ST. LOUIS — The remains of a soldier missing in action during the Korean War is coming back to Missouri today. His flight is landing in St. Louis Friday afternoon and a procession is taking him down Interstate 44 to his final resting place in Camdenton. A rally is being held in his honor in Rolla, Missouri.
Corporal Gerald “Jerry” Newton Wilson went missing in action 74 years ago. His remains, identified in 2018 after decades of effort by the U.S. Army and his family, will arrive at St. Louis Lambert International Airport today.
A procession will escort Cpl. Wilson’s remains westbound along Interstate 44 across the state. The convoy is expected to pass through Rolla between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m., where supporters are gathering to rally at the Loves Travel Center.
Born on December 18, 1930, in Camden County, Missouri, Wilson enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1948. He was presumed Missing in Action on July 25, 1950, during the defense of Yongdong in the Republic of Korea.
A graveside service with full military honors is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday in Macks Creek, Missouri. The Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Camdenton is handling the arrangements.