313th Infantry, 79th Division - Sgt. John Cappiello

Seeking anyone who may be able to share information on Sgt. John Cappiello, my Uncle, who died August 6, 1944 in France - likely somewhere near Laval.

My wife and I just completed a visit to his gravesite at Brittany American Cemetery in St. James, France - the first of his family members to be able to do so, after 74 years.

Seeking any information regarding his time in service, including the circumstances of his death - which remain unknown to the family.

Thank you to anyone who may be able to help directly or point in the right direction.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SERVED.

 

The Bangor Library has downloadable copies of the 79th Infantry Division history and the 313th Infantry Regiment history. While they will not detail his service specifically, they will provide general information and the context for the period around when he was KIA.

You should try to request his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) from the National Archives in Saint Louis. His records would be considered "Archival" at this point, so you will need to follow the instructions for requesting Archival records.

 

Tommy:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I had previously found both of the documents, they are very interesting. Thank you for the additional link on obtaining his records, I will definitely follow on this!

 

Another avenue of research would be to request his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). An IDPF is a file that is created to document the processing of deceased soldiers during WWII. While it is unlikely that it will contain an account of his death, there are often clues. Also, there are often correspondence between the Army and the next of kin. The letters from the family are often very poignant and moving. They can also be of interest for those interested in family history and genealogy. Typically, there is no charge for getting a copy of an IDPF unless it is unusually large. It can also take from 48 weeks to over a year to get through the NARA. A private researcher will be able to provide it more quickly, but will charge for it.