Family of Cumberland soldier receives closure decades after he went missing
CRANSTON. R.I. (WJAR) — The family of a Cumberland soldier who went missing in action more than 70 years ago now has closure.
Denis Couture said his mother Lucille always had hope her brother, Army Sgt. Lawrence Robidoux of Cumberland, would be found.
"She never gave up," Courture said. "It wasn't like she mentioned it once in a while. It came up very often."
Robidoux was serving in Korea 70 years ago when he became a prisoner of war at the age of 22.
"He was witnessed dying by his group of prisoners and they actually buried him. He died of sunstroke and malnutrition," Couture said.
Remains of soldiers in the same camp were returned to the United States, but Robidoux was determined non-recoverable in January of 1956.
But recently, with new technology scientists collected dental records and DNA. They were able identify the missing solider earlier this year.
"We had pretty good idea something was coming up," Couture said.
Couture said 15 of his family members were recently informed of the discovery in a briefing.
They learned his uncle's remains are in Hawaii and will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery at some point.
It's a trip Couture plans to make, but he said there will be a special ceremony in the Ocean State for his elderly mom who is too frail to make the journey.
"The fact he has been accounted for is more for my mother, who was always worried she would never know what ever happened to him, now she can relax and know he's coming home," he said.