Wisconsin soldier killed at Pearl Harbor laid to rest after 80 years

By Abbey Hamachek

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    SHAWANO, Wisconsin (WGBA) — A Shawano soldier killed at Pearl Harbor has finally returned home more than 80 years later. Private Herbert McLaughlin was laid to rest with full military honors at Woodlawn Cemetery, bringing closure to his family and the community.

“Honoring our veterans is just a basic calling,” said lifetime VFW Member Richard Kucksdorf.

For McLaughlin’s family, the day was especially meaningful as it brought together relatives who had never met before.

“So not only did we find Herbert, but I actually have been introduced to cousins I never knew I had,” said Dean Seher, McLaughlin’s great nephew.

McLaughlin’s remains were identified through DNA testing provided by a distant cousin. When Seher first learned about the identification efforts, he was skeptical.

“When I first got the call 6 or 7 years ago saying they just wanted contact information as his next of kin, I thought it was a scam… I kinda thought 8 decades later they’re really gonna find the guy?” Seher said.

The homecoming has provided closure not just for the family but for the entire community.

“I think it’s good we honor our veterans, you know there’s less and less of them everyday and Shawano is a great community, they’re very supportive of the veterans,” said Richard Kucksdorf, retired colonel and VFW life member.

To honor and remember McLaughlin, his Purple Heart and other memorabilia are being donated to the local VFW.

“Then we will have an actual wall display along with a photo collage memorializing this day,” Kucksdorf said.

Members of the local VFW are working to ensure McLaughlin’s service is never forgotten through a memorial in Shawano.

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