After 77 years, remains of WWII Army Private Walter Wildman of Bristol finally returned home

Damon C. Williams, Bucks County Courier Times
·4 min read

Bristol native and WWII casualty Army Private Walter G. Wildman is finally home.

On Nov. 13, 1944, Wildman — then just 20 — gave the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in action serving in World War II and assigned to Company M, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division fighting deep in the Hürtgen Forest offensive in Germany.

Now, 77 years after Wildman's show of selfless bravery, and after many decades of a first attempt to recover and then identify his remains, Wildman has received the proper military burial he deserved. He was laid to rest in the Washington Crossing National Cemetery on Monday.

"It really is an amazing story, especially with it happening just before Memorial Day that Private Wildman is coming home after such a long, long time; almost 80 years of being gone, since he lost his life," said Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, one of the attendees of Wildman's military burial. "I felt it was important to be here, not just as the county commissioner, but Private Wildman was from Bristol Borough and I'm from Bristol Borough, so I wanted to be here sort of as a tribute from one son of Bristol Borough to another."

U.S. Army National Guard Pennsylvania Military Funeral Guard carrying the casket of WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, to Shelter 1 for reinterment, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
U.S. Army National Guard Pennsylvania Military Funeral Guard carrying the casket of WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, to Shelter 1 for reinterment, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

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According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the American Graves Registration Command conducted several investigations in the Hürtgen area between 1946 and 1950, but were unable to recover or identify Wildman’s remains.

Wildman was then declared non-recoverable in December 1951, but in many respects, his epic journey back home to Bucks County had only just begun.

Earlier, an historian studying unresolved American losses in the Hürtgen area determined that one set of unidentified remains, originally discovered by a German demining team and recovered by the AGRC in 1947, possibly belonged to Wildman.

U.S. Army National Guard Pennsylvania Military Funeral Guard Staff Sgt. Zuriel Nazario hands over the flag to Chris Wildman, of Linwood, a second cousin to WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
U.S. Army National Guard Pennsylvania Military Funeral Guard Staff Sgt. Zuriel Nazario hands over the flag to Chris Wildman, of Linwood, a second cousin to WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

Wildman's remains, which were buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to a laboratory at the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, for examination and identification.

Scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency worked jointly to positively identify Wildman.

Those efforts by the Army, along with the outpouring of support — a the local Warrior Watch group with members on their motorcycles were among the procession that stretched dozens of vehicles as it looped through the idyllic, impeccably manicured cemetery — weren't loss on Bristol Borough Police Chief Joe Moors, who was among several law enforcement officials to attend Wildman's ceremony.

Members of the Warrior Watch salute as the casket carrying the remains of WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, is brought to Shelter 1 for reinterment, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
Members of the Warrior Watch salute as the casket carrying the remains of WW II U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, is brought to Shelter 1 for reinterment, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

"It is definitely an honor and a privilege to be here today to celebrate the coming together (for Wildman's) final services and burial," Moors said. "We are so blessed for veterans like him, and they're why we live the way we live and have all of these wonderful things today.

"So I am honored to be here today representing Bristol Borough."

Moors choked up when speaking of Wildman giving his life in duty to his country.

"It humbles me, to be honest with you, knowing that all these years have passed and he is going to be given the final burial with all the pomp-and-circumstance here for his service," Moors said. "Because of his service, his and other people that gave the ultimate sacrifice, gave us the blessing be here and free in this country today."

Joe Kowal, of Bristol Borough, pays his respects during the reinterment of the remains of WWII U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, in Newtown. His family knew the Wildman family.
Joe Kowal, of Bristol Borough, pays his respects during the reinterment of the remains of WWII U.S. Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, of Bristol, Monday, May 23, 2022, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, in Newtown. His family knew the Wildman family.

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Wildman’s name also is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Margraten, Netherlands, along with the names of others still missing from World War II.

A rosette will be placed next to Wildman's name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Chris Wildman, one of Private Wildman's few remaining living relatives, made the trip from his home in Atlantic City, to witness the burial and receive his relative's flag, which Wildman indicated he would donate to cemetery.

"This is something very important to do to honor all of our veterans, but also someone whom, in all the stories I've read about Walter, the sacrifice he made when he was 20 years old and to (identify) his remains now and to have him here for a burial at home, is just so important," Chris Wildman said, noting that his immediate family had little knowledge of Private Wildman's sacrifice. "I think this is incredible, and so happy to see everyone honoring our veterans. And that's why I am here today, for Walter and all of our veterans."

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Remains of WWII Army Private Walter Wildman of Bucks County identified and returned after 77 years