MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A sailor killed serving on board the USS West Virginia during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor will be laid to rest on the same day a tribute will take place at the ship’s mast.
Navy Fireman 2nd Class William Kubinec
Ohio native and Navy Fireman 2nd Class William Kubinec will be buried Friday in the Northern California Veterans Cemetery shortly after the start of West Virginia University’s annual Pearl Harbor Day ceremony that will take place in Morgantown.
Kubinec’s relatives are expected to be in attendance for the California ceremony after his remains were identified as part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency program. Kubinec is remembered as someone who always put others ahead of himself.
Coming from a working family when times were hard, his niece Kathie Svoboda said one year when his family didn’t have a Christmas he asked the principal and was permission to take the school tree home.
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The U.S.S. West Virginia
“The last day of school before Christmas vacation, he went to the principal if he could take the Christmas tree home to his family, because they didn’t have a Christmas tree,” said Kubinec’s niece Kathie Svoboda discussing her family’s memories of her uncle. “So he carried the tree home so his family could have a Christmas tree,” she said.
Kubinec was killed on the USS West Virginia when the battleship was struck by six torpedoes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was among 106 other sailors that died during the attack that resulted in the ship sinking on an even keel, leading to its eventual return to service. As a Navy fireman who worked on the mechanics of the ship even as it was sinking, Kubinec was among many who gave their lives to make sure their fellow seamen could survive, but also to give the ship a chance of still being salvageable.
“From what I understand, the guys working in the engine room controlled flooding, and they sacrificed themselves so it would go straight down,” said Svoboda. “And not list over into ships beside it or into the sailors who were flung into the water from the explosion,” she said.
The U.S.S. West Virginia mast standing in the center of the WVU campus today. PHOTO: WVU Photo
Kubinec will be buried at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery on Friday starting at 2 p.m.
The annual Pearl Harbor Day ceremony hosted at WVU will take place outside of Oglebay Hall, where the original mast and bell of the USS West Virginia are located. The event will be hosted by the WVU Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs, where they will be joined by keynote speaker retired U.S. Army Major George Davis and members of the WVU ROTC.
“He was commissioned as a military intelligence officer, and then he was selected to attend flight school,” said WVU Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs Director Penny Lipscomb, listing Davis’ accomplishments. “So he did a couple of tours in Vietnam, and then also he was stationed in the Pentagon for a couple of years and in Korea, where he flew along the DMZ,” she said.
Davis, who is currently the commander for Chapter 45 of the Disabled American Veterans in North Central West Virginia, will have his remarks followed by a traditional 21-gun salute that will be fired by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 548 and Post 9916. The USS West Virginia bell will also be rung to pay tribute to the 106 sailors who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor. For those wishing to pay respects, it will be free to attend and will take place outside of Oglebay Hall rain or shine.
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“I think we should all remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, I think it’s not done enough,” Lipscomb said.
The ceremony will take place on Friday starting at 10 a.m.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
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The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
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Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
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Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
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West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
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Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
Hancock County, WV — A Weir High School senior has been recognized as the 2026 West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year.
Hailey Hans was selected for the statewide honor after building a journalism portfolio since her freshman year. She also serves as the staff manager of Weir Student Media, where she oversees articles and is in charge of deadlines.
“When I was a freshman I was placed in the journalism one class, and I actually tried to get pulled from the class. But, then after I sat in the class and I learned a little bit, that’s where my love grew and then from there I continued to take classes, I helped pass a law, and I got to these national conventions. Where it just lit a fire inside me,” Hans said.
Hans is planning to attend West Liberty University in the fall to study education with a minor in journalism, with the goal of becoming a journalism teacher. She will now submit her portfolio for the national-level contest.
