Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of World War II Army Air Forces Private Herbert E. McLaughlin Who Lost His Life
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #271 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff across the state from sunrise until sunset on Sat., Aug. 9, 2025, in honor of U.S. Army Air Forces Private Herbert E. McLaughlin, who lost his life during World War II at Hickman Field following the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed Private McLaughlin’s remains for identification, and he was accounted for in December 2024. He will now be brought home to be laid to rest in his hometown of Shawano.
“Private McLaughlin gave his life defending the values and freedoms we hold most dear, and on behalf of the state, we are forever grateful for his service, selflessness, and sacrifice,” said Gov Evers. “It is our responsibility to make sure every hero receives the recognition they deserve, and it is an honor to be able to help welcome Private McLaughlin back to his home to be laid to rest.”
Born in Shawano, Private McLaughlin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in the midst of World War II and was assigned to Headquarters Squadron, 17th Air Group at Hickman Airfield on the island of Oahu. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, surrounding U.S. military installations were attacked, including Hickman Field and Schofield Barracks. While the exact circumstances of his passing are unknown, Private McLaughlin was one of 91 men who died at Hickman Field that day. In the days following the four-hour attack, Private McLaughlin’s remains were interred in the Schofield Barracks Cemetery. In August 1947, the American Graves Registration Service disinterred the remains of the Schofield Barracks Cemetery for analysis and was unable to identify the remains of 12 men from the Hickman field attack, including those of Private McLaughlin. Subsequently, the unidentified remains were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. In 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began exhuming unknown remains believed to be associated with the Hickman field losses for analysis and identification, at which point Private McLaughlin’s remains were positively identified. Private McLaughlin was 31 years old when he passed.
Private Herbert E. McLaughlin will be buried in Shawano on Sat., Aug. 9, 2025.
Executive Order #271 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sat., Aug. 9, 2025, and is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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