WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Capt. Willibald Bianchi Buried at Hometown After 81 Years

Army Captain Willibald C. Bianchi, one of only three Philippine Scouts to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II, was buried with full military honors in New Ulm, Minnesota on May 2, 2026 — more than 81 years after his death. Bianchi, 29, was killed on January 9, 1945, by friendly fire aboard the Japanese prisoner-of-war transport ship Enoura Maru in Takao Harbor, Taiwan, while being transported as a POW; the US Navy submarine USS Whale, unaware the vessel carried Allied POWs, attacked the ship. His remains were not identified at the time. Bianchi had earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at Mabatang, Bataan, Philippines on February 8, 1942, when he led a counterattack against Japanese forces despite being wounded, knocking out enemy machine gun positions. He later survived the Bataan Death March, only to die in US friendly fire over two years later. After his remains were finally identified through modern forensic work and DNA analysis, they were returned to New Ulm. He was met by his hometown community on April 24, 2026 and buried at New Ulm City Cemetery with a military escort, bagpipes, veteran salutes, and a police motorcade. Stars and Stripes reported the story on May 6, 2026, noting that Bianchi's identification was the result of the DPAA's ongoing effort to account for WWII missing. His Medal of Honor citation states he 'displayed leadership and courage in the face of the enemy which was an inspiration to all with him.'