Isolated Grave American Soldier

In the Comblain-la-Tour municipal cemetery, is located the grave of an American Private first class Jospeh G. FARINA, age 20.

It is one of the few isolated graves of American soldiers outside the major cemeteries. After the war, the U.S. government had ordered that all locally buried American soldiers were to be transferred to the major cemeteries like Henri-Chapelle and Ardennes cemetery in Belgium and the American cemetery in Margraten, The Netherlands. Smaller cemeteries were also cleared and the soldiers were transferred to the major cemeteries were they found their final resting place.

Private 1st Class Franina, 526th Armored Infantry Battalion, killed during combat operations near Malmemdy, from a gunshot wound to the head.

During an attack on Houyire hill on the night of January 3th, 1945, he was mortally wounded as well as 64 other soldiers of his unit by enemy fire from the Germans.

After his death, the remains were transferred to the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery. However, in life he had made his will, that should he die in the war, he wanted to be buried in the Pacchiotti family tomb in the Comblain-la-Tour cemetery.

A first attempt in 1946 to still transfer the remains to Comblain-la-Tour was not approved. A repeated request in 1947 was finally approved. Private 1st Class Farinna at last was buried in the family grave on August 5th, 1948.

This is where he still rests.

The family tomb also contains two memorials to Louis Pacciotti, member of the Resistance, 20, who was killed by the German army on September 9th, 1944. He was executed with another member of the Resistance, Alphonse Renaville, 20, in the woods near Château de Ville near the village of Ville, not far from Comblain-la-tour. A memorial plaque for the two members of the resistance has also been installed at the Château.

For the whole story from which the above is partly summarized see the source reference.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/isolated-graves/58918-farina-joseph-g
• https://bel-memorial.org