Fallen WWII soldier’s dog tags return home after 75 years

The dog tags belonging to a fallen World War II soldier have finally returned to his hometown after 75 years. The identification tags Roger Taylor wore around his neck during his 22 months of Army service were presented during an emotional ceremony on Sunday in Beloit, the Canton Repository reported .

The ceremony was held at the Beloit Historical Society, where Col. Matthew Woodruff of the Ohio Adjutant General’s office presented the tags to Leland VanCamp, the historical society’s president. Around 60 people attended, including Virginia Israel Bandy, now 94, who was engaged to Taylor when he was deployed.

“It’s an honor to be able to give this to your historical society to have one more thing and one piece of Beloit history that you can continue to preserve with the rest of the artifacts that you guys have been able to maintain,” said Woodruff.

Taylor, a replacement infantry soldier, had gone missing near Belgium and was later found dead there during the Battle of the Bulge. The necklace was found by a resident near the border of Belgium earlier this year, along with those belonging to several other American soldiers.