A Korean War soldier who was reported missing in action 63 years ago was finally brought home and buried next to his mother who never knew his fate.
Pfc. Anthony La Rossa, of Brooklyn, was only 18 years old when he began serving in the Army's 2nd Infantry Division. His unit was attacked in South Korea by Chinese forces in February 1951, and he was reported missing two days after the attack, according to The Associated Press.
"It was very difficult for her. He was only a teenager and would write in his letters home how he was missing his mom's spaghetti. She struggled the rest of her life," Anthony's niece Donna La Rossa said following a gravesite service Monday at St. Charles Cemetery in Long Island. "We felt like it would be best if they were together."
La Rossa's remains were among those turned over by North Korea in the early 1990s, although they weren't identified until recently, the AP reported.
Most of La Rossa's relatives who knew him have since died, but Rev. James Lisante, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Massapequa, spoke at the soldier's burial at at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale and said it was symbolic.
"I think in so many ways we're not just honoring him, but we're honoring so many, literally millions of young men and women who have time and time again stepped forward and decided they had an obligation to serve, an obligation to give back to this country they love," said Rev. Lisante.
La Rossa was buried with full military honors.
