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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Remains of World War II soldier missing in action identified, to be buried in Dayton
The remains of a World War II soldier from Ohio who was missing in action have been identified. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] U.S. Army Pvt. James G. Loterbaugh of Roseville, Ohio, killed in World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 20, 2024. TRENDING STORIES: 'We've lost everything;' Families comb through destruction after 4 houses catch fire Chance to see northern lights returns to the Miami Valley $207 million Powerball jackpot won; Here are the winning numbers Loterbaugh was born on March 25, 1909 Hocking, Athens, Ohio, and was killed in service to his country on Dec. 11, 1944, in Germany's Hürtgen Forest, according to his obituary. In January of 1944, Loterbaugh joined the Army and served in Company C, 774th Tank Battalion, during World War II. In December 1944, he was a crewmember on an M4 Sherman tank. On Dec. 11, his platoon was separated from the rest of the company during a battle near Strauss. Germany in the Hürtgen Forest. By midday, the entire platoon, including Loterbaugh's tank, was reported missing in action, according to his Obituary. He was not reported as a prisoner of war, and Army personnel who searched the battlefield found no leads regarding his fate. An presumptive finding of death was issued by the War Department in December 1945. On Sept. 20, 2024, Loterbaugh was identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) using DNA and anthropological analysis and accounted for. His name is inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, along with others still unaccounted for from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name now that he has been accounted for. A public visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at Routsong Funeral Home located on E Stroop Rd in Kettering. Loterbaugh will receive full military honors and be buried at Dayton National Cemetery on June 3, 2025. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
WWII soldier returned home 80 years later; public services soon
Previous coverage of scouts planting Memorial Day Ceremony flags. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – A soldier who has been listed as Missing in Action for over 80 years will finally be laid to rest here in Dayton soon. WWII U.S. Army Pvt. James G. Loterbaugh, from Hocking (Athens), was M.I.A. since Dec. 1944. According to the VFW Department of Ohio, Loterbaugh's remains have been recovered, identified and returned to his family. A motorcade escort took him from Dayton International Airport to Routsong Funeral Home. 'Welcome home, Pvt. Loterbaugh. God bless,' wrote the VFW Department of Ohio. In the war, Loterbaugh served in Company C, the 774th Tank Battalion. In Dec. 1944, he was a crewmate on a M4 Sherman tank. On Dec. 11 his platoon became separated from the rest of the company during a battle in the Hürtgen Forest (Strass, Germany). By noon, the entire platoon was reported as Missing in Action. The Germans did not report Loterbaugh as a P.O.W. The following year, the War Department issued a presumptive finding of death. Loterbaugh was identified by DPAA from DNA and anthropological analysis. He was accounted for on Sept. 20, 2024. His name on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery will now have a rosette to show he has been found. His public services will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at Routsong Funeral Home. (2100 E. Stroop Rd., Kettering.) A private, family-only service will be held on June 3. Loterbaugh will receive full military rites and burial at Dayton National Cemetery. To read Private James G. Loterbaugh's obituary, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.