A local World War II soldier has finally returned home to Lake Linden. Sergeant Robert James Goldsworthy was listed as Missing In Action since December 17, 1944 and 82 years later his remains were escorted home to Lake Linden by an Army Medic, Staff Sergeant Solomon (SSG). Jeff Dennis, Director at Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden, received Goldsworthy’s remains from the Army escort and shared the bottom two photos of the U.S. Army Urn and SSG Solomon, who told Jeff that as soon as he drove into town and saw all the military banners hanging on the light poles, he knew this community cared and it really touched him.

During the 82 years Sergeant Goldsworthy was unaccounted for, he had been first buried in an “Unknown” grave in Gersheim Cemetery, about a mile and a half northeast of Reinheim, Germany where he and several other American soldiers killed during combat, had been interred. They were later exhumed and reinterred as “Unknowns” at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. In September 2025 the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Goldsworthy’s remains had been positively identified using modern forensic science.

The graveside service was conducted with full military honors at Maple Hill Cemetery, just outside of town. Members of the American Legion William-Giroux Post 90 of Lake Linden served as the honor guard for a very moving service which included a final 21-gun salute and taps played for the fallen soldier Robert Goldsworthy. He has finally been accounted for and laid to rest next to his sister and nearby his mother, who never did receive word of where his remains were before she passed. May they all Rest In Peace.

Upper Michigan’s Source – TV6 & Fox UP shares a video of their news report covering the World War II Hero who was reported missing 82 years ago, being given a proper burial in his hometown after DNA positively identified him.

Looks like a wonderful ceremony. So happy he's
where he belongs now. How awful it must have been
for his family, and especially his mother. I hope
he was thanked for his service. And I'm happy the
family had been reunited.

How wonderful that our Hero is home!

Thank you for doing this one!

Hi
I'm glad, for the family's sake, that the searchers
kept at it until they found the remains and brought
them home.

How awesome that they persisted and were
able to identify and return the Sargeant’s remains.
Such a touching and fitting Military burial ceremony.
May he and all deceased veterans Rest in Peace.

It looks like they had a very nice ceremony.

I'm so glad the U.S. Military is still making official efforts to find and identify The Missing.

It started officially in 1973 (with the advent of DNA sequencing). For WW2 2,004 have been accounted for, but 71,686 are still missing. You can see all the statistics for other wars here at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.