TAZEWELL COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) — An Illinois soldier is finally getting a proper burial on Saturday after more than seven decades. Sgt. Richard Crotty was declared missing in action in 1950 but after years of DNA testing, his remains were identified in February of 2023.
The procession will begin at Mason White funeral home in Washington and conclude at Swan Lake Memory Gardens in Peoria. Mason White Directors Rodney Humes and Tim Whiteside feel privileged to start the procession in Washington.
“Obviously this doesn’t happen too often, to have someone who served in the military many years ago and is finally identified and taken to his place of rest,” Humes said.
Several groups will be involved in the procession, from the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club to the American Legion. Legion Post Two Commander James Ulrich said that the Legion is proud to honor any serviceman or woman lost to time.
“When a veteran leaves this life for eternal life, we like to honor that transition, whether they’re an active person, they’re retired, or someone that’s been discharged,” Ulrich said.
Over 7000 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
