NEW ULM, Minn. — Relatives of a Minnesota soldier who did not return from World War II can rest easier, after his remains were identified 80 years after he died as a Japanese POW.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Wednesday that U.S. Army Capt. Willibald C. Bianchi, killed while in service, is now officially accounted for.

Bianchi, a 29-year-old native of New Ulm, was commander of Company D, 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts, on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. On Feb. 3, 1942, he volunteered to help clear a series of Japanese machine gun nests and, despite being wounded multiple times, continued leading the attack, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Military officials say Bianchi was captured on April 9, 1942, following the American

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