Funeral Procession Will Honor Nutley WWII Veteran Killed In Combat

NUTLEY, NJ — A funeral procession for a Nutley military veteran whose remains were recently recovered decades after he died in combat will pass through the township on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that U.S. Navy Aviation Ordnanceman First Class Anthony Di Petta is officially accounted for, after he was killed in combat during World War II.

According to Project Recover – a nonprofit that helped find the Nutley native’s remains – Di Petta died in the Pacific theater during a bombing mission in 1944 while targeting antiaircraft positions and transport ships near Malakal Harbor.

Di Petta’s remains were located and recovered by the Project Recover team in partnership with the DPAA off Malakal Island in the Republic of Palau, about 800 miles southwest of Guam. Scientists from DPAA used dental analysis to identify Di Petta’s remains. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.

• See Related: Remains Of Fallen Nutley Veteran Recovered Decades After WWII

Commissioner John Kelly, III, and the Nutley Board of Commissioners, in partnership with the Nutley Military and Veterans Affairs Bureau and the Nutley Veterans Council, are encouraging local residents to join them in honoring Di Petta.

A private service is scheduled for July 11. At approximately 11:45 a.m., immediately following the service, the funeral procession will make a brief stop at the Nutley WWII Monument located on Vincent Place.

Members of the community are encouraged to assemble at the WWII memorial to pay their respects and show their support for family and friends, officials said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.