Brecksville man plays key role in return of remains of World War II soldier lost in action

by Dan Holland

An official-looking package received in 2021 by Brecksville resident Adam Walko – one that he initially thought was fraudulent – turned out to be a key factor in identifying and returning the remains of his long-lost great-uncle who died in combat in World War II in Germany.

“I thought it was just someone phishing for information and I ignored it,” Walko said. “But then my mom had seen a story on the news about the army starting to do DNA testing to identify lost servicemen, and she thought it might be legit.”

In reaching out to his great-aunt, Sally Gaydosh of Twinsburg, he discovered that she and her daughter had received similar packages in the mail.

“It turned out to be legit, but they thought it was bunk at first too,” he said. “So, it was a whole process of filling out information and sending it back with a saliva swab. My great aunt is the last one still alive from that generation of kids.”

The inquiry was related to Gaydosh’s older brother, John Walko, who was killed by mortar fire on Oct. 20, 1944, during the Battle of Aachen in Germany. His remains were never formally identified, having been declared nonrecoverable in 1951. His name is listed among the missing at Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. He was just 19 years old at the time of his passing.

On May 1, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that U.S. Army Pfc. John Walko, of Commodore, Pennsylvania, had been identified through forensic analysis and DNA testing. His remains were flown back to Pittsburgh International Airport on May 15.

“They had a whole ceremony at the airport, but I couldn’t make it due to work, but we planned to go the following week to the funeral,” Walko said. “We went on May 19, when they held a wake that the military all came to, and then the following day was the funeral with full military honors. That was the first time I had been to a military funeral, and I didn’t realize all of the pomp and circumstance involved in that.”

Walko’s late grandfather – George Walko, brother of John – also served in the U.S. Army during WWII but returned home following the war.

“There were more than 100 people at the funeral, and as we passed through the center of downtown Indiana [Pennsylvania], people were lining the streets and waving American flags,” Walko recalled. “There was representation from the boy scouts and all the different military groups. It was quite an event in a strange kind of way.”

John Walko was buried alongside his parents, Charles and Matrona Walko, and his brother, Samuel Walko, in the family plot at Oakland Cemetery in Indiana, Pennsylvania. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge.

As it turns out, Adam Walko’s DNA sample proved to be a perfect match to that of his great-uncle.

“It was my great aunt, cousin and myself,” he said. “We all submitted DNA tests, but it was my DNA that was a 100% match to the remains,” he recalled. “And, that’s why they wanted a male descendant to send in a DNA sample. I was just glad to be able to help out in the whole process.”

Answers may have come eight decades later, however Adam said he is relieved his family finally has an understanding of the circumstances surrounding John Walko’s death.

“I know it always bothered my grandpa, in that he had never received any definitive answers regarding his brother,” Walko said. “I think this was a good process to honor those who sacrificed for their country, so the family can get closure. It was just good for the family to finally be able to get some closure.”

Photo caption: John Walko was killed by mortar fire on Oct. 20, 1944 during the Battle of Aachen in Germany. His remains were initially never identified after being declared nonrecoverable in 1951. Photo submitted.