Courtesy Photo | Army Pfc. St. Clair M. Gibson was a "Buffalo Soldier" with the 371st Infantry...... read more read more
CAMP DARBY, Italy – For nearly 70 years, a white marble headstone marked "Unknown" stood in the Florence American Cemetery in Impruneta, overlooking the rolling Tuscan hills. Thousands of visitors passed it, never knowing that the soldier buried there was a 30-year-old from New Haven, Connecticut, who disappeared during a grenade charge in the final months of World War II.
We now have a name: Army Pfc. St. Clair M. Gibson.
“After taking care of this unknown Soldier for all of these years, it was a profound honor to be able to place a rosette by his name knowing he has been identified and returned home to his family,” said Eryth Zecher, Florence American Cemetery superintendent.
After 81 years, we finally have an answer to what happened in those brutal mountains. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has officially identified Pfc. Gibson, closing a chapter that started in the rugged peaks of the Apennines back in 1944.
Gibson was a "Buffalo Soldier" with the 371st Infantry Regiment, part of the segregated 92nd Infantry Division. These Black service members were on the front lines, fighting to push German forces out of Italy even while facing segregation back home.
On Nov. 18, 1944, Gibson went missing during heavy combat near Monte Canala. Because the terrain around Seravezza was so steep and dangerous, his unit couldn't recover him before the battle lines shifted.
After the war, investigators found remains on that battlefield, but 1940s technology wasn't enough to identify them. They labeled him "Unknown X-272 Castelfiorentino" and buried him in the cemetery at Impruneta. By 1949, the Army basically gave up, declaring him "non-recoverable."
Everything changed in 2017 when researchers decided to exhume "Unknown X-272." Using modern DNA and dental records, they finally confirmed it was Gibson on May 7, 2025.
“As with all of the service members we watch over, this reaffirms their sacrifices will be remembered and their stories preserved for future generations,” Zecher said.
If you visit the Florence American Cemetery today, you’ll see his name on the "Tablets of the Missing." Soon, a small bronze rosette will be placed next to it – a quiet symbol that he’s no longer lost.
While his name remains engraved in the stone at Impruneta, Gibson finally went home. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on March 10, 2026.
If your travels take you through the heart of Tuscany, make sure to carve out time for a visit to the Florence American Cemetery. It’s a deeply moving site where 4,392 white marble headstones rest among the iconic cypress trees and rolling hills just south of the city. While the cemetery is a peaceful place to visit any day of the year, it truly comes to life during the annual Memorial Day ceremony. Every May, locals and visitors join military members and officials to honor the fallen with heartfelt service, colorful floral wreaths, and a flyover that echoes across the Greve River valley. To know more visit https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/about-florence-american-cemetery/
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2026 08:11 |
| Story ID: | 563074 |
| Location: | IT |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New Haven soldier identified 81 years after vanishing in the Italian mountains finally goes home, by Linda Lambiotte, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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