Sergeant George "Bud" Reeser returns home


The remains of Sergeant George "Bud" Reeser, who died fighting in the Pacific in November 1943 during World War II, were identified and returned home to Washington, Illinois, September 2020. You can read about Bud and the return here or below.



I have become fascinated with World War II for a couple of reasons. First, my husband John's dad, John Carroll, was veteran, who landed on Utah Beach with the D-Day invasion. And my dad's father, Michael King, was also a veteran of WWII and WWI. My mother-in-law, Mary, had a friend who perished in the Pacific during WWII. We have a couple of letters that he sent her from the Philippines. 


So I went over to Washington to pay my respects to Sergeant Reeser at the visitation, which was open to the public. Dozens of flags lined Washington Rd. leading up to Deiters Funeral Home



There was a large crowd, including many on motorcycles.



There were items found near or on his body in a display case.


This was the second memorial gathering for Bud Reeser. The first was held in January 1944. The above news clipping contains a touching tribute to Bud from one of his fellow soldiers:

Just a few lines as it is Christmas Eve and I am waiting to go to Midnight Mass. I am going to Communion and I am going to offer it up to my best friend that was not as fortunate as myself. You have pictures of him but if you don't know who I mean his name was George Reeser. I miss him very much and I know the rest of the boys in the company do too. There was not a liberty that I went on in the last two years that he was not with me. He was a good boy so maybe he is better off where he is now and I know it can be no place but heaven.




God bless Sergeant George "Bud" Reeser and all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

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