Nearly 80 years after he died in combat in World War II, the remains of an airman from Southern Illinois are being brought back home.
32-year-old Tech Sergeant Harold Kretzer of Odin was flying a mission as part of the Allied conflict against the Nazis when his plane went down over Romania.
He was initially buried there in a tomb of “unknowns,” and the remains were later transferred to an American cemetery in Belgium.
Early next month, Kretzer’s remains will arrive at his final resting place, Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, with ceremonies planned there at 1 pm on June 2.
