Georgia soldier accounted for from WWII at Manila American Cemetery
American Battle Monuments Commission staff placed a bronze rosette next to the name of Georgia native, U.S. Army Pfc. Luther E. Bagley, on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, Philippines, signifying he has been accounted for.
Staff placed the rosette on July 25, the 80th anniversary of Bagley’s death during the Battle of Myitkyina in Burma in 1944 as a member of “Merrill’s Marauders,” or as the unit was officially known, the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). Bagley was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion. His remains were not accounted for at the time of his death.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Bagley’s identification on July 12. Bagley, 22, will be buried in Fitzgerald, Georgia, on Aug. 10.
When a missing service member is recovered, identified and finally laid to rest, the ABMC places a rosette beside their name on the walls of the missing. This rosette, a symbol of eternity, is crafted as a bronze rosemary wreath—a timeless emblem of honor and victory. Encircled by the eight-points of a compass, it signifies America's commitment, reaching out in all directions to recover their remains from the farthest corners of the earth.
This rosette is one of more than 900 that have been placed beside the names of missing service members at ABMC sites around the world. Bagley's rosette is the 471st to be placed on the Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, which includes the names of 36,286 service members.
About American Battle Monuments Commission:
The American Battle Monuments Commission operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 31 federal memorials, monuments and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States. The three memorials in the United States are: the Honolulu Memorial located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu; the West Coast Memorial located within the Presidio National Park in San Francisco; and the East Coast Memorial located within Battery Park in New York City. Since March 4, 1923, the ABMC’s sacred mission remains to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites. For more information about the ABMC, visit abmc.gov.
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