Flags covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act have been ordered flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, October 4, in honor of Illinois Army National Guard Private First Class Harry Jerele.
Private First Class Jerele bravely served his country during World War II. After enduring capture by enemy forces, he tragically passed away as a prisoner of war at the Cabanatuan POW camp in December 1942. His remains, buried in a common grave, went unidentified for over eight decades.
Through the relentless efforts of the US Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, using anthropological and mitochondrial DNA, Private First Class Jerele's remains have been positively identified 81 years after his death. He has finally returned home to his family and fellow Illinois National Guard members. On October 1, 2024 Private First Class Jerele was laid to rest with full military honors at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL.
For more information, visit the Illinois Flag Act webpage.