgium and identified through DNA testing a year later. Jung shared that her family never forgot about him, with her grandfather, Gerdes’ oldest brother, even carrying a newspaper clipping from when he went missing in his wallet until he passed away.

Described as a country boy who loved spending time with his family, Gerdes was the middle brother of four. For the family, Friday marked a full-circle moment and they encourage other families to never lose hope in finding the remains of their loved ones.