World War II Soldier Returns Home After 83-Year Wait
Military.com | By Kevin Damask
Published November 07, 2025 at 10:40am ET
After 83 years, John Pagliuso is finally getting the funeral he deserves. Pagliuso, killed in action serving in the Army during World War II, will receive a burial with full military honors on Nov. 7 in his hometown of Lyons, New York.
Pagliuso, presumed missing in action for several decades, was finally identified through DNA technology earlier this year. Norma Davis, Pagliuso’s niece and the oldest living next of kin, was shocked when the Army phoned her back in March to share the terrific news – remains discovered in the Philippines belonged to her Uncle Johnny.
“It was unexpected, obviously,” Davis told Spectrum News 1 in Rochester, New York.
The call came on Davis’s birthday. Talk about a birthday present she’ll never forget.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/11/05/world-war-ii-soldier-returns-home-after-83-year-wait.html
