Pasquale De Francesco Dies in Service in WWI

Joseph (Pasquale) Francisco, Nutley, NJ. WWI Pasquale DeFrancesco served in the U.S. Army from Sept. 22, 1917 to Nov. 28, 1918, according to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo.

He was a private in the 68th Company, 17th Battalion, 153rd Depot Brigade.

He entered the service at Elkart, Ind., and was released at Camp Dix, N.J. His service number is 1 562 691.

The American Legion Post 70 memorial poster lists his name as Joseph, his branch of service as U.S. Navy and shows his date of death as January 19, 1918.

According to the family, he joined the Navy using the name Joseph.

According to his family, he died prior to January 1919, when his mother gave birth to his brother (January 4 or 19) and named him Pasquale in his honor. The younger ‘Pat’ Francisco served in WWII where he was twice wounded, captured and left for dead by the enemy.

The practice of naming a second child after an older sibling that died was not uncommon among Italian immigrants in the United States.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, St. Louis, Mo.

American Legion Post 70 photo

Family also known as Francisco