Medal of Honor Recipient Willibald Bianchi Finally Returns Home

World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Willibald Bianchi will finally return to his hometown of New Ulm, Minnesota, for burial, over 80 years after his death. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Bianchi’s remains were identified among approximately 300 sets of unidentified remains recovered in Taiwan in 1946. This identification marks the end of a long journey for a soldier whose bravery was never recognized during his lifetime.

Bianchi, a captain in the US Army, endured extreme hardships during the war, including two gunshot wounds from Japanese forces, the infamous Bataan Death March, and brutal conditions in prisoner-of-war camps. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of valor, but tragically, he never learned of this honor nor returned to Minnesota. He died at the age of 29 during a US air strike on a POW ship off the coast of Formosa (now Taiwan) in January 1945.

A Hero’s Journey

In early 1941, months before the US officially entered World War II, Bianchi requested a deployment to the Philippines and joined the Philippine Scouts, a unit consisting of Filipino soldiers led by American officers. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces targeted US troops in the Philippines, culminating in the surrender of over 70,000 men on April 9, 1942. Bianchi, demonstrating remarkable leadership, led a platoon to neutralize two Japanese machine gun nests during the siege on the Bataan Peninsula.

Despite suffering multiple injuries during the battle, Bianchi continued to fight. He was shot twice in the hand and then in the chest but refused to abandon his comrades. Instead, he commandeered a US tank’s anti-aircraft machine gun, fiercely engaging enemy positions until he was finally knocked off the tank by enemy fire.

Following the surrender, Bianchi endured the harrowing conditions of the Bataan Death March, a brutal forced march over 65 miles to POW camps. He reportedly worked to maintain morale among fellow soldiers during this grim ordeal.

Tragic Fate and Lasting Legacy

After enduring several POW camps, Bianchi was placed on a so-called “hell ship” in December 1944, a term used to describe transport vessels overcrowded with prisoners under inhumane conditions. Tragically, these ships were often unmarked, leading to horrific incidents like the one that claimed Bianchi’s life. On January 9, 1945, an American bomber mistakenly targeted the ship, resulting in Bianchi’s immediate death.

“An American plane dropped a 1,000-pound bomb into the hold of the anchored ship. The US was unaware the target was filled with American prisoners of war. Bianchi was killed instantly,”

states the Minnesota Medal of Honor website.

His mother, Carrie Bianchi, accepted the Medal of Honor on her son’s behalf just five months later. In her acceptance speech, she expressed her pride, stating, “As a mother, I am proud to be able to give to this generation and to our beloved America the most precious gift that life makes possible, my only son.”

With Bianchi’s identification, only 21 of the 473 troops who received the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II remain unaccounted for. His final burial is scheduled for May, allowing his family and community to honor a hero who sacrificed everything for his country.