Remains of WWII soldier killed in 1944 identified and returned home to Buffalo

The remains of an American soldier killed during World War II have been identified and returned to New York after nearly 80 years.

US Army Circuit. Bartholomew Loschiavo of Buffalo was killed in action on October 1, 1944, while his unit engaged German troops near Grevenmacher, Luxembourg.

According to a witness to the battle, Loschiavo, 24, was hit by an enemy mortar shell, injuring his legs and abdomen, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said in a statement . While trying to duck, Loschiavo rolled off a terrace and disappeared into a cluster of vines. His remains could not be located after the battle.

“He really wanted to serve. It was something he wanted to do and we're proud of it. He did it,” his great-nephew Donald Loschiavo told CBS affiliate WIVB-TV.

Local residents discovered his remains and buried them in the village cemetery of Grevenmacher in April 1945. A year later, the American Graves Registration Command recovered the remains and transferred them to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, where he was buried in an unmarked grave for over 75 years.

“There were 5,000 men in this cemetery alone, including Bart, and there are another 96, unnamed,” Donald Loschiago told WIVB-TV. “I hope other people will do this for their family member and bring them home.”

In 2020, his family contacted DPAA to ask if analysts could determine if the remains could be those of their loved one. After several years, the U.S. Department of Defense and the American Battle Monuments Commission informed the Loschiavo family that their DNA was a positive match to the remains.

On May 27, just days before what would have been Bartholomew Loschiavo's 104th birthday, his remains were returned home, WIVB-TV reported.

“We couldn't be more proud of him and what he's done for this country,” his great-nephew David Loschiavo told WIVB-TV. “That’s really what it’s all about.”

PFC. Loschiavo's name was inscribed on the walls of the missing at the American cemetery in Luxembourg. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that he has been found. His final funeral was Saturday in Buffalo.

“It's closure and it's just sad that his brothers and sisters never had the chance to find out the truth,” Donald Loschiavo said.