Luling pilot’s WWII ring coming home after 73 years in Italy

A fortunate encounter between a Luling pilot and 10-year-old Italian boy in World War II gave rise to a 73-year-old story.

When Lt. Jules J. Hymel’s airplane crashed in northern Italy on Christmas Eve in 1943, a young boy named Egidio Girardi of San Luca and his brother rushed to the scene to find the pilot dangling from a parachute in a chestnut tree. Girardi and his family aided Hymel, who was injured, but brought him to the hospital when he needed more medical care. He was arrested by the German military despite the family’s efforts to conceal his identity.

Although Girardi’s recollections are unclear over how it happened, he ended up with Hymel’s pilot ring.Seventy-three years later, the ring will be returned to Hymel’s son, LeDaine, and daughter, Nelwyn Hymel Lorio, both of Luling, at a Nov. 29 ceremony at the World War II Museum in New Orleans.

The story began four years ago, when Girardi attempted to get in touch with LeDaine and Nelwyn, but they thought it was a scam and declined to make contact. When the VFW got involved, Hymel’s family learned of Girardi’s true intent of returning the ring.

“Obviously, we’re very shocked that we’re getting the ring back and amazed it’s coming from someone in a family of 11 children in World War II,” Nelwyn said. “What it makes you realize more than anything is there are good people all over the world.”

She said her father’s memory will be honored.

“I know he’ll be looking down thrilled,” Nelwyn said. “He was so proud to serve in the military. He felt it was his civic duty. He was truly a man for others. When he came back, he lived his life volunteering for everything.”LeDaine, is overwhelmed by the experience.

“I’m very proud to be his son and proud this is happening after all these years,” he said.

LeDaine also recounted his father’s flight log showed he went on bomber missions.

“Now I know why Christmas meant so much to him,” he said. “These people found him on Christmas Eve. He was given the gift of life by these two men who found him in a parachute in a tree. He gave more of his life to the people of St. Charles Parish than he ever got returned. He never asked for nothing in return. When he died, a friend of mine said, ‘Did you notice all the people at the funeral?’ He had a funeral deserving of a statesman.”

LeDaine said he was told the ring will be returned in a box made of wood from the same chestnut tree where Hymel was saved in Italy.

Both of Hymel’s children were close to their father and fought back tears as they explained he never mentioned the ring in all this time, which they assume he got when he graduated from flight school.

Nelwyn said she wants to write a letter to Girardi thanking him for this gesture.

“What he’s giving us is priceless to us,” she said. “We’re under the understanding that the VFW has verified everything and that it is our father’s ring.”

Girardi wanted to deliver the ring in person to Hymel, but sadly learned that was impossible. He died in 1990, which Nelwyn said resulted from a blood clot from minor surgery.Most people would have expected the story to end there, but it didn’t.

Instead, Michael Tougaw, a U. S. Department of the Army civilian who works for the Army Garrison Italy and a Veterans of Foreign Wars life member in Italy, got a telephone call a few months ago from an Italian friend who explained he knew someone who wanted to return a ring to its rightful owner.

This person was Girardi, who told him it didn’t belong to them and they were just holding it for Hymel.Impressed by the honorable family, Tougaw went to Vicenza’s VFW Post 8862, which documented the airplane crash and ring. Numerous tries to find the ring’s owner were unsuccessful, but the VFW stayed on the search and that’s when VFW Commander-in-Chief Brian J. Duffy made the connection.

In October, Girardi presented it at a special dinner at the VFW Post 8862 in the Marostica castle. According to the U.S. Army Garrison Italy Public Affairs Office, Girardi said, “The ring has been a reminder of war and of life. We were the caretakers, but I will be very happy to see it go back to where it belongs.”

Duffy will present the ring to Hymel’s children at the ceremony.

Nelwyn said her father remained dedicated to serving his country. Hymel turned 21 on Dec. 4, 1943 and became a POW on Dec. 25, 1943 for 501 days. They later received his POW Medal awarded posthumously.

She added, “I know my dad will be looking down from heaven thrilled he’s being honored.”

 

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