WWII soldier who died as a prisoner of war returns home to Florence for a dignified burial

FLORENCE, Colorado (KRDO) — After 82 years, a family is reunited with one of their loved ones who died as a prisoner of war.

The remains of 25-year-old U.S. Army Tech. 5 Clifford H. Strickland, who died in World War II, landed at Denver International Airport Thursday afternoon.

Stickland’s identification was made possible by DNA analysis that linked a World War II soldier who died as a prisoner of war to a family in Florence.

Strickland was just 23 years old when he joined the army during World War II.

After his military service, he was deployed to the Philippines, where he was a member of Company C, 803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation). While there, Japanese forces invaded the island and Strickland was one of the thousands of soldiers taken prisoner.

He died in July 1942 at the age of 25 as a prisoner of war.

However, in December 2023, his remains were positively identified by the Department of Defense through a DNA test using samples from family members.

Now his family can give him a dignified burial and he will be buried in the same cemetery as his mother and father.

Strickland will be laid to rest on June 29 at Union Highland Cemetery in Florence, Colorado. T.G. McCarthy Funeral Home will conduct the funeral service in Pueblo, Colorado.

His great-nephew Daniel Strickland, who serves in the U.S. Air National Guard, is expected to accompany him.