EAST BERNSTADT, Ky. (LEX News) — A Kentucky soldier who was missing for decades after World War II will be laid to rest this week in Laurel County.
The remains of Technician Fourth Grade Rueben Smiddy, 33, will be buried Sept. 12 at Andes Cemetery in East Bernstadt.
Smiddy entered the U.S. Army from Kentucky and served with the 17th Ordnance Company in the Philippines during World War II. Following the surrender of American and Filipino forces in April 1942, he was captured by Japanese troops and forced to endure the Bataan Death March to Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac Province.
According to military records, Smiddy was later assigned to a labor crew working on the Tayabas Road project at Camp O'Donnell. He died on June 15, 1942, and was buried alongside other prisoners of war near the road.
For decades, Smiddy's fate remained unresolved. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that his remains were identified and accounted for on May 12, 2025.
His burial Friday will bring an end to an 83-year wait for the Laurel County soldier to return home.
