A portrait of U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Herbert E. McLaughlin, who is believed to have died in Hickam Field in Oahu, Hawaii, during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency)
(Tribune News Service) — Flags across Wisconsin will fly at half-staff Saturday to honor U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. Herbert E. McLaughlin, who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
McLaughlin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and was stationed with the 17th Air Group at Hickman Airfield on the island of Oahu in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
McLaughlin was one of 91 men who died at Hickman Field that day, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death are unknown, according to the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. He was 31.
While McLaughlin’s remains were initially interred at the Schofield Barracks Cemetery, the American Graves Registration Service in 1947 disinterred his remains for analysis. McLaughlin, along with 11 other men from the attack, were unable to be identified at the time and they were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
More than 70 years later, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in 2019 exhumed McLaughlin’s remains, which were identified in May 2025. He will be buried Saturday 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,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement announcing an executive order to fly flags at half-staff in McLaughlin’s honor.
“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.”
© 2025 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.).
Visit www.wisconsinstatejournal.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
