Giuseppe Joseph Disabato was just one of the many thousands of military personnel we are honoring this Memorial Day weekend. Killed in action at the age of only 22, his actions were rewarded with a Silver Star and Purple Heart. His young age at death is only one of the many heartbreaking facts of this short life. His father died when Joseph was a toddler and his mother Marguerite Innocencia Coffarelli never remarried. She had 9 children before her husband died the year the youngest was born. Single motherhood in the 1920s and 30s must have been brutal.
As you might notice, his mother received very little information regarding his death and two other sons were eager to go into battle to honor their brother. In fact, as this article states, "Don't worry" was the general military message back home to the survivors. I'd like to believe things have changed by now, but perhaps not.
And in a final blow, his body (and more than 2700 others) wasn't brought home until almost 5 years later. I am sure that renewed the pain for the entire family. This reflects just one experience among the many thousand others over the years of active military service to the United States. It will do us well to remember and honor them always.
