Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Francis Lupo,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

(February 24, 1895 – July 21, 1918) is the U.S. service member who was, possibly,

missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...

for the longest known period, his remains being recovered in 2003 and repatriated. He was killed in action near

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

, France, during the Army's first large-scale offensive operation of the First World War.

Background

A native of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio, Lupo delivered newspapers before being drafted in October 1917, along with hundreds of thousands of other young American men after Congress declared war on Germany at the behest of President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

. With only a fifth-grade education, he arrived in France in March 1918, and was assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment of the

U.S. 1st Infantry Division The 1st Infantry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It was offi ...

. On July 20, his battalion took part in a French-led attack on a German-held salient near Soissons. Lupo was killed in combat on that same day and was hastily buried on the battlefield, in the same grave with another U.S. soldier. In 2003, French

archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

discovered the remains of both men. After the identification of his remains, Lupo's living next-of-kin contacted by the Army was his niece, Rachel Kleisinger. The soldier found along with Lupo remains unidentified. Lupo was buried with full honors at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

in September 2006. The location of the grave is section 66, grave number 7489. Lupo's name appears on the Tablets of the Missing at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, France. He was awarded the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

and the World War I Victory Medal with three Battle Clasps. A rossette is added to his name on the Tablets of the Missing, indicating that his remains were identified and accounted for.

Advances in forensic technology

Modern technology has improved the ability to identify biological samples. Lupo's remains were identified by matching mitochondrial DNA extracted from his bones against the DNA collected from a niece via a saliva swab.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupo, Francis 1895 births 1918 deaths American military personnel killed in World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Cincinnati United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers Missing in action of World War I