From December 1941 through June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of those who perished, interring them in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries in Hawaii. The remains were disinterred by the American Graves Registration Service from the two cemeteries in September 1947, and transferred to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Only 35 men were identified out of the 429 killed. Nearly 400 unidentified remains were buried as Unknowns in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In 2003, as a result of the research efforts of Pearl Harbor survivor Ray Emory, a single casket associated with the USS Oklahoma loss was disinterred. Anthropological and DNA evidence have shown that remains are extremely commingled, with at least 95 individuals represented in the first disinterred casket based on mitochondrial DNA results, said Dr. Carrie Brown, DPAA Forensic Anthropologist and USS Oklahoma Team Lead. Of those, five were initially identified following the disinterment: Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wisconsin; Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Michigan; Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Charles H. Swanson, of Maywood, California; and Ens. Irvin A. R. Thompson, of Hudson County, New Jersey; and Ens. Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Oregon. In 2015, as part of the USS Oklahoma Project, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, exhumed all of the unknown remains from the USS Oklahoma, and began the lengthy identification process. As of December 2017, DPAA made their 100th identification from the ship’s casualties. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF USS OKLAHOMA IDENTIFICATIONS: Seaman 1st Class Willard H. Aldridge, 20, of Sitka, Kansas Seaman 1st Class Leon P. Arickx, 22, of Osage, Iowa Radioman 2nd Class Walter H. Backman, 22, of Wilton, North Dakota Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Cecil E. Barncord, 24, of Wilson Township, Kansas Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, 27, of Everett, Washington Navy Fireman 2nd Class James B. Boring, 21, of Vales Mill, Ohio Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Ralph M. Boudreaux, 20, of New Orleans, Louisiana Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wisconsion (Disinterred in 2003) Navy Seaman 1st Class William G. Bruesewitz, 26, of Almena, Wisconsin Seaman 1st Class Murry R. Cargile, 21, of Robersonville, North Carolina Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Harold F. Carney, 23, of New Diggins, Wisconsin Fireman 1st Class Charles Ray Casto, 20, of East Liverpool, Ohio Seaman 2nd Class Floyd Clifford, 20, of Douglas, Kansas Seaman 1st Class George A. Coke, 18, of Arlington, Texas Private First Class Alva J. Cremean, 21, of Pueblo, Colorado Navy Fireman 3rd Class Warren H. Crim Fireman 1st Class Samuel W. Crowder, 35, of Louisville, Kentucky Storekeeper 2nd Class Glenn C. Cyriack, 20, of Pipestone County, Minnesota Navy Seaman 2nd Class Bernard V. Doyle Steward’s Mate 1st Class Cyril I. Dusset, 21, of New Orleans, Louisiana Storekeeper 3rd Class Wallace E. Eakes, 22, of Caney, Kansas Ensign John C. England, 20, of Alhambra, California Fireman 1st Class Lawrence H. Fecho, 20, of Willow City, North Dakota Ensign William M. Finnegan, 44, of Bessmer, Michigan Fireman 1st Class Michael Galajdik, 25, of Joliet, Illinois Fireman 2nd Class Martin A. Gara, 20, of Chicago, Illinois Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Harry H. Gaver, 24, of Annapolis, Maryland Seaman 2nd Class George T. George, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class George Harvey Gibson, 20, of Winchester, Kansas Radioman 2nd Class Quentin J. Gifford, 22, of Mankato, Minnesota Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Arthur Glenn, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana Warrant Officer Daryl H. Goggin, 34, of Everett, Washington Seaman 1st Class Clifford G. Goodwin, 24, of Marion Township, Missouri Chief Petty Officer Duff Gordon, 52, of Hudson, Wisconsin Water Tender 2nd Class Edgar D. Gross, 39, of Athens, Alabama Seaman 2nd Class Vernon N. Grow, 25, of Redding, California Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Ted Hall, 24, of Kansas City, Missouri Shopfitter 3rd Class Francis L. Hannon, 20, of Madison County, Indiana Chief Petty Officer Albert E. Hayden, 44, of Mechanicsville, Maryland Seaman 2nd Class Harold L. Head, 20, of Browning, Missouri Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class William Francis Hellstern, 20, of Peoria, Illinois Gunner’s Mate 1st Class George Herbert, 37, of Fall River, Massachusetts Ensign Joseph P. Hittorff, 25, of Collingswood, New Jersey Chief Storekeeper Herbert J. Hoard, 36, of DeSoto, Missouri Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Holm, 29, of Clarkfield, Minnesota Marine Private First Class Robert Kimball Holmes, 19, of Salt Lake City, Utah Fireman 3rd Class Edwin C. Hopkins, 19, of Keene, New Hampshire Fireman 3rd Class Glaydon I.C. Iverson, 24, of Emmons, Minnesota Seaman 2nd Class Challis R. James, 18, of New Boston, Ohio Fireman 3rd Class Kenneth L. Jayne, 26, of Patchogue, New York Seaman 1st Class Joseph M. Johnson, 22, of Columbus, North Dakota Fireman 1st Class Jim H. Johnston, 23, of Wesson, Mississippi Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fred M. Jones, 31, of North Lake, Michigan Lt. Julian B. Jordan, 37, of Dawson, Georgia Marine Corps Pvt. Vernon P. Keaton, 18, of Lubbock, Texas Fireman 1st Class William H. Kennedy, 24, of Titonka, Iowa Fireman 1st Class Elmer T. Kerestes, 22, of Holding Township, Minnesota Coxswain Verne F. Knipp, 22, of Salida, Colorado Musician 1st Class Elliot D. Larsen, 25, of Monroe, Utah Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Michigan (Disinterred in 2003) Fireman 3rd Class John H. Lindsley, 22, Wuakegan, Illinois Fireman 3rd Class Alfred E. Livingston, of Worthington, Indiana (Disinterred in 2007) Petty Officer 1st Class Vernon T. Luke, 43, of Green Bay, Wisconsin Fire Controlman 2nd Class Donald R. McCloud, 21, of Wayne, West Virginia Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Earl R. Melton, 24, of Lakewood, New Jersey Seaman 1st Class George E. Naegle, 22, of La Crosse, Wisconsin Fireman 1st Class Elmer D. Nail, 23, of Kansas City, Missouri Fire Controlman 1st Class Paul A. Nash, 26, of Carlisle, Indiana Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Don O. Neher, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Arthur C. Neuenschwander, 33, of Fessenden, North Dakota Fireman 1st Class Frank E. Nicoles, 24, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin Signalman 3rd Class Charles E. Nix, 26, of Danville, Illinois Fireman 1st Class Charles R. Ogle, 20, of Goedsbery Township, Missouri Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady, 19, of Saline County, Kansas Storekeeper 3rd Class Eli Olsen, 23, of Audubon, Iowa Fireman 1st Class Millard Pace, 24, of Vanndale, Arkansas Seaman 2nd Class Dale F. Pearce, 21, of Dennis, Kansas Seaman 2nd Class James N. Phipps, 24, of Rainier, Oregon Fireman 1st Class Gerald H. Pirtle, 19, of El Dorado, Kansas Seaman 2nd Class Rudolph V. Piskuran, 19, of Elyria, Ohio Seaman 1st Class Herbert Joseph Poindexter, Jr., 24, of Jacksonville, Florida Fire Controlman 3rd Class Robert L. Pribble, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida Ensign Lewis B. Pride, Jr., 23, of Madisonville, Kentucky Seaman 1st Class Paul S. Raimond, 20, of Converse, Louisiana Water Tender 2nd Class Porter L. Rich, 27, of Lake Preston, South Dakota Seaman 1st Class Harold W. Roesch, 25, of Rockford, Illinois Fireman 1st Class Walter B. Rogers, 22, of Bison, South Dakota Yeoman 3rd Class Edmund T. Ryan, 21, of Wilbraham, Massachusetts Seaman 1st Class John E. Savidge, 20, of Elisabeth, New Jersey Lt. j.g. Aloysius H. Schmitt, 32, of St. Lucas, Iowa Pharmacist’s Mate 1st Class John H. Schoonover, 39, of Port Edwards, Wisconsin Fireman 1st Class Chester Seaton, 20, of Tacoma, Washington Ensign Verdi D. Sederstrom, 25, of Montevideo, Minnesota Seaman 1st Class Edward F. Slapikas, 26, of Wanamie, Pennsylvania Water Tender 1st Class Walter H. Sollie, 37, of Myrtlewood, Alabama Ensign Lewis S. Stockdale, 27, of Anaconda, Montana Seaman 1st Class Milton R. Surratt, 21, of Greenville, South Carolina Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Charles H. Swanson, of Maywood, California (Disinterred in 2003) Seaman 1st Class Robert M. Temple, 19, of Des Moines, Iowa Fireman 1st Class Charles W. Thompson, 19, of Weaubleau, Missouri Ensign Irvin A.R. Thompson, of Hudson County, New Jersey (Disinterred in 2003) Ensign William M. Thompson, 21, of Summit, New Jersey Navy Seaman 2nd Class Richard J. Thomson, 19, of League City, Texas Navy Fireman Second Class Lowell Earl Valley, 19, of Ontonagon, Michigan Aviation Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Durell Wade, 24, of Bentley, Mississippi Seaman 2nd Class Lewis L. Wagoner, 20, of Douglass County, Missouri Fireman 3rd Class Robert N. Walkowiak, 20, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin Seaman 1st Class William E. Welch, 18, of Springfield, Ohio Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Alfred F. Wells, 32, of Syracuse, New York Fireman 2nd Class John D. Wheeler, 26, of Fort Douglas, Arkansas Seaman 2nd Class George J. Wilcox, 19, of Byram, Mississippi Seaman 2nd Class Frank Wood, 25, of Jackson, Ohio Chief Water Tender Paul R. Wright, 41, of Meadville, Missouri Ensign Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Oregon (Disinterred in 2003) Navy Seaman 1st Class Robert V. Young Source: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency |
Last updated: May 8, 2019