Medal of Honor Recipient's Remains Identified and Buried After 80 Years

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of Medal of Honor recipient Army Capt. Willibald Bianchi more than 80 years after his death in World War II, and he was buried in his hometown alongside his parents and sisters, per the U.S. Department of Defense release published May 4, 2026.

The identification affects Bianchi's surviving family members and the agency's accounting of approximately 81,000 unaccounted-for U.S. personnel from past conflicts, with over 72,000 from World War II alone, based on standard Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency data referenced in the release.

Prior to the identification, Bianchi's remains were unaccounted for since his death in 1942. The new state confirms his identity through forensic analysis, effective immediately upon announcement, and completes his burial on an unspecified recent date.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency updates its database of resolved cases, enabling the Department of Defense to notify next of kin formally. The family receives veteran burial benefits, including honors at the gravesite. Congress receives annual reports on such identifications, triggering potential budget adjustments for the agency's forensic operations.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified over 1,000 sets of remains since 2015, per agency records. This case follows similar identifications from World War II battlefields in recent years.