A few months ago, the Italian family, the Limonis, were vacationing near the town of Anzio at the Torre Astura, when the youngest member of the family, Edoardo, while snorkeling, noticed a shiny object on the floor of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It turns out that it was a dog tag belonging to Esquipula A. Roybal, a young artilleryman who was lost during the Allied landing there on January 26, 1944. he was among the 7,000 killed and the 36,000 wounded or missing US service men during that particularly bloody battle. Roybal’s remains were never found, but now his family has the dog tag according to the Albuquerque Journal;
“Joe was very surprised to hear about Esquipula after so many years,” Lydia Roybal said Thursday from the couple’s Peñasco [New Mexico] home. She was speaking on behalf of Joe, who she said is in poor health.
“My husband remembers Esquipula a little bit. He remembered his uncle putting him on his shoulders and walking to the pool hall and around town,” she said. Joe was about 7 years old when his uncle died.
Lydia Roybal said her husband is considering giving the tag to their grandson, Samuel Hern, an Army veteran who completed two tours in Afghanistan. Hern, 30, lives in Española.
The dog tag was accompanied by a note from Edoardo;
“I would like to thank you for what Esquipula did for Italy. He was a hero, he protected us and he gave his life in the service of his Country. Thank you! XXX.”
Thanks to Medic09 for the link.
Sometimes my eyes water when I read the computer screen.
We have a similar problem, Ex-PH2.
Nice story.
Word.
I’m with you AW1… Word ^^^^^^
I was thinking the same thing
Read the article to my kids, after running out of Kleenex, we passed around the Charmin…Buddha bless both families’ ?
Most excellent!
That such a small gesture can be so meaningful to so many people is more than a bit overwhelming.
PH-2,
Its probably allergies. Yea, thats it, allergies…
Wow.
Well done, Edoardo.
amazing after all these years.. what a great weekend feel good story..
Rest in Eternal Peace, Esquipula A. Roybal.
*
Occasionally, a foreigner does something that makes it real hard to hate general issue foreigners just for being foreign.
Pisses me off.
Oh well, what the hell…
Nicely done, Edoardo.
Our friends overseas keepin’ it claasy and clearly sincere.
This story is EXTRAORDINARY! My mother was raised by Esquipula’s parents. Esquipula’s mother was in mourning the rest of her life and she wore black outfits EVERY day. What a beautiful sense of closure. I’m sure his mother is now spending eternity with him and no longer has to mourn.
The only response I can come up with S.W. is, WOW!
S.W. – your people are from Penasco? Are you in the area? That’s very cool for you to see the story!