Pvt. William A. Boegli's casket is escorted to the cemetery for interment on Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, Mont. (Rachel Leathe/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)
May 25, 2019 - 4:06 PM
BOZEMAN, Mont. - The Latest on funeral services for a WWII solider from Montana whose remains were identified last year. (all times local):
5 p.m.
A World War II soldier from Montana who died on an island in the Pacific Ocean 75 years ago has been buried in his home state after his remains were identified last year.
A memorial and funeral with full military honours was held Saturday in Bozeman for Army Pvt. William A. Boegli, who was raised in Sedan, Montana.
He was killed while leading a group of litter bearers to evacuate wounded soldiers in the 1944 invasion of Angaur Island.
The Bozeman Chronicle reports Boegli was initially buried without identification on the island, and later moved to a cemetery at Fort McKinley in the Philippines. His remains were sent to Hawaii last year and identified using DNA comparisons with relatives.
During Saturday's funeral, Boegli was awarded medals including a Purple Heart, Silver Star and WWII Victory Medal.
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10 a.m.
The remains of a Montana man killed during World War II while working to evacuate soldiers from an island east of the Philippines are due to be buried Saturday with full military honours.
A memorial service for Army Pvt. William Boegli was planned followed by interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Boegli died in 1944, at age 25, while evacuating soldiers on Angaur Island.
His remains were buried on the island and later moved to Fort McKinley in Manila, Philippines.
But the remains weren't identified until last year, after they were disinterred and their DNA compared to Boegli's relatives.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019