This Missing Soldier’s Journey Come to a Shocking End – After 80 Years!

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has announced that U.S. Army Pvt. Robert L. Skaar, an 18-year-old from La Crosse, Wisconsin, who was killed during World War II, has finally been identified. His remains were accounted for on June 7, 2024, marking the end of a nearly 80-year mystery.

Pvt. Skaar was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 222nd Infantry Regiment, part of the 42nd Infantry Division. In the early months of 1945, as the war drew toward its conclusion, his unit was on a patrol mission near Wildenguth, France. Tragically, Skaar was killed in action on March 10, 1945, during this operation. Despite efforts by his fellow soldiers, the Germans never reported him as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not recovered at the time.

In the years following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) took on the somber task of locating and recovering fallen American soldiers in Europe. They searched the area around Wildenguth where Skaar was last seen, but their extensive efforts yielded no new information. After several years of searching, Skaar was officially declared non-recoverable on March 12, 1951, leaving his family without closure.

However, the DPAA never gave up on their mission. Their historians have been continuously researching the fates of soldiers who went missing during combat in the Wildenguth area. This ongoing research led them to investigate a set of remains known only as X-5726 Neuville (X-5726), which had been buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupré, Belgium, a site maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. The remains were exhumed in August 2022 for further analysis.

To confirm the identity of these remains, DPAA scientists used a variety of advanced forensic techniques. Dental and anthropological analyses were conducted, along with genetic testing. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System utilized mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), mitochondrial genome DNA (mtG), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis to ensure the accuracy of the identification. After extensive testing, it was confirmed that the remains were indeed those of Pvt. Skaar.

Skaar’s name is already memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozé, France, alongside the names of other soldiers who are still unaccounted for from WWII. To honor his identification, a rosette will be placed next to his name, indicating that his remains have been found.

After decades of uncertainty, Pvt. Skaar’s journey has finally come to a close. His remains will be laid to rest in his hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in a burial ceremony on October 1, 2024. This event will provide a long-awaited opportunity for his family and community to honor his sacrifice and reflect on the bravery of a young man who gave his life in service to his country.

This discovery is not just a testament to the tireless work of the DPAA, but also a reminder of the commitment to ensuring that no soldier is forgotten, no matter how many years pass. Through their efforts, Pvt. Skaar’s story can now be shared and his memory properly honored, closing a chapter in a history that has spanned generations.