Staff add two rosettes at Sicily-Rome
American Battle Monuments Commission staff placed two bronze rosettes on the Wall of the Missing July 19 at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, signifying that U.S. Army Pfc. Harry H. Hosfelt Jr. and U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Allan W. Knepper have been accounted for.
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The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Hosfelt’s identification on June 6. Hosfelt, 20, was from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and was buried June 29 in his hometown. Knepper’s identification was announced by the agency on July 11. He was 27 at the time he went missing and will be buried in his hometown of Lewiston, Idaho, on Aug. 2.
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 from the laurel 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. The rosettes for Hosfelt and Knepper are the 18th and 19th added to the Wall of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, which includes the names of 3,095 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, Hawaii; the West Coast Memorial located within the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, Calif; and the East Coast Memorial located within Battery City Park in New York, N.Y. 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.