PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – The remains of a sailor born in Arkansas and killed in the early hours of the Pearl Harbor attack that pulled the US into World War II have been identified and will receive a formal military internment.
Seaman 2nd Class Joseph Morris Robertson was stationed on the battleship USS Oklahoma as it was berthed in Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941. It was the Paragould-born 18-year-old’s first duty station after boot camp.
His recently identified remains will be reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery on July 8 after his death in a battle that marked America’s entry into World War II.
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On that fateful Dec. 7 at 7:55 a.m., the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the Pearl Harbor base, and the Oklahoma was one of the first ships hit by three air-launched torpedoes followed by machine gun strafing.
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FILE – This April 1938 file photo shows the USS Oklahoma. The ship sank during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor survivors and World War II veterans are gathering in Hawaii this week to remember those killed in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. Those attending will observe a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the minute the bombing began. The ceremony will mark the 80th anniversary of the attack that launched the U.S. into World War II. (AP Photo/File) -
Heavy black smoke billows as oil fuel burns from shattered tanks on ships that were hit during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. Visible through the murk is the U.S. battleship Maryland, center, and the hulk of the capsized USS Oklahoma to the right of it. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy) -
FILE – In this Dec. 7, 1941, file photo, part of the hull of the capsized USS Oklahoma is seen at right as the battleship USS West Virginia, center, begins to sink after suffering heavy damage, while the USS Maryland, left, is still afloat in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. Pearl Harbor survivors and World War II veterans are gathering in Hawaii this week to remember those killed in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. Those attending will observe a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the minute the bombing began. The ceremony will mark the 80th anniversary of the attack that launched the U.S. into World War II. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)
Within 15 minutes the 27,900-ton ship capsized, trapping sailors who were below decks in its hull. Navy officials report sailors trapped in the Oklahoma’s hull began banging on it with hammers, leading to rescue efforts as holes were cut in the metal to provide an escape route on Dec. 8 and 9.
Remains of Arkansan Killed in Pearl Harbor Attack Identified
Ultimately 32 sailors were pulled out alive through holes. Banging continued from other sailors trapped below the waterline who rescuers were unable to reach. Those standing watch on the overturned hull reported no banging was heard after Dec. 10.
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The wreckage of the U.S.S. Oklahoma as it lies in the mud at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii after the Japanese aerial attack on Dec. 7, 1941. (AP Photo) -
FILE – In this Nov. 27, 1944 file photo, the wreckage of the USS Oklahoma leaves Pearl Harbor drydock in Hawaii. It was sunk in the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack. (AP Photo) -
FILE – In this May 24, 1943 file photo, the capsized battleship USS Oklahoma is lifted out of the water at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. Pearl Harbor survivors and World War II veterans are gathering in Hawaii this week to remember those killed in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. Those attending will observe a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the minute the bombing began. The ceremony will mark the 80th anniversary of the attack that launched the U.S. into World War II. (AP Photo, File)
Records show that 429 sailors had lost their lives, including Robertson.
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Robertson was born in Arkansas before his parents moved to Kentucky. He was the son of Ophus “Arkie” Sterling Robertson and Syble Lorane Haley Robinson, both buried side-by-side in Covington, Kentucky, listed as Joseph Robertson’s hometown…