SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Somerville community came together Saturday to pay their respects to a fallen Army veteran.
After nearly 70 years, Sgt. George Schipani, who was killed in action after he was taken prisoner during the Korean War, was carried to his final resting place.
Schipani’s remains were originally buried in an unmarked gravesite at the National Memorial Cemetary in Hawaii.
Earlier this year, almost seven decades after he went missing in 1951, his remains were identified.
Saturday, the Army Sergeant was buried in the veteran cemetery in his home town of Somerville.
Vietnam veteran Bob Hardy, who attended the service, says the ceremony demonstrates the strong bonds built in the military no matter the generation of service.
“If it takes 40 or 50 years, we get them back. With this gentleman, it has been 68 years and it is well done that we get them back one at a time if not more,” he said.”There is something special, if you haven’t been in the military, you wouldn’t understand.
The Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Francisco Urena, said he hopes the day closes a chapter for Schipani’s family and renews hope for others still looking for loved ones.
“Today, we finally not only bring him home and give him his final resting place but we provide a sense of, a light of hope to so many families who wish they were in the same situation of what the Schipani extended family is sharing today,” Urena said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)