Epinal American Cemetery staff place 3 rosettes on Veterans Day

In conjunction with their Armistice Day events on Nov. 11, Epinal American Cemetery staff installed three rosettes signifying that U.S. Army Pvt. Robert L. Skaar, Pvt. Jeremiah P. Mahoney and Pfc. Estle E. Corvin have been accounted for.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Mahoney's identification on Oct. 24. From Chicago, Mahoney, 19, was assigned to Anti-Tank Company, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II. Mahoney's remains were not recovered after his death in 1944 but were identified in 2024 as those buried in an unknown grave at Ardennes American Cemetery. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a date yet to be determined.

A staff member at Epinal American Cemetery places a bronze rosette next to the name of Pvt. Jeremiah P. Mahoney on the Wall of the Missing Nov. 11 at Epinal American Cemetery.

Corvin, was accounted for Sept. 13, but a full accounting of his identification from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is pending the family briefing.

A staff member at Epinal American Cemetery places a bronze rosette next to the name of Pfc. Estle E. Corvin on the Walls of the Missing Nov. 11 at Epinal American Cemetery.

Skaar, 18, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division during WWII. He was killed on March 10, 1945, but his remains were not immediately recovered. His remains were exhumed from the grave of an unknown at Ardennes American Cemetery in 2022 and identified in 2024. Skaar was buried Oct. 1, 2024, in La Crosse.

During the Nov. 11 rosette placements, the mayor of Epinal placed flowers at the Wall of the Missing for Skaar whose hometown of La Crosse is a Sister City of Epinal.

Flowers rest below the name of Pvt. Robert Skaar on the Wall of the Missing, placed by the mayor of Epinal. The city is the Sister City of Skaar's hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

When a missing service member is recovered, identified and finally laid to rest, ABMC places a rosette beside their name on the Walls of the Missing. This rosette, a symbol of eternity, is crafted as a bronze rosemary wreath-a timeless emblem of honor and victory. Encircled by the eight-points of a compass, it signifies America's commitment, reaching out in all directions to recover their remains from the farthest corners of the earth.

This rosette is one of more than 2,000 that have been placed beside the names of missing service members at ABMC sites around the world. The placement of these three rosettes brings the total of rosettes to 37 on the Wall of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery, which includes the names of 424 service members.

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