MADISON, Wis. (WSAW) – Governor Tony Evers is ordering the United States and Wisconsin state flags to fly at half-staff on Monday, August 26, in honor of Sergeant Jack Hohlfeld of the U.S. Army Air Force.
Hohlfeld lost his life in World War II. His remains were recently identified and returned to Wisconsin for burial.
“Sergeant Jack Hohlfeld was a decorated military hero who selflessly answered the call to service and gave his life in defense of the values and freedoms we hold most dear as a nation,” said Governor Evers. “It is our responsibility to ensure that no hero is ever left behind, no matter how many years have passed, and it is an honor to be able to welcome Sergeant Hohlfeld home to rest in peace.”
Sergeant Hohlfeld, born in Vernon County and raised in La Crosse and Trempealeau Counties, volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1938 and was assigned to the Philippines as a member of the Headquarters Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group.
On December 8, 1941, Sergeant Hohlfeld and members of the 24th Pursuit Group were involved in combat operations and were soon caught up by Japanese forces and forced to surrender as prisoners of war.
Sergeant Hohlfeld survived the Bataan Death March and was held in the Japanese prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan until his death on December 26, 1942. He was then buried with five other soldiers in mass grave 811 before being transferred to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in 1948.
Hohlfeld received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the WWII POW Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with a Bronze Service Star, the WWII Victory Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation with two bronze oak leaf clusters, the Honorable Service Lapel Button – World War II, the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and the Philippine Defense Ribbon with the Bronze Star.
Hohlfeld’s remains were positively identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in May 2024.
Sgt. Hohlfeld will be buried in La Crosse on Monday.
All rights reserved.
