Korean War Soldier’s Remains to be Laid to Rest in Wrightstown, NJ
On June 13, 2024, the U.S. Army Human Resources Command shared the news of the impending interment of Army Pfc. Anthony J. Lopa, a fallen Soldier from the Korean War. The solemn ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 28 at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veteran Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, New Jersey. Maxwell Funeral Home in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, will conduct graveside services prior to the interment.
Hailing from North Arlington, New Jersey, Lopa served in Delta Battery, 82nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons (Self Propelled) Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. His life was tragically cut short on August 31, 1950, at the young age of 17, while bravely battling the North Korean People’s Army near Yongsan-Myeon, South Korea, along the Naktong River.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency confirmed the identification of Lopa’s remains on July 21, 2023. This breakthrough came after the exhumation and identification process of Korean War unknowns in July 2018 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, housed within the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, Kentucky, played a pivotal role in this significant discovery.
The meticulous process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War begins with identifying the primary next of kin, followed by gathering Family reference samples or DNA for identification purposes. Once a Soldier is positively identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the Past Conflict Repatriations Branch communicates the findings to the Family, providing detailed reports on historical, forensic, and DNA analysis, along with information on benefits and the funeral process, which includes a burial with full military honors.
As we prepare to honor the memory of Army Pfc. Anthony J. Lopa, let us reflect on his sacrifice and the unwavering dedication of those who work tirelessly to bring closure to the families of our fallen heroes. May his legacy live on in the hearts of those who remember his service and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
