How A High Schooler Helped Reunite Twins 74 Years After Their World War II Deaths

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The bodies of two American twin brothers, separated at death during WWII, were finally reunited — partly due to the research that a Nebraska high schooler conducted for her history project. (From our archive)

U.S. Navy personnel carry the casket of World War II sailor Julius"Henry" Pieper during a reburial service at the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on June 19. Seventy-four years to the day after their ship hit a mine off the coast of Normandy and sank, the soldier's remains were finally reunited with, and laid to rest beside, his twin brother Ludwig"Louie" Pieper.U.S.

An undated photo, provided by family member Susan Lawrence, shows twin brothers Julius and Ludwig Pieper in their U.S. Navy uniforms.An undated photo, provided by family member Susan Lawrence, shows twin brothers Julius and Ludwig Pieper in their U.S. Navy uniforms.Nearly two weeks after D-Day, Landing Ship Tank 523 was crossing the Channel from England, trying to reach France's Utah Beach. It was loaded with men, vehicles, equipment and explosives.

"We were looking at all the information we have on the unknowns in our cemeteries when, at the same time, a high school student in Nebraska was doing research," says Nosal."And it's almost like a new piece of the puzzle came across the table."It was 2015, and Vanessa Taylor was a student at Ainsworth High School in Ainsworth, Neb., and was looking for a topic for a class project.

"For her, it was like the biggest burden lifted off her shoulders. She was just carrying it all this time," says Lawrence."What happened to the brother — and to have him identified and know he was found, it was the biggest blessing for Thanksgiving we could have possibly had." He says this is the first missing soldier to be identified and buried in this Normandy cemetery of more than 9,300 graves.

One of the nephews, Louis Henry Pieper, is named after both twins. His father died before learning of the discovery of the missing sibling's remains.

 

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My uncle was killed in the Pacific by the Japanese at the tender age of 19. He gave all for this country (USA)! God bless and always remember, Semper Fi!

What a great story of heroism by these two very young men. I can picture them celebrating in heaven that their physical remains were so lovingly re-buried together. I can only imagine how touched their family is by this. America the beautiful, at her best. 🇺🇸

So touching!

TracyLou3 Great read for Memorial Day!

This means that Vanessa Taylor has done more for veterans than realDonaldTrump

So Brave, So Young.

I’m glad they were together at the end....God bless this girl for choosing this as her project

This is a beautiful story.

我有种很好的预感,世界将共同对抗美国法西斯

Unless they were Siamese, you lede is creepy.

Too bad god doesn’t exist and none of this matters anyway.

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