BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Kentucky State Police have started their journey to escort the remains of a World War II veteran to Bowling Green.

Scott Magers enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 17 and was tragically killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Magers was aboard the USS Oklahoma when it suffered several torpedoes that capsized it quickly, resulting in the deaths of 429 crew members.

His remains were identified in December 2020, and now Scott is coming home.

Landing in Nashville Wednesday evening, Scott’s remains are escorted to Hardy and Son Funeral Home in Bowling Green.

“It is an extreme honor for me to be part of something of this magnitude. I take it really seriously. And I just think of the family during that time, ”said Private Jason Adkison of the Kentucky State Police. “They saw a relative go to war and he never came back. And they really haven’t had a closure.

Adkison, who escorts the hearse, is also a veteran and has participated in several other escorts over the years.

“I served in the Marine Corps infantry from 2004 to 2008 and participated in the Battle of Fallujah and the Battle of Ramadi. And all the guys that we lost in those battles went home immediately and we were able to get this shut down. And these families are finally getting this closure that has been brewing for decades, ”Adkison said. “So being a part of that is really, really special to me.”

The service in honor of Scott Magers will take place on Saturday at the Merry Oaks United Methodist Cemetery on Merry Oaks Payne Road in Smiths Grove at 2 p.m.

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