Centralia Mayor Bryan Kuder has declared April 11th as Master Sergeant Merritt Leroy Wynn Day in Centralia.
Wynn was killed in action in North Korea in 1950, but his remains were only identified late last year after North Korea turned over the remains of some servicemen killed in the war during a visit by former President Donald Trump.
The remains are being returned to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis on Tuesday. They will be brought to the Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia in preparation for a funeral service at one Saturday at the Elmwood Cemetery.
One of Wynn’s few remaining relatives, Marva Bledsoe of Centralia, thanked the Mayor for the proclamation.
“This last year when they contacted us and said they had been able to identify some of the remains, and yet this year the finally came again and said we needed to make arrangements. I’m just glad that this chapter of the Wynn family can be closed and we can move on knowing he’s been accounted for.”
As part of the proclamation, residents are asked to line Elm and Gragg Street from the Irvin Macz Funeral Home to Elmwood Cemetery at 12:30 Saturday afternoon.
Later in the meeting, the council also voted to waive any fees for the cemetery services.
