The long-awaited return of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Woodrow Gerdes to St. Louis on Friday was a special moment for the family that had lost him in WWII. Gerdes, who had been missing in action for nearly 80 years, was welcomed home 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.
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.