Home, At Last, For 3 Pearl Harbor Sailors

Remains Of Three Men Killed In Attack Identified And Retrieved From Mass Graves

(AP)  Two-thirds of a century ago, Kathleen Wyman drove her brother to California to join the Navy. From there, he shipped out to the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.

He never came home.

Ensign Eldon Wyman was 24 when he died in the Japanese attack of Dec. 7, 1941. Along with hundreds of others, he was buried in mass graves, officially listed as unknowns.

But Thursday, the Pentagon announced that the remains of Eldon Wyman and two other sailors had been identified, and their remains would be returned to their families.

"I'm very grateful that there's been such persistence in following up on this," Kathleen Wyman said in an interview.

She's known about the identification for a few weeks, and she's known about the possibility of an identification for about four years. She plans to put her brother's ashes in a niche next to their father and mother.

The attack on the Oklahoma left 429 sailors and Marines dead. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The focus on Pearl Harbor remains has intensified in recent years through the research of one of the few survivors from the Oklahoma, Ray Emory.

As a result of Emory's work, Kathleen Wyman gave a blood sample for a DNA analysis, used by forensic anthropologists at a special military command along with other means, such as dental records, to identify the remains of her younger brother.

The Pentagon identified the other sailors as Ensign Irvin A.R. Thompson of Hudson County, New Jersey, and Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence Boxrucker of Dorchester, Wisconsin. Boxrucker will be buried Saturday.

"I am thrilled to death. It is just kind of a relief to know he is home," said 82-year-old Agnes Boxrucker, who was married to one of the sailor's late cousins. "When the veterans service officer called me, I just went ecstatic. Wow."

[frankinaz]

Another program that the Republiscum Party has enviserated for the aggrandizement of their get-rich give-away for the wealthy in the United States.

Veterans Administration programs have had their funding slashed 39% during the shameful administration of George Bush II, while tax breaks for the wealthy have increased to the point that middle-income Americans pay more taxes that multi-millionaires.


What Would Jesus Say, indeed - you filthy godless hippocrites.

1. What does this post have to do with the article?
2. What program(s) is this person talking about?
3. Who are the "filthy godless hippocrites?"
4. If anything is filthy, it''s the use of the
English language at the end of this post.
5. Did this person have to post this multiple times?

[tucano2]

Remains ought to have been undisturbed and kept among shipmates.

[tohio]

Perhaps Mr. Emory could convince Mr. Bush to expend the same amount of energy and care on our present day veterans as this program does on the heroes of WWII. God bless these men and welcome home.

[wolfear1]

Rest in Peace. May God bless you and your families. Your duty to this country has been more than served.