The Dark Hills
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Dark hills at evening in the west,
Where sunset hovers like a sound
Of golden horns that sang to rest
Old bones of warriors under ground,
Far now from all the bannered ways
Where flash the legions of the sun,
You fade – as if the last of days
Were fading, and all the wars were done.
Tonight, we have a rare opportunity say goodbye to a serviceman who has been gone for nearly sixty years. Declared MIA during the Korean War, U.S. Army Sgt. Agostino Di Rienzo will finally be laid to rest. Please join me over the fold to remember and honor this brave man, who served in both World War II and Korea, and is now home at last.
Agostino Di Rienzo: "Ma, they brought him home."
From the Department of Defense:
Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified.
He is Sgt. Agostino Di Rienzo, U.S. Army, of East Boston, Mass.
Agostino Di Rienzo was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division’s Company L, 3rd Battalion, which was occupying an area known as the "Camel’s Head" near Unsan, North Korea. On November 1, 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines were struck by Chinese Communist Forces. Although the 3rd Battalion withdrew, it was surrounded by the enemy and "ceased to exist as a fighting unit." In the wake of the battle, more than 350 servicemen were unaccounted for, including Di Rienzo.
Classified as missing in action (MIA), Di Rienzo was promoted to sergeant. Later, a military review board re-evaluated his status, changing it to "presumed killed in action." He was honored with a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart in recognition of his leadership and valor, and since then both medals have been displayed proudly in a wooden box on the kitchen table of the East Boston home of his nephew, Richard Faiella, the same home where Di Rienzo had once lived.
In 2002, the Joint POW/MIA Account Command (JPAC) led a team of U.S. and Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea investigators to a burial site near the area, where human remains were uncovered. Using forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, Di Rienzo’s remains were identified, thanks to dental records and a small Holy Name Society medal, bearing the words "St. Christopher, be my guide." Before he left home for Korea, Di Rienzo’s mother had given him the medal, according to Faiella, who told the Boston Herald
"So many years gone by . . .," Faiella said yesterday. "We never thought he’d be found."
Ironically, it was during Thanksgiving week 57 years ago that Di Rienzo’s family received the telegram telling them that he was missing. Faiella, who was twelve years old at the time, recalled the day for Boston.com (you can see a photograph of Di Rienzo and his nephew at the website). In spite of the years that have passed, Faiella recalls his uncle with great fondness.
He remembers Di Rienzo as a tall, handsome man who, for a couple of years between the wars, became a father figure to him. He remembers Di Rienzo taking him on a trip to New York City, where they went to the top of the Empire State Building, and promising to take him to California one day.
"He was very, very generous," he said.
Di Rienzo, who joined the Army just before World War II, was stationed in Hawaii when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his nephew said. He served for five years, until the war's end, Faiella said, fighting in major battles, including Guadalcanal, and enduring a serious bout with malaria.
(snip)
When Agostino Di Rienzo returned from World War II to his family's triple-decker on Maverick Street in East Boston, his big sister, Jean, threw him a huge welcome-home party. Someone snapped a picture of her 6-year-old son, Richard Faiella, sitting on his handsome uncle's lap, both of them smiling joyfully.
But the reunion would not last long. A few years later, Di Rienzo reenlisted in the US Army, and went to fight in Korea.
The family never gave up hope and held onto the slim chance that one day Di Rienzo’s name would appear on a prisoners-of-war list. Even though that never happened, Faiella’s mother believed her brother might come home one day. "She went to her grave with her prayers," he said.
Of Di Rienzo’s seven sisters and brothers, only two are still alive, and one of them lives in a nursing home. His sister, Edith, who shares Faiella’s home, spoke only briefly about her long-lost brother, saying "He was the nicest boy living."
Today, Faiella plans to visit the grave of his mother, who died a year and a half ago.
"It sounds crazy," he said, "But I will say, 'Ma, they brought him home.' "
Source
Welcome back, Sgt. Di Rienzo. May you rest in peace, knowing your service and your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
To date, 3874 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Iraq, with one additional death to be announced pending notification of next of kin. Of these, 100 have been women. The death toll thus far for November is 31. More than 30,000 men and women have been wounded, and 130 have taken their own lives while on active duty. All of the fatalities can be seen here. The Department of Defense press releases can be seen here. The death toll among Iraqis is unknown, but is believed to be in the tens of thousands.
To date, 469 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Afghanistan. Two hundred sixty eight members of the military from other countries have also lost their lives.
With tens of thousands of military personnel far from home and loved ones, the holiday season is a wonderful time to support the troops by showing your thanks and appreciation. Here are some options to consider, for the holiday season and all year long.
Sending a holiday care package to a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is easy. Read how in this great series by Ninepatch, with easy-to-follow instructions on what to send and how to do it. Reminder: Packages must be mailed by December 11.
Too busy to shop, pack and ship? Send donations to Troop Care, organized by Blogging for Michigan. Every dime raised through November 25th (that’s tomorrow) will be used for holiday packages for our troops. (h/t ScottyUrb.)
Another option that you can continue to use throughout the year is sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage. It doesn’t take much time or money. Even a card or letter is welcome, so just a few minutes of your time and one airmail stamp can make a real difference in a military person's life.
If you would like to assist our military members and their families, here are some of the possibilities:
Anysoldier.com:
Any Soldier Inc. started in August 2003 as a simple family effort to help the soldiers in one Army unit; thus, our name. Due to overwhelming requests, on 1 January 2004 the Any Soldier effort was expanded to include any member of the Armed Forces (Army, Marines, Sailor, Airman, Coast Guard) in harms way. Letters and care packages are welcome, but please visit the website for specific instructions on how to participate in this program.
Operation Helmet supplies members of the military with upgraded shock-absorbing pads for the inside of helmets. The superior pads help minimize traumatic brain injury. Thus far, nearly 37,000 helmet upgrades have been sent to the troops and requests continue to pour in.
Fisher House provides a "home away from home" for family members of American service people that allows them be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. Monetary donations are welcome, or you can donate frequent flyer miles to hospitalized veterans or their families. Please see Fisher House’s Hero Miles program.
Finally, if you would like to assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Several of these organizations help members of the military find temporary foster homes for their beloved pets. There is a substantial body of medical research showing that companion animals relieve stress and provide a number of health benefits. You can help by providing a foster home or by making a contribution to one of these organizations.
And don’t forget our veterans when they get home! Check out welcomebackveterans.org to learn what you can do. Or consider volunteering for even a few hours a week at a local Veterans Administration hospital. All types of skills are welcome and needed.
About IGTNT
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, silvercedes, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, Wee Mama, twilight falling, labwitchy, noweasels, joyful, roses, SisTwo and me, moneysmith. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but we believe it is important to remember those who have died, and to show our community’s respect for them and their loved ones. If you would like to volunteer, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, silvercedes or noweasels.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and families of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.