POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION

On September 9, 1946, at St. Avold, France, at 3:00, in the afternoon, Lt. Daniel S. Wilson, formerly Unknown X-7341, was reburied between Unknown X-7330 and Unknown X-7318. Chaplain H.M. Trebaol conducted the service.

One copy of WD AMC Form 1042 – Report of Interment – place in burial bottle and buried with remains.

Danny Wilson’s parents never learned any of these details.

The book Crosses in the Wind tells the poignant story of the men who were part of the Graves Registration Teams, including their very thorough training before following American soldiers into battle.

Official letters asked whether Mr. and Mrs. Wilson would like their son Daniel’s remains to be brought back to Iowa, or whether they’d prefer their son would be buried “near where he fell,” in an American cemetery in Europe. Leora decided the family just could not go through another funeral, so she signed the papers, and had them notarized, for him to be buried overseas.

 Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II is available from Amazon in paperback and ebook, also as an audiobook, narrated by Paul Berge.

It’s also the story behind the Wilson brothers featured on the Dallas County Freedom Rock at Minburn, Iowa. All five served. Only two came home.