The Wayne County Veterans Service Agency has announced details for the funeral of Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. John A. Pagliuso, a World War II airman from Lyons, whose remains were recently identified after more than eight decades.
The public is invited to attend the funeral service to honor Staff Sgt. Pagliuso’s service and sacrifice.
- When: 11 a.m., Friday, November 7
- Where: Old Elmwood Cemetery, 129 Phelps Street, Lyons
- Interment: Family plot, Old Elmwood Cemetery, immediately following the service
Staff Sgt. Pagliuso served with the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group during World War II and was killed in action in 1942 during a mission over Papua New Guinea. His remains were officially identified earlier this year through DNA analysis by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
Local officials, veterans, and community members are expected to take part in honoring the Lyons native as he is laid to rest with full military honors.
“This accounting brings long-awaited closure to the family and honors the immense sacrifice Staff Sgt. Pagliuso made for our nation,” said Wayne County Veterans Service Director Samantha Wilson.
Details on the return escort and public procession are being coordinated with local law enforcement, fire departments, and military officials. Plans for funeral services will be announced once arrangements are finalized.
The story of Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. John A. Pagliuso is one of courage, sacrifice, and long-awaited closure.
Born in 1918 to Italian immigrants, Pagliuso grew up in Lyons, New York, before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Mitchel Field in Hempstead on October 3, 1939. He trained as an aerial photographer and joined the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group, serving in the Southwest Pacific during World War II.
On October 5, 1942, the B-25D Mitchell bomber Pagliuso was aboard failed to return from a mission over what was then the Territory of Papua (now Papua New Guinea). His aircraft and one other bomber were patrolling near Buna when they spotted a Japanese convoy. After radioing the convoy’s position, the crew engaged the enemy. Six Japanese fighters intercepted the bombers, and Pagliuso’s aircraft was last seen diving steeply with six Zeroes in pursuit.
The second bomber returned to base, prompting an immediate search and follow-up mission. Despite additional patrols, no further contact was made.
In 1944, a crash site was discovered, and one set of remains was recovered—but could not be identified. Those remains were interred as Unknown X-133 at the Fort McKinley Cemetery in Manila, now known as the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Further recovery efforts in 1948 yielded no new evidence. Pagliuso and his six crewmates were listed as missing in action, and he was later memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in Manila. His wife, Lucile Pagliuso, then living in Jackson, Mississippi, received notice from the War Department on December 13, 1945, officially changing his status from missing to deceased.
Decades later, in 2021, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recommended the disinterment of Unknown X-133 as part of a renewed identification effort. The remains were exhumed in December 2022 and transferred to the DPAA Laboratory in Hawaii. Using mitochondrial DNA from Pagliuso’s maternal niece and sister, scientists confirmed his identity on March 17, 2025.
After more than 80 years, Staff Sgt. John A. Pagliuso will be laid to rest beside his parents at Old Elmwood Cemetery in Lyons. The New York Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors team—established in 1999 and performing over 850 veteran services each month—will render full military honors during the ceremony.
Pagliuso’s return home stands as a lasting reminder of the nation’s commitment to ensuring that no service member is ever forgotten.
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