Funerals for FM1c Billie J. Johnson and SSgt Wesley R. Kroenung (World War II); and CPL William S. Smith (Korea)
This February, DPAA announced that it had accounted for FM1c Billy J. Johnson, US Navy. FM1c Johnson was lost at Pearl Harbor, HI, on 7 December 1941.
FM1c Johnson will be buried on Wednesday, 19 August, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location for his funeral services or interment.
If any TAH readers have the precise location for FM1c Johnson’s funeral services, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.
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This May, DPAA announced that it had accounted for SSgt Wesley L. Kroenung, USMC. SSgt Kroenung was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943.
SSgt Kroenung will be buried next week – on Wednesday, 14 August – in Miramar National Cemetery. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location for his funeral services.
If any TAH readers have the precise location for SSgt Kroenung’s funeral services, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.
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This June, DPAA announced that it had accounted for CPL William S. Smith, US Army. CPL Smith was lost in South Korea on 1 September 1950.
CPL Smith will be buried next week – on Saturday, 17 August – in Vidalia, Georgia. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location for his funeral services or interment.
If any TAH readers have the precise location for CPL Smith’s funeral services, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during the Korean War a proper final send-off.
Category: Blue Skies, We Remember
I will be raising a glass to these returned Warriors to pay Honors to their Sacrifice.
God Lord and blood pressure willing, I’ll be making a spirited attempt to make CPL Smith’s Services. Vidalia is only about 100 miles from here.
Thanks for the update Hondo.
Fair winds and following seas to all of them.
CPL Smith – Visitation at Hall’s Funeral Home in Vidalia, from 6-8 pm Friday, 16 Aug. No time announcement, but on 17 Aug he will be finally laid to rest in the “In Memory Of” plot that has awaited him for many years in Pinecrest Cemetery.
FM1c Johnson – Funeral will be at 11:15 am, Monday, Aug 19th at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.
SSG Kroenung – No Joy, except for a Accounted For Rosette.
Rest In Peace, Gentlemen.
Thanks for the update Claw. I found the funeral home web page, but no info on CPL Smith yet. I’ll check back over the next few days. Working on getting a detail up to go down, 18 months ago woulda been no big deal. My flock of Mother Hens won’t let me drive that far alone.
5th, I found the info on the visitation from a Coombs County Magazine Facebook entry by CPL Smith’s Great Nephew, so there may or may not be an official announcement by the Hall Funeral Home.
Thanks Claw. I’ll get Baby Sister to curry comb thru the spacedoutinyourbookfakepage thingie. Which, if that Toombs Co page is public it should show up.
clawdaman
Here’s a little help. The entry on the Toombs County Magazine page was dated July 29, 2019.
“His Lord said to him, Well done, you good and faithful servant…” Matthew 25:21.
Staff Sergeant Wesley Lee Kroenung, Jr. was a combat photographer reported as Killed in Action due to shrapnel and gunshot wounds to the head on 20 November 1943 and buried in Division Cemetery 4 on Tarawa. In 2011/2012, Chief Rick Stone, while a member of the Department of Defense (DoD), investigated all of the unresolved Tarawa casualties who were buried as “Unknowns” in the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu. On 5 November 2011, Chief Stone submitted a report to the DoD listing SSGT Kroenung as a possible match to “Unknown X-103.” Researchers from the Chief Rick Stone and Family Charitable Foundation, using advanced law enforcement investigative techniques and sophisticated technologies not available to DoD or their contractors, continued to investigate SGT Kroenung’s case and confirmed that SSGT Kroenung was a Most Likely Match to only one Punchbowl, “Unknown X-103.” On 9 May 2019, the Department of Defense announced that SSGT Kroenung had been identified and later confirmed that SSGT Kroenung was Unknown X-103 recovered from the Punchbowl Cemetery.
Welcome home Marine! We share the joy of your family in your return! God Bless you and thanks to ALL who never forgot you and your service to our country!