Congresswoman Tenney Honors Staff Sergeant John A. Pagliuso at Funeral in Lyons

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today joined local veterans, members of the New York Army National Guard, and the family of Staff Sergeant John A. Pagliuso to honor his life and service during a funeral with full military honors at Old Elmwood Cemetery in Lyons.

Staff Sergeant Pagliuso, a native of Lyons, served as an aerial photographer and joined the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group, and served in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II. He was killed in action during a mission over Papua New Guinea in 1942 and listed as missing for more than eight decades. His remains were identified earlier this year through DNA analysis by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and returned home to be laid to rest beside his parents.

Pagliuso was remembered as an Eagle Scout, a forestry student at Syracuse University, and an upstanding community member who planted one hundred trees in his hometown before leaving to serve his country.

"Today we welcome home a true American hero, Staff Sergeant John Pagliuso," said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. "At only twenty-four years old, he left to serve our country in World War II and never came home until now. For more than eighty years, his family waited and prayed for answers. Through their perseverance and the extraordinary work of the Defense POW and MIA Accounting Agency, that hope has been fulfilled. Staff Sergeant Pagliuso gave his life for freedom, and his legacy reminds us that courage and sacrifice never fade from the memory of a grateful nation. May God bless his family and all those who continue to serve in defense of our great nation."

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