‘It means closure’: World War II heroes laid to rest at Omaha National Cemetery after 80 years
By Jake Fischer
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — World War II heroes found their final resting place in Nebraska after 80 years.
Four soldiers, Dale Detjens, Fredrick Katye, Joseph Blair, and Joseph Miller, were killed in action in Germany, and on Tuesday, the Nebraska Patriot Guard Riders escorted them to the Omaha National Cemetery.
KETV NewsWatch 7 photojournalist Jake Fischer takes you inside the ceremony.
“This day means a lot to me, especially my grandparents,” said Mike Detjens, Dale’s nephew.
“On the way back, they encountered about 50 to 75 German Luftwaffe and went into a dogfight,” said Linda Smock, Miller’s niece. “This plane went down on Dec. 23, 1944, during kind of the tail end of the Battle of the Bulge.”
Their journey home took 80 years, but they made it.
Their families have waited decades for their return, donating both their time and DNA to positively identify their loved ones and finally get the closure they needed.
“It means closure for our families, most definitely the ability to say goodbye,” said Smock.
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