Family’s Long Awaited Reunion: U.S. Soldier Returns Home after Nearly 80 Years Missing in WWII

On a special night Friday, the remains of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Woodrow Gerdes were returned home to St. Louis for the first time in nearly 80 years. The family, including great-niece Kristy Jung, welcomed him back at Lambert International Airport.

Gerdes was reported missing in action on November 9th, 1944, during intense battles with Nazi forces in Germany while serving in the 28th infantry division during WWII. At the time of his death, he was 31 years old and hailed from St. Clair.

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

Gerdes was described as a country boy who loved spending time with his family and 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.