NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — When Pvt. First Class Bernard Calvi died in a prisoner of war camp in World War II, his cause of death was listed as "dysentery, malaria and loss of hope," mourners were told during Tuesday's funeral service at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.

 

Calvi's captors got it wrong.

 

The 23-year-old Calvi's story was one of hope.

 

"We find solace in knowing that he now rests in the arms of our savior, experiencing the life promised to all who believe," the Rev. Dariusz Wudarski told the mourners.

 

"Let us bow our heads in solemn remembrance of this hero who laid down his life for us and also for all heroes who have laid down their lives. Their sacrifice was the greatest act of hope, reminding us of the cost of freedom and the responsibility we share."

 

Wudarski celebrated the Rite of Christian Burial 82 years after Calvi was buried in a mass grave in the Philippines' Cabanatuan Prison Camp after the forces of Imperial Japan overran the island nation in 1942.

 

B.J. Calvi, the grandson of Bernard's brother Ray, delivered the eulogy at Tuesday's service, sharing the detail about his granduncle's cause of death but focusing more on the brief life he led and the lasting impact on the Calvi family.

 

"He graduated from Drury High School in 1936 and joined the military so he could go to college," B.J. Calvi said. "He had a disagreement with his mother, my great grandma, because only one of the sons could go to college. And he was the middle son.

 

"He wanted to go in the military and have them pay for school."

 

An aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Army, Bernard Calvi was stationed in the Philippines about a year before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, precipitating America's entry into the war.

 

After his unit was captured,  Calvi endured the 65-mile Bataan Death March, which killed an estimated 10,000 men. He reached a POW camp on the island of Luzon only to die on July 16.

 

"My grandfather told me the story of, on July 12, 1942, he woke up out of a sound sleep and started screaming that his brother was dead," B.J. Calvi said. "And that haunted him until the day he died.

 

"The one regret that I think we all have is that my grandfather didn't live long enough to see his brother returned."

 

Although PFC Calvi's parents were notified of his death in 1945, it was decades before anyone started working to make that return happen.

 

B.J. Calvi said he picked up the cause about 10 years ago with a call to the Army's POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

 

"I was surprised no one had ever opened up a case before that point," he said. "So they sent the paperwork, and my dad signed it, and I signed it. And a couple of months later, we received a letter from them that they were going to open an official case and collect the DNA evidence."

 

Eventually, that investigation led to the identification of Bernard Calvi's remains on Sept. 19.

 

Less than three months later, PFC Calvi got the sendoff he deserved.

 

After the funeral mass, the North Adams Police Department escorted the funeral procession to Southview Cemetery, where hundreds more were waiting to honor Calvi. The assembly included representatives from local veterans groups and a large contingent from nearby Drury High School, Calvi's alma mater.

 

The graveside service included a rifle salute, the playing of taps and the presentation of American flags to members of the Calvi family.

 

Wudarski also offered final prayers before Bernard Calvi was laid to rest.

 

Earlier, the St. Elizabeth's pastor talked about the "profound impact" Calvi had on the nation.

 

"Jesus declared, 'Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends,' " Wudarski said. "These words capture the essence of the sacrifice made by Jesus but also by our beloved soldier.

 

"He selfishly gave his life to protect the freedoms we hold dear. Scripture encourages us to remember and honor him. Remember the courage, the love of our fallen hero. His story of sacrifice and unwavering commitment serves as a reminder of the price he paid for our freedom."