World War II soldier from Lynchburg will be laid to rest 80 years after his death

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Nearly 80 years after his death, U.S. Army Sgt. Mayburn Hudson will finally be laid to rest on Wednesday.

Hudson, a soldier from Lynchburg, was killed in action on August 19, 1944, during World War II. He was stationed in France when his unit came under heavy German fire and was subsequently listed as missing in action.

Hudson’s remains were discovered in 2018, but it took time to positively identify him.

On Wednesday afternoon, he will be buried at Fort Hill Memorial Park. His niece, Julie Allsep, spoke about the significance of this moment for her and her family.

“Unbelievable. None of us ever thought that this would happen because none of us ever knew that there was anything left to return and if it was that it was unknown,” said Allsep.

Hudson had enlisted in the army at age 17 after lying about his age. He was only 20 years old when he died.

The army allowed his family to choose his final resting place. Arlington National Cemetery was one option. However, Mayburn’s family decided to bury him in Lynchburg next to his aunt who raised him.

Several Veterans’ groups, including the Patriot Guard Riders, will be present at the service. The organization typically attends veterans’ funeral services, riding their motorcycles with flags to pay their respects. Jim Tennant, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders and Vietnam veteran, expressed the group’s commitment to honoring Hudson.

“He’s a Veteran. Most of us are Veterans. We’ve been there, and we have seen, especially Vietnam vets where I came from, we’ve seen disrespect. We’ve seen the bad things happen, and for us to be here in a situation like this, it’s just to be there with the family. To let the family know, ‘Hey, we’re all Americans here. We’re all Veterans here, and we respect this person and we want to be around and let it show,’” said Tennant.

Hudson will receive full military honors at Wednesday’s service, marking a significant closure for his family and a community that remembers his sacrifice.