PHOENIX — A sailor who was killed in the Pearl Harbor attack nearly 80 years ago was finally laid to rest on Friday. The service was held at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery in Phoenix.
Navy Seaman First Class Carl S. Johnson served aboard the USS West Virginia that fateful morning. Johnson entered the Navy at only 16-and-a-half and died two years later at 18 years old. The attack on his ship resulted in the death of 106 crewmen.
Several generations of Johnson's descendants were in attendance.
“Nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, great-nieces and great, great-nephews,” said his nephew Dr. Carl Dahl, who's named after his uncle.
“It’s basically prayers answered today as well as the hopes and dreams coming to pass,” Dahl said.
The ceremony included full military honors including an volley of shots as a salute, the Playing of Taps and Honor Guard detail.
Pearl Harbor survivor and decorated flight captain, Jack Holder was at the event. Even though he didn’t know Johnson personally, he said it was an honor for him to be there.
“It’s certainly a blessing for him to be found and get the recognition he deserves. After all these years.”
Johnson's remains were interred at the national memorial cemetery of the pacific, known as The Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In 2017, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used DNA analysis to identify remains from the USS West Virginia.
“To have this actually come to pass through the efforts of the navy, the efforts of so many others, it was a dream come true. Something that was virtually unbelievable," said Dr. Dahl.