After an agonizing wait of over eight decades, a World War II hero's journey back to American soil has been secured.
According to Daily Mail, the remains of US Army Air Forces Private 1st Class Bernard J. Calvi, who perished in 1942 as a Japanese prisoner of war, were positively identified and are set to be returned to his hometown of North Adams, Massachusetts.
Born in Massachusetts to Italian immigrants, Bernard J. Calvi was captured following the surrender of US forces in Bataan during the harrowing days of World War II. He was then forced to endure the horrific Bataan Death March and ultimately died in captivity at the infamous Cabanatuan POW Camp #1.
This tragic fate also befell his best friend, Corporal William P. Gilman Jr., alongside thousands of other valiant souls.
Identification Achieved After Decades
The painstaking process to identify Calvi’s remains involved exhuming his body from Common Grave 316 at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, where it lay unknown for years.
In 2019, specialists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) took the initiative to unearth these remains to provide closure to families still haunted by the unknown. Confirmation came through the concerted efforts of dental and anthropological analysis, along with DNA testing conducted by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, culminating in an identification on September 16, 2024.
Calvi's early life was marked by athleticism and civic pride; he excelled in varsity baseball and football before enlisting in the Air Corps on September 12, 1941. His military commitment led him to serve in the 17th Pursuit Squadron as part of the 24th Pursuit Group.
A Community Remembers Its Hero
Mitchell Keil, a veteran's agent, underscored the community's plans to honor Pfc. Calvi, with the reverence he deserves:
The plan ... is to make sure we give Pfc. Calvi the same respect and turnout, if not bigger, than the hero's welcome we gave Pfc. King. Now we know the community is capable of that, and that the community cares.
The news of Calvi's death was initially conveyed to his family on May 6, 1945, long after his actual death, leaving a painful void filled with uncertainty and sorrow for years. His surviving relatives, including the descendants who provided the DNA that helped identify him, have long awaited the day they could properly mourn and memorialize him.
This month, Calvi’s remains will leave their temporary post in Hawaii for Massachusetts. A fitting burial service has been organized for December 9, where a rosette will be placed next to his name on the Wall of Missing at the Manila American Cemetery to signify that he has been accounted for.
The Final Tribute is Planned for December
The imminent burial service for Bernard J. Calvi is not just a ceremonial act but a long-overdue homecoming and a restoration of dignity to a fallen hero and his family.
Such efforts underscore not only the resilience and commitment of the DPAA to fulfill their noble mission of accounting for our missing servicemen but also the enduring bond of military comradeship that transcends generations. December’s memorial will serve as a historic event for North Adams, encapsulating both the grief of loss and the solace of resolution.
In a true testament to the power of memory and respect for those who have served, Bernard J. Calvi’s journey back to American soil is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by thousands and the enduring efforts to honor every last one of them. The community’s preparation to receive his remains with dignity reflects a collective spirit of appreciation and reverence for the bravery and sacrifice exhibited by one of their own.
