WWII Medal of Honor POW Finally Identified

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A heroic WWII Medal of Honor recipient, who endured unimaginable horrors only to die from friendly fire, is finally coming home after 80 years—proof America never forgets its warriors.

Story Highlights

Capt. Willibald C. Bianchi, one of only 473 WWII Medal of Honor recipients, identified by DPAA after decades as an unknown.
Survived Bataan Death March, POW camps, and a sunk hell ship before dying on Enoura Maru from U.S. bombing unaware of prisoners aboard.
Remains return to New Ulm, Minnesota, for burial near Memorial Day 2026, honoring his Midwestern roots and sacrifice.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces identification, underscoring Trump administration’s commitment to veterans and POW/MIA accountability.

Bianchi’s Extraordinary Valor on Bataan

Capt. Willibald C. Bianchi led Philippine Scouts, Company D, 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry Regiment, on the Bataan Peninsula in early 1942. On February 3, he volunteered to assault Japanese machine-gun nests. Shot in both hands, he pressed forward with pistol and grenades. Wounded twice more in the chest and struck by a tank round, Bianchi inspired his men to continue fighting. These actions earned him the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on June 7, 1945. His courage exemplifies the selflessness conservatives cherish in America’s Greatest Generation.

Endurance Through Japanese Hell Ships

After Bataan forces surrendered on April 9, 1942, Bianchi marched the grueling 60-mile Bataan Death March, where about 500 Americans and 2,500 Filipinos perished from brutality, starvation, and executions. Imprisoned in places like Bilibid Prison through 1944, he boarded the unmarked Oryoku Maru in December 1944. U.S. aircraft sank it; Bianchi survived. Transferred to Enoura Maru, he died on January 9, 1945, in Takao Harbor when U.S. naval planes bombed the unmarked hell ship carrying over 900 POWs. Japan concealed POW transports, leading to tragic friendly fire losses.

DPAA Identification After 80 Years

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified Bianchi’s remains on August 11, 2024, via DNA matching and anthropological analysis in the Enoura Maru Project. This targets over 928 POWs from Oryoku Maru, Enoura Maru, and Brazil Maru. Postwar, the American Graves Registration Command recovered 311 bodies from a Taiwan beach mass grave and buried them as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Bianchi’s name had adorned the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery; a rosette will now mark him accounted for. DPAA upholds America’s promise to leave no hero behind.

Watch;

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the identification, praising Bianchi’s valor amid the Trump administration’s focus on honoring veterans over wasteful globalist spending. Chris Cassidy, National Medal of Honor Museum CEO, lauded Bianchi’s bravery and DPAA’s persistence, ensuring his legacy endures for generations.

Return to Minnesota Roots

Born in 1915 on a chicken farm near New Ulm, Minnesota, Bianchi left high school after his father’s death to support his family. ROTC at University of Minnesota Farm School earned him the nickname “Medals.” In November 2025, Sen. Amy Klobuchar highlighted his sacrifice at a Mankato Veterans Day event, affirming the solemn vow to bring every missing hero home. Bianchi’s remains head to New Ulm for burial around Memorial Day 2026. Local veterans and the community prepare honors, transforming national sacrifice into hometown pride. This closure reinforces conservative values of family, duty, and limited government delivering on promises.

Under President Trump’s leadership, efforts like DPAA thrive without the fiscal mismanagement of past administrations, ensuring real results for patriots like Bianchi who defended freedom against tyranny.