WWII Soldier Killed in Foxhole Fighting Germans, Will be Returned to the U.S.

Gerald "Mike" Kight's mother always said he would come home, and she was right.

Oregonian Gerald "Mike" Kight holding his 2-year-old niece Frances Hembree. Photo from Frances and Robert Hembree. Courtesy: Oregon Live

(PORTLAND, OR) - An incredible story about a recovered World War Two Veteran was published by The Oregonian Tuesday. Mike Francis wrote about the recovery of the remains and final return home, for a handsome 23-year old soldier with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne, named Gerald 'Mike' Kight.

It is mind-boggling to imagine; his body was found by a farmer in Wyler, Germany, we have included a map below indicating the location, it is hard to picture what it must have been like.

His oldest living relative is in the Portland, Oregon area. The Oregonian interviewed Frances Hembree, 70, who is actually the toddler he is holding in the photograph.

For years, the family of Gerald "Mike" Kight has wondered: What happened to the handsome 23-year-old who went to war with his three brothers and one brother-in-law, but never came home? He lives on in old photographs and family lore, but he disappeared following a battle along Wylerbaan Road in the Netherlands, between Groesbeek and the little town of Wyler, Germany, in World War II. He was one of 39 Americans who were never found following clashes in the area with German troops in late September 1944.

The mystery, at last, will be laid to rest at West Klickitat Cemetery in White Salmon, Wash., on May 19, following a noontime memorial service at Gardner Funeral Home.

It is equally hard to imagine what it would be like to be notified that the remains of your relative killed in Europe in a war that ended 67 years ago, are going to be shipped home. His niece, Frances Hembree, had to wonder at first if it was another phone scam, fortunately it was nothing of the sort.

Apparently Private first class Mike Kight was laying in a foxhole when he was mortally injured; his unit was overrun by German tanks. His dog tag and wallet were recovered, follow the link below to the newspaper article to see more images.

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According to the article, a soldier who survived the battle saw him after the tank attack. He said Mike Kight was alive, but "severely wounded". This must have been a tough report for the family as the years passed.

The article by Mike Francis goes on to explain how 'Operation Market Garden' was a costly setback to the Allied forces, who lost nearly 12,000 men.

The allies were able to expel the Germans from the Netherlands, but a series of ferocious battles failed to meet the goal of capturing Germany's Ruhr Valley. They believed that a victory in this engagement would have led to a decisive blow that potentially stood to end the war.

The Oregon Live article contains fascinating information about this soldier who went to war with his three brothers and one brother-in-law, but never came home.

As anyone can imagine, his mother never really adjusted to the loss of her son. Her niece says her grandmother always believed that he would come home, and she was right.

Like our own Dr. Phillip Leveque who fought in World War Two, this man served a cause that brought an end to the Nazi regime and it is a war that left countless millions dead on all sides.

Visit the Oregon Live article here: World War II soldier Gerald 'Mike' Kight's remains returned, almost 68 years after he died in battle - OregonLive

Special thanks to our own Q Madp for bringing this to our attention. Families of deployed soldiers face this possible reality, little has changed over time. To honor those who paid the ultimate price, please visit Q Madp's Website, IraqWarHeroes.org

Tim King in 2008, covering the Iraq War

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from The Associated Press the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs, Electronic Media Association and The Red Cross In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005.

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