World War II soldier missing for decades laid to rest in emotional South Carolina ceremony

Draped in an American flag with only 48 stars, a casket held the remains of U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Arthur W. Crossland Jr. Friday at Northeast Presbyterian Church before family members he’d never met, military dignitaries and a church full of South Carolinians paying their respects in an hour-long service.

Almost 80 years to the day after his death at 19, Crossland — simply Jr. to his family — was later laid to rest at Fort Jackson National Cemetery with full military honors.

The flag had been presented in 1946 to Crossland’s parents, Arthur W. Crossland Sr. and Lauda Mae Stallings Crossland, a year after their son was reported missing in 1945 along with a purple heart. It was held as a memento by his brother, Paul Dillard ‘Red’ Crossland, who passed in 2017.

Having found the flag the day before the funeral, Crossland’s nephew Billy Crossland said. “We knew pops would have wanted that flag used.”

Billy said the day was emotional, “We’ve heard the stories our whole lives, always hearing the stories from our grandparents and my dad, over and over. Now we know. He was always listed as missing and we never knew for sure how he had died.“

The 19-year-old triggered a mine in France on March 15, 1945, and disappeared in the explosion. U.S. troops withdrew without recovering his remains while engaged in battle with German forces near Althorn, France.

Those remains were eventually labeled Unknown X-535 and interred at Normandy American Cemetery. They were exhumed in 2022 and identified as Crossland’s using science that didn’t exist in World War II.

Crossland is buried at Fort Jackson National Cemetery near his brother, who also served in the United States Army.