80 Years Later, PA Soldier Killed In World War II Identified

BRISTOL, PA — After almost 80 years, the remains of a World War II soldier from Bristol have been identified and will return to Bucks County as its final resting place.

According to the Defense POW/MIZ Accounting Agency, the remains of Walter G. Wildman, who was 20 years old when he died on Nov. 13, 1944, have been positively identified by forensic specialists from the organization. The identification of the Bristol soldier's remains occurred on Jan. 26.

According to the DPAA, Wildman was a member of Company M, 12 Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and was killed in the Hürtgen Forest offensive near the Belgian-German border. He had been injured in France in June of 1944.

The American Graves Registration Command searched the Hürtgen area for missing soldiers' bodies between 1946 and 1950. Wilderman was declared non-recoverable in December of 1951, according to the DPAA.

One unidentified body, named X-5441 Neuville by researchers, was originally discovered by German demining teams in 1947. A DPAA historian took the remains to be observed by scientists from his organization, who used dental and anthropological analysis in 2019. Scientists were abe to positively identify Wilderman in January.

His remains will be buried in Newtown on May 23.

Wilderman was one of many soldiers whose name was written on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, located in Margraten, Netherlands. A rosette is set to be placed next to his name, indicating that he had been found.