SPOONER — Gov. Tony Evers has ordered flags at half staff Saturday in honor of a World War II soldier whose remains were recently identified and returned home to Wisconsin for burial.
Marine Sgt. Duane O. Cole served in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. He was killed on the line of duty on Nov. 3, 1943 on the island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands.
Cole's remains were discovered in 2014 and accounted for in September of 2019. He will now be laid to rest at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner.
“After so many decades of without closure, my condolences and thoughts are with Sgt. Cole's family and community as they welcome him home to his final resting place,” said Gov. Evers Friday. “On behalf of the state of Wisconsin, we are grateful for his service and sacrifice, and honor his memory.”
Click here to read the governor's order.
