USA
By
Stephen Smith
Managing editor
Stephen Smith is an editor of News based in New York. Native of Washington, DC, Steve was previously editorial producer of the Washington Post, and has also worked in Los Angeles, Boston and Tokyo.
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Honoring the war of the United States abroad
The United States and Italy signed a pact to reinforce efforts to recover the remains of American soldiers who disappeared in action during World War II, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The Pow/MIA Defense Accounting Agency (DPAA), the US agency responsible for identifying the members of the Fallen Service, and the Ministry of Culture of Italy signed an agreement to improve operations to locate and recover the remains of fallen military members who were never counted in Italy. The memorandum also establishes the protection of the archaeological sites involved in the search efforts, said Italian officials in a statement.
The Italian Peninsula was the site of intense battles from 1943 to 1945, after the allied invasion of Sicily and the campaign to free Italy from the Nazis forces.
It is difficult to determine how many missing American soldiers were killed in Italy during World War II, but approximately 72,000 members of the US service remain without accounting war throughout the world, according to DPAA. The remains of almost 1,000 Americans who died in World War II have been identified since recovery efforts were renewed in the 1970s.
Forensic experts in DPAA spend years using DNA, dental records, sinus records and radiographs to identify the remains of members of the service killed in combat.
Earlier this year, a 23 -year -old American soldier disappeared during an aquatic mission in Italy during World War II It was counted.
The new agreement to recover remains of fallen soldiers in Italy was signed on Tuesday by Luigi La Rocca, head of the Italian heritage protection department, and Kelly McKeague, director of DPAA.
“The right to investigate and remember the dead during the war is now combined with the protection of archaeological heritage for which the Ministry of Culture is responsible,” Alessandro Giuli culture minister said Tuesday.
Giuli said the agreement was another step in “our cooperation of a decade with the United States agency for war prisoners and the lack of action, as a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives to contribute to our freedom.”
- In:
- Second World War
- Italy
- United States military
- United States Department of Defense
Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith is an editor of News based in New York. Native of Washington, DC, Steve was previously editorial producer of the Washington Post, and has also worked in Los Angeles, Boston and Tokyo.