Latest news with #GlennHodak
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Motorcade honoring late WWII hero Glenn Hodak passes through NWPA
The remains of World War II hero and prisoner of war Airman Glenn Hodak were brought home 80 years after his death, with a motorcade traveling from Pittsburgh to Youngsville Free United Methodist Church for his final resting place. The solemn procession included motorcycles, patrol units, and Patriot Guard Riders, escorting the funeral coach carrying Hodak's remains from Pittsburgh International Airport to Youngsville Free United Methodist Church. 'It's something outstanding to do this,' said Tom Dunfee, a military veteran. 'I mean to be able to do it and I'm just glad they could.' 'We are just here to support Mr. Hodak,' said Randy Larsen, a military supporter. 'After 80 years of being gone, he deserves a good welcome home.' As the funeral coach arrived at the church, the Star-Spangled Banner was played, followed by a moment of silence and prayers. Randy Larsen, who has family that served in several wars, expressed how special the event was to him. 'It's just phenomenal, it just brings so much joy to my heart,' he said. The Youngsville Legion Riders Post 658 were present to pay their respects. Kelly Van Tassel, a member of the group, noted the sense of unity the event brought. 'As a group, it brings everybody together,' she said. 'It's Americanism, it's patriotic, it's just a great thing and place to be.' Hodak's funeral is scheduled for Monday at Youngsville Free Methodist Church, marking the final chapter in a long journey home for the fallen hero. All facts from this article were gathered by WJET/WFXP journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by WJET/WFXP staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After nearly 80 years, Pennsylvania airman finally comes home
After nearly eight decades, a Pennsylvania airman who was once listed as 'Missing in Action' has finally returned home. Airman Glenn Hodak, from Cambridge Springs, PA, was shot down over Japan in 1945 during World War II. For years, his fate remained a mystery — until now. The Hodak family recently learned that Glenn was captured and taken as a prisoner of war, held at the Tokyo Military Prison. Tragically, the prison later burned down, killing all of the U.S. POWs inside. Glenn Hodak is the first of them to be positively identified. After an 8-month process, his flag-draped casket finally made its way home. On Friday afternoon, the tarmac at Pittsburgh International Airport was lined with honor: service members, Pennsylvania State Police troopers, firefighters, and members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood in solemn tribute. A few remaining members of the Hodak family were also there. All nine of Glenn's siblings have since passed. 'He was long gone before we were even born,' said Dennis Hodak, his nephew. 'Mostly only ever heard about him through stories,' added Russ Hodak, Glenn's great-nephew. 'That's what piqued my interest.' That interest became a mission. While a student at Penn State in 2008, Russ began researching his grandfather's history and stumbled upon records related to his great-uncle. His research led to Glenn's identification in the fall of 2023, 78 years after his disappearance. The procession that followed was fitting for a hero. It included military escorts and members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group known for honoring fallen service members with motorcycle escorts and flags. 'It's been a long time, and his family finally has some closure,' said Jeremy Barnard, a Ride Captain with the Patriot Guard. Barnard and his fellow riders travel the country for these solemn missions. 'It's a very sobering and somber experience,' he said. 'There's usually not a dry eye anywhere. Seeing a service member's coffin, draped in the American flag, coming off a plane — it's something powerful.' Russ Hodak says he hopes Glenn's long-overdue homecoming inspires other families of World War II service members to keep searching — and to never give up hope. 'Don't give up hope,' he said. 'Keep researching. Keep looking. It can happen.' For those with loved ones still missing in action, this Family Member Resource Guide from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is a great place to start. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remains of captured WWII U.S. airman identified as Cpl. Glenn Hodak
March 27 (UPI) -- Forensics investigators identified the remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Glenn Hodak nearly 80 years after his B-29 bomber was shot down over Tokyo in March 1945. Hodak, 23, was from Cambridge Springs, Pa., and a gunner aboard a B-29 Superfortress bomber when it was shot down during a mission over Tokyo, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Wednesday. Hodak served in the 93rd Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group and was listed as missing in action after his crew's B-29 went down. Post-war investigators learned Hodak survived the bombing mission and was held as a prisoner of war until dying in a Tokyo Military Prison fire on May 26, 1945. The U.S. Army Air Force caused the fire when it launched "Operation Meetinghouse" that sent more than 275 B-29 bombers over Tokyo to drop 1,667 tons of incendiary bombs during the largest firebombing mission in the Pacific Theater on March 9, 1945. The raid used 500-pound cluster bombs, each of which contained 38 M69 bomblets containing napalm that was ignited by white phosphorus, reported. The air raid caused the greatest amount of destruction of any bombing raid during World War II, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended the war. "The chosen areas were saturated, [and] 15 square miles of Tokyo's most densely populated area were burned to the ground" by the resulting firestorm, the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey on the Pacific War reported in 1946. The raid killed between 80,000 and 100,000 Japanese people and many POWs, including Hodak. The U.S. Army Air Forces repeated similar raids over Tokyo and other heavily populated Japanese cities. "If we lose, we'll be tried as war criminals," Commanding officer Gen. Curtis LeMay said as the Japan's civilian death toll mounted due to the repeated fire bombings. Hodak's remains were not immediately recovered or identified following Japan's surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, but American Graves Registration Service personnel searched for and recovered the remains of U.S. service members throughout the Pacific Theater. AGRS personnel recovered 62 sets of remains from the Tokyo Military Prison in early 1946 and identified the remains of 25 service members. Hodak's remains were among 39 sets that were unidentified and eventually interred among unknowns at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in 2022 disinterred the remains of the 39 unknowns and subjected them to modern forensics testing, including DNA analysis. Investigators also examined dental records and prison reports compiled in Japan and from the memories of other U.S. military personnel who were transferred from the Tokyo Military Prison prior to its destruction. Hodak's remains were positively identified on Sept. 25, 2024, but the announcement of the discovery was delayed pending notification and receipt of his remains by his family. Hodak will be buried in Spring Creek, Pa., in May and is one of two service members whose remains were identified since 2022, CBS News reported.
