Dog tag returned to fallen soldier’s family

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.

Category: We Remember