Life and service of Henry William Saaga, highlighted

Congresswoman Uifa’atali Aumua Amata is highlighting the life and service of Henry William Saaga, U.S. Army, born in Utulei, in Tutuila, and forever remembered at Normandy’s Wall of the Missing in Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

Congresswoman Amata is part of a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) this week in her role in the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, on which she serves as Vice Chairman, that is visiting historic U.S. Veterans’ sites in Europe.

The Committee has oversight responsibility over all American war memorials and monuments worldwide.

“What a special moment to see Henry Saaga’s heroic name enshrined on the Wall of the Missing at the beautiful memorial in France."

He was very young, just eighteen years of age in 1944, answering the call to serve and sacrificing all for freedom.

He was among the brave forces storming the Normandy beaches and one of the thousands of U.S. and British soldiers lost in gaining the vital footholds that allowed the Allies to go on to victory in Europe.”

Henry Saaga was a musician who played multiple instruments, a singer, and a three-sport athlete before enlisting. He and his family, part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had moved to Honolulu.

The family was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and had performed music together the evening before.

Henry Sa’aga of Utulei Village and Uifa’atali Peter T. Coleman of Pago Pago Village, also in Oahu at the time, knew each other and were both from Ma’oputasi District.