World War II soldier whose remains were identified in 2023 will be buried in Taylor

A ceremony will take place Saturday in Taylor at a grave near his parents and his brother.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Leroy Cloud of Thrall was killed in 1944 during a World War II battle in France, but his remains were not identified until last year. Eighty years after his death, he finally will be buried at home.

"He was an athlete and well-liked, and everybody loved him," said JB Cloud of Abilene, Leroy's great-nephew. Part of the reason officials were to identify Leroy Cloud's remains was because of a DNA match with JB Cloud.

Leroy Cloud was in a tank fighting Germans on July 26, 1944, at Saint-Germain-d’Elle, France, when it was struck by a German rocket, according to an Army document. It said two crewmembers were able to escape the vehicle, but Cloud and another soldier were never seen or heard from again.

A burial ceremony will take place beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Taylor City Cemetery, 1101 E. Fourth St. The event is open to the public, JB Cloud said. "Everybody is welcome to come salute a hero."

For more on the life of Leroy Cloud and the measures it took to identify his remains, read the full story here.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 80 years after WW II soldier died, he will be buried in Taylor, Texas