BUFFALO, N.Y. — After 80 years, World War II PFC Bartholomew Loschiavo is finally home.

“Now that Bart is here today with us,” Loschiavo’s great nephew David Loschiavo said. “The sense of pride in the man has become profound now that Bart is here with us today. This is not just the story we all told each other. The story became a hard reality.”

Private Loschiavo, a Buffalo native, was killed in action during the attack on Grevenmacher in Luxembourg on Oct. 1, 1944.

“He was a young man who answered the call of duty, leaving behind his family and the familiarity of home to fight for the freedoms we hold so dear,” funeral director Charles Castiglia said. “His journey was one of courage and resilience.”

‘Resilience’ and ‘determination’ is a gene that remained among the Loschiavo family. And thanks to their continuous research and DNA analysis, the family now can continue to share stories about their earliest hero.

“We all knew the story of Uncle Bart, our family hero, from our earliest years of life,” David said. “This great family never let the memory of Uncle Bart extinguish. And they never gave up on him.”

The service not only had attendees mourn the loss of Loschiavo but also celebrated his family, bringing dozens of family members spanning multiple generations and even those who never had the chance to meet him, pay their respects and give Loschiavo one final salute. 

“We mourn his loss, but we also celebrate the love of family that got us to where we are today, that it took this effort so we can return him back here to western New York so he can be honored properly given that proper military service,” Sen. George Borrello said. “That's an amazing story.”

Loschiavo’s life and legacy continues to live on past his 200 nieces and nephews, but across the state. Officials proclaimed June 1 as "Bartholomew Loschiavo Day."

“We should always be celebrating and recognizing our western New York heroes, and I was thrilled to do that a couple of days ago in the Erie County Legislature, when we told this story and we talked about how we need to better serve our veterans and our families,” Erie County Legislature Lindsay Bratek-Lorigo said. “So thank you all and thank you for everything you've done as a family. This is a beautiful celebration.”

The story of Bartholomew Loschiavo and his ultimate sacrifice has been carried on through the generations over the past 80 years. Bringing closure to the family decades later, they properly honored their uncle home from their long awaited mission.  

“Today, Uncle Bart, you’re home,” David said. “Your 80 year journey is over. Thank you for being our hero. May you have eternal peace as you rest next to your parents and your little brother, Matthew.”