The remains of a World War II soldier from Indiana County have been identified and are finally being returned home more than 80 years after he was killed in action.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says Army Private First Class John A. Walko of Commodore was accounted for in July 2025 after DNA and forensic testing confirmed his identity. He was 20 years old when he was killed in 1944 during fighting in Aachen, Germany, while serving with the 1st Infantry Division.
Officials say his remains were originally buried as unknown after the war, but were later exhumed and reanalyzed using modern scientific methods, including multiple forms of DNA testing.
For John’s 94-year-old sister, Sally, it fulfills a lifelong vow to “find him” and “bring him home,” a promise that shaped generations of family memory.
Her nephew, Eddie (G)aydosh of Renda Radio in Punxsutawney, says it’s a great story, and one he has been hearing for a long time.
Walko will be buried in Indiana this month.
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