Staff Sergeant John R. Simonetti, age 26, from Jackson Heights, New York. He was assigned to the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division during WWII. Ten days after the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion, he was killed by a single bullet to the throat as his unit tried to capture the French village of St. Germain-d'Elle from the Germans. Posthumously, John Simonetti was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His body was not recovered at the time of his death and he was honored and remembered at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France. For decades, his family searched for answers and to find his remains. With each passing year, that quest, conducted through letters, telephone calls, trips to France and thousands of hours on the Internet searching U.S. Army archives, seemed to grow more futile. Many years later, remains were uncovered by a construction crew, remains with Simonetti's dog-tags. Subsequently, DNA testing finally confirmed his identity. John was laid to his final Hero's rest on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery on October 25, 2010. Bio by: Sue
Staff Sergeant John R. Simonetti, age 26, from Jackson Heights, New York. He was assigned to the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division during WWII. Ten days after the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion, he was killed by a single bullet to the throat as his unit tried to capture the French village of St. Germain-d'Elle from the Germans. Posthumously, John Simonetti was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His body was not recovered at the time of his death and he was honored and remembered at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France. For decades, his family searched for answers and to find his remains. With each passing year, that quest, conducted through letters, telephone calls, trips to France and thousands of hours on the Internet searching U.S. Army archives, seemed to grow more futile. Many years later, remains were uncovered by a construction crew, remains with Simonetti's dog-tags. Subsequently, DNA testing finally confirmed his identity. John was laid to his final Hero's rest on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery on October 25, 2010. Bio by: Sue
Inscription
John R. Simonetti
SSgt US Army WWII
May 24, 1918-June 16, 1944
