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August 24, 2018
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Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Pearl Harbor survivor, former Chief Boatswain’s Mate Ray Emory, 97, passed away Aug. 20 in Boise, Idaho. Emory dedicated his life to identifying the remains of hundreds of service members killed on Dec. 7, 1941 and buried as “unknowns”
in Hawaii. He helped identify the remains of more than 100 previously unidentified service members killed on Dec. 7 and buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). On June 19 Emory visited the Pearl Harbor waterfront to see one last time where his ship, USS Honolulu (CL 48), was
berthed Dec. 7, 1941, the day Oahu was attacked. Rear Adm. Brian Fort, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, spoke at a ceremony on the pier, with Ray Emory as guest of honor. “Chief Emory fought back that day, manning his machinegun, taking on enemy planes,” Fort said.
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“He continued to fight on throughout the war in the Pacific. He and his buddies, with help from the homefront, helped create an unprecedented era of peace, stability and prosperity. Victory at the end of World War II was Ray’s finest hour.” Five hundred and twenty Sailors on the pier and aboard USS O’Kane,
berthed nearby, gave a tribute to the former Navy chief, lining the rails of the ships, forming an honor cordon, saluting and shouting “hip, hip, hooray” to an American hero. Fort added, “When the call came in 1941, Ray Emory and hundreds of thousands of other young Americans responded. Working with Allies and
partners they fought to create a better world for our grandparents, parents, ourselves and our families. We do not take their sacrifice and commitment for granted. We remember.” Ray, a long-time resident of Hawaii, left for Boise in late June to be with family. A memorial service will be announced by the family in the coming weeks.
Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Arthur Glenn At right, .S. avy honor guardsmen assigned to avy Region Hawaii carry the casket of Machinist s Mate 1st Class Arthur Glenn at the ational Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Aug. 21.
100th Oklahoma Sailor identified Story and photo by MC1 Tyler Thompson DPAA Public Affairs Editor’s note: Pearl Harbor survivor Ray Emory was instrumental in identifying the USS Oklahoma and other unknowns. Crisp white uniforms contrast the verdant green sea of the cemetery. Some of them bear ceremonial rifles while the rest gather under a small awning, standing at perfect attention. A wall of silver-haired veterans render a somber salute, the medals stippling their
hats gleaming under the noonday sun. A family of three sits in the front of the crowd as the white uniforms float a flag-draped casket. On command, six Sailors set the casket in front of a woman and two men. Tw e n t y - o n e g u n s h o t s echo into the distance as the flag is removed from the casket and doubled end-over-end until it becomes a perfect triangle. One of the Sailors takes the folded flag and studies its edges and corners. She kneels before the woman and with a whisper of condolence, places
the flag in her hands. Nearly 75 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the100th USS Oklahoma Sailor to be identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), was laid to rest Aug. 21. Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Arthur Glenn of Ft. Wayne, Indiana was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). The USS Oklahoma capsized after multiple torpedo hits during the attack on Pearl Harbor, resulting in the deaths of more than 429 crew
members. Three hundred eighty-eight personnel remained unidentified, including Glenn, and were purposely commingled then buried at Punchbowl until 2015 when DPAA disinterred the 60 caskets to identify the unknown remains. “A promise was made by our nation that we would provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing heroes and return them to their families,” said Kelly McKeague, director of DPAA. “Our agency remains steadfast in completing that task and we are extremely humbled to
provide answers and some solace to the Glenn family.” The Machinist’s Mate’s remains were repatriated to his great niece and nephew, Danielle Myers and Matt Glenn, and a flag was presented to them during the burial. “This funeral isn’t just for my uncle, it’s for all our missing (Sailors),” Myers said. “Knowing that my uncle was honored, and to see these Sailors honor him is special and precious — too precious to put into words.” Arthur Glenn’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punch-
bowl, alongside his comrades who are still missing from the Oklahoma. A rosette will be placed next to his name at the memorial to indicate that he has been accounted for. Since disinterring all of the USS Oklahoma unknowns, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System-Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory have been painstakingly analyzing the remains using the latest anthropological, dental, and DNA methods and procedures. To date, 158 of these unknowns have been identified.