Collegeville resident Mary Stranieri has found closure 75 years after her brother was killed in World War II, as his remains finally made their way home, writes Kimberly Davis for CBS Philly.

“He was just the best brother there ever was,” said Stranieri, 97.

Private First Class Joseph Boschetti was a Marine. He decided to protect his country in April 1942, a decision that broke his family’s heart.

“My father was very disappointed,” Stranieri said. “He said, ‘You’re too young, wait a while.’ But Joseph replied, ‘No, Dad, I want to go now.’”

A year and a half later, Boschetti died in the Battle of Tarawa. However, his body was not identified until this year, when his younger brother sent his DNA for comparison.

His DNA was immediately linked with his brother’s remains in Hawaii.

“I always thought and my family always thought that we would never see anything or hear anything,”  said Stranieri. “I feel it’s closure now after he’s buried and everything. I feel it’s all completed.”

The funeral will be held at John the Baptist in Manayunk on Nov. 30.

Read more about Joseph Boschetti from CBS Philly by clicking here.

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