More than 80 years after he was killed in action during a bombing mission over Papua New Guinea, the remains of a local World War II airman have returned home. A procession that began from the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport brought Army Air Corps Staff Sergeant John Pagliuso back to his hometown of Lyons on Wednesday afternoon.
On October 5, 1942, Staff Sgt. Pagliuso was on board a B-25 Mitchell bomber with six other crew members during a mission over Papua New Guinea. After making enemy contact, Staff Sgt Pagliuso’s aircraft was last seen going into a steep dive, with several Zeros on their tail. The crash site was located in 1944.
His remains were buried as unknown in the U.S. cemetery in Manila for decades. In 2021, the Defense Department exhumed the remains and used DNA from his family to confirm his identity. He was officially accounted for earlier this year. Full military honors will be given at his funeral on Friday at 11 a.m. at Old Elmwood Cemetery in Lyons. You will find a photo of the route that will be taken on Friday, as Mr. Pagliuso’s remains will be brought to the Cemetery for burial.
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