Funeral set Sept. 6 for PFC Clendenning
U.S. Army Air Forces Private First Class (PFC) Lee Clendenning is finally coming home.
More than 80 years after leaving to join the U.S. war efforts in the Pacific in World War II, Clendenning’s remains will be finally coming back to Taylor County. A funeral service with military rights will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Lakeview Cemetery in Rib Lake.
Clendenning was stationed at Hickam Army Airfield, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and was killed in the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He was 23 years old when he was killed. He was assigned to 23rd Bombardment Squadron (heavy), 5th Bombardment Group at Hickam Airfield on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. He worked as a cook.
Lee Clendenning was among those killed whose bodies were not identified following the attack. His remains were recovered sometime between the time of the attack and December 9, when they were buried in the post cemetery at Schofield Barracks, which is another U.S. Army installation near Pearl Harbor.
At the end of World War II, the military’s Graves Registration Service had the task to recover and identify all of the missing and return them to their families. The service exhumed those buried at Schofield Barracks, who had not been identified, to try to work through and identify the remains. That included not only Lee Clendenning but a number of other service members as well and took place in 1947 and 1948. Clendenning’s remains and those of the others who had not be identified were reburied as “unknowns” in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which is often referred to as the Arlington of the Pacific.
Lee Clendenning remained listed as an unknown. Renewed efforts to identify his remains began in 2020. A total of 12 sets of remains were disinterred from the cemetery by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) based in Oahu. Scientists with the DPAA used a variety of methods to attempt to identify each of the fallen service members. These methods included taking several DNA samples and comparing them to those provided by the Clendenning family as well as looking at dental and other records.
The DPAA reports their findings to the corresponding military branch which then reaches out to the family to make arrangements for bringing them home. Clendenning’s remains were officially identified in March and plans were announced recently for the burial service to be held in Rib Lake. Clendenning’s remains will arrive at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport and on Saturday, September 6, will proceed under police and military escort to Lakeview Cemetery in Rib Lake for a funeral service beginning at 11 a.m.
People wishing to be part of the funeral procession are asked to gather at the parking lot of Good Shepherd Catholic Church and join the procession from that point. Area residents are also invited to park along Hwy 102 in Rib Lake to welcome Lee Clendenning’s remains home.
A reception will follow the service at Lakeview Park. Veterans organizations from Price and Taylor County have been invited to attend and participate in the funeral service. Representatives from those groups who are planning on participating in the service should contact the Lehman-Clendenning American Legion Post 274. commander, Paul Dums, at 715-965-0010 or via email at Paul. Dums1@yahoo.com.
