FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Bernard J. Calvi, a Soldier who died a prisoner of war during World War II, will be interred Dec. 10 at Southview Cemetery, North Adams, Massachusetts. Paciorek Funeral Home, Adams, Massachusetts, will perform graveside services preceding the interment.

A native of North Adams, Calvi, was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. He was among thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members who were captured, subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and interned at POW camps. According to historical records, Calvi died a prisoner of war July 16, 1942, at age 23.

He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Sept. 16, 2024, after his remains were exhumed in April 2019 from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines, for laboratory analysis and identification.

The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.

Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process, including burial with full military honors.

For additional information about Pfc. Calvi go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/3961138/airman-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-calvi-b/

Media interested in covering and/or obtaining more information about the funeral and interment should contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490 and/or Paciorek Funeral Home, 413-743-0815.

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