Remains of a WWII soldier at his home in WNY, decades after he was killed in action

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The return of Private First Class Bartholomew Loschiavo has brought a sense of closure to a family that has struggled with the mystery of what happened to their loved one, for 80 years.

The Buffalo native was killed in action in October 1944 while fighting German troops in Luxembourg, a very small country surrounded by France, Belgium and Germany.

WKBW

On Monday 7 News, Pheben Kassahun told you how his remains were positively identified, thanks to his family’s research and DNA analysis.

PREVIOUS STORY: ‘It means a lot’: Remains of missing Buffalo WWII soldier identified through DNA analysis

Kassahun was at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Thursday afternoon when his body returned home, accompanied by a military salute and a family who can now give this local hero the burial he deserves .

After the military salute, 7 News met with the family at Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc. in West Seneca, where his body will remain until his funeral in a week.

Bartholomew Loschiavo’s nephew, Bart D’Angelo, said, “Uncle Bart passed away and he was the one who brought the family together.”

“We spent a lot of time on this, looking at family photos and talking to a lot of family members. Does anyone have any memories and those memories don’t exist, but we couldn’t be more proud of him and what he did for this country,” said Bartholomew Loschiavo’s great-nephew, David Loschiavo.

Loschiavo’s body landed at BUF Airport via a Southwest Airlines flight, in the presence of an honor guard and his descendants, bringing peace to the family.

“The family hadn’t been able to move on before. This gave us closure. At first there was hope that he was missing and that he was still alive. I believe this hope turned into belief, but that was the end,” D’Angelo added. .

His family told Kassahun that he volunteered in the National Guard in June 1939, for three years, before leaving for Luxembourg.

Don Loschiavo, the great-nephew of Bartholomew Loschiavo, explained: “He was in service until 65 days, from the day he landed. He moved across France quite quickly, chasing the Germans, then when they encountered a formal defense, it was incredible I watched the footage from the film when they were in Saint-Lô, France, and they had actually bombed the monastery, where the Germans were, to get them out.”

Through DNA analysis and extensive research, Don Loschiavo found a woman on Facebook who owned a company called Footstep Researchers, who provided him with all the files on his great-uncle.

Don Loschiavo added, “She gave me all the records I needed on Bart, that I needed to research and figure out where he was. I found out he was in a grave anonymous at the American cemetery in Luxembourg.”

Around 5,000 men are buried in the American Cemetery in Luxembourg.

Around 100 people are buried with nameless.

Don Loschiavo explained, “I hope other people will do this for their family member and bring them home.

“I will have no greater honor in my life being involved here,” added David Loschiavo.

Private First Class Bartholomew Loschiavo will be buried Saturday, June 1, at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Cheektowaga.

He will be buried alongside his parents and his brother Matthew.