Pvt. Rudolph "Rudy" Johnson, a 20-year-old World War II soldier killed in action in 1945, will be laid to rest in Arkansas on Friday.
Johnson, the first of six siblings, was born Nov. 4, 1924, and grew up in Howard County in southwest Arkansas, according to Hicks Funeral Home in Hope. He was living in Malvern with relatives when he was drafted into the Army in 1943.
Johnson was assigned to the 92nd Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Buffalo Soldiers," the only African-American division to see combat in Europe during World War II, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a news release.
Johnson was stationed in northern Italy, where some of the heaviest fighting against German counterattacks took place, the funeral home said. His unit reported him missing in action Feb. 6, 1945, and killed in action two weeks later.
In 1947, American Graves Registration Service personnel recovered a set of remains in the area of Lama di Sotto, Italy, according to the Defense Department.
They were held in Italy, sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for DNA analysis in 2016 and later identified as Johnson's, the department said.
The body was scheduled to arrive at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock on Tuesday evening. A plane-side honors ceremony also was scheduled, according to the airport.
A funeral service will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Hicks Memorial Chapel in Hope. Johnson will be buried Friday at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock.
State Desk on 03/21/2018