Home at Last: Kansas City honors WW2 veteran after 80 years missing in action

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Last week, Kansas City welcomed a veteran who was killed in the line of duty during World War Two.

Originally from Detroit, Lieutenant John Mclauchlen was brought to KC ahead of his burial at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. John was missing in action for more than 80 years. Now, he is finally being laid to rest.

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Richard Mclauchlen, John’s nephew, grew up hearing stories about the war hero, Uncle John Mclauchlen.

“My dad used to talk about him and his brother and how they used to go up to the lake in the summertime and have so much fun together,” said Richard Mclauchlen, John’s nephew.

It was January of 1943 when John enlisted in the military.

“They taught him how to be a pilot and to be an officer. He died on December 1 of 1943,” said Richard.

He served just 11 months before a plane crash in Burma killed him and his crewmates.

“They said… last they saw of Uncle John and his bomber was when they dove into a cloud bank. After that no one ever saw anything again,” said Richard.

With more than 80,000 American troops missing in action, the Mclauchlen family had all but given up on bringing john home.

Until Richard and his wife Anita got a call from the military.

“They want to know if they could have a genetic sample,” said Richard.

A genetic sample, a military team working to identify John’s remains, and now, an arrival to Kansas City.

I asked Richard if John’s arrival is like finishing the mission 81 years later.

“For 80 years, he was unknown. Now, he’s going to have a marker with his name on the grave and he’ll be able to say yes, I came home,” said Richard.

After finding out that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency was searching for John, Anita started looking into his life.

“The more I work on him, the more I feel like I know him,” said Anita Mclauchlen. “I feel like I’m just as close as my husband is.”

Uncle John was always important to Richard and Anita, but the couple says this whole experience has shown them that he was important to the military as well.

John arrived in Kansas City on Tuesday in a way Richard and Anita say was fit for a hero.

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That treatment will continue Monday morning at his burial, where there will be a flyover. Richard says this brings John’s story full circle.

“My uncle john was a very special man. He truly was a hero,” said Richard.