Veteran's Parkway closing for procession escorting World War II soldier
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — On Friday afternoon, Veteran's Parkway will be temporarily closed for a procession escorting the remains of Private First Class Robert Lee Bryant.
The southbound portion of the road will be closed from Shepard Road in Normal to Washington Street in Bloomington.
Bryant was killed in action during World War II. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Bryant participated in Operation AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy near Salerno in September 1943, while assigned to Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, 'Darby's Rangers,' in the Mediterranean Theater.
After 81 years, his remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in September 2024.
Soldier's remains returning to Bloomington after 81 years
Bryant's remains are being flown into Chicago Midway International Airport and then escorted to Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home. His family received permission to have his remains escorted by his great-great-nephew Austin Dillow, a Bloomington native who is stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas.
Law enforcement is expecting the closure to last from about 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both the Bloomington Police Department and Normal Police Department ask the public to use alternate routes and to expect minor delays. Normal PD said the department will update its Facebook page when the procession was closer to the area.
Pfc. Bryant's repatriation services are on April 12 at 1 p.m. at Park Hill Cemetery, with the processions beginning at 12:15 p.m. at the funeral home.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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