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Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. “Pearl Harbor sailor remains identified“
2. “19-year-old sailor Pearl Harbor Indiana”
Officials utilising DNA analysis have identified the remains of a 19-year-old Virginian sailor killed in a World War II attack over 80 years ago, as announced by the United States Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. David Walker, from Norfolk, Virginia, served as a Mess Attendant 3rd Class on the battleship USS California during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. His remains were recently identified through anthropological, dental, and mitochondrial DNA analysis. Walker, a former student at I.C. Norcom High School, will be buried in September at Arlington National Cemetery. A rosette will be placed next to his name at the Walls of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
1. Pearl Harbor sailor identification
2. Indiana news update Pearl Harbor sailor
Officials using DNA analysis have identified the remains of a 19-year-old Virginian sailor killed in a World War II attack more than 80 years ago, the United States Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday.
The Tragic Incident at Pearl Harbor
David Walker, a Mess Attendant 3rd Class from Norfolk, Virginia, tragically lost his life during the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. The battleship USS California, where Walker was assigned, was docked at the naval base on December 7, 1941, when Japan conducted a surprise military strike.
Multiple torpedoes and bombs hit the vessel, causing it to catch fire and slowly flood, resulting in the deaths of 103 crewmen, including Walker. Despite the chaos and destruction, Navy personnel managed to recover the remains of the deceased crew, who were later buried in cemeteries in Hawaii.
Identification Process and Family Tragedy
Walker’s body was exhumed in 2018, along with 24 others who were buried as “unknowns.” Through extensive anthropological, dental analysis, and mitochondrial DNA testing by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, his remains were successfully identified.
Before enlisting in the US Navy, Walker was a student at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. He made the courageous decision to join the military about a year before his untimely death at Pearl Harbor. His mother, Edna Lee Ward, devastated by the news, requested a local reporter to publish Walker’s photo in the newspaper to announce his passing.
Honoring a Fallen Hero
To commemorate his sacrifice, a rosette will be placed next to Walker’s name at the Walls of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. In September, Walker will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will receive a proper military burial.
