Navy Seaman who died at Pearl Harbor attack brought home to Mississippi to rest

After practically 81 years, stays of these killed at Pearl Harbor are nonetheless being returned residence after identification. 

Seaman First Class John Russell Melton might be returning residence for burial on July 9, on the Mount Nice Baptist Church. Melton was one among 2,403 U.S. personnel that died on the assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Melton was a local of Liberty, Mississippi, and was born on February 7, 1918. He enlisted within the Navy in Might of 1940. He acquired a number of decorations for his service together with a Purple Coronary heart Medal, Good conduct Medal (Bronze Star), American Protection Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Marketing campaign Medal (Bronze Star), American Marketing campaign Medal and World Battle II Victory Medal.

He was assigned to the united statesS. West Virginia (BB 48) which was sunk in the course of the assault by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.

Dr. Laurel Freas, Mission Lead for the Pearl Harbor Ships Mission (DPAA), says that makes an attempt started in 2017 to establish 35 unknown individuals that had been related to the united statesS. West Virginia. Comparable initiatives had been executed with the united statesS. Oklahoma.

A complete of 105 casualties had been from that ship with 25 unresolved casualties (people who had been identified to have died however no stays have been recovered) and 35 related unknowns in the beginning of the challenge. These people had been buried on the Nationwide Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Hawaii.

As of June 2022, there have been 13 U.S.S. West Virginia identifications.

As soon as an identification has been made, by means of a prolonged laboratory course of and comparability to Household Reference Samples, the following of kin was notified by the Navy relating to additional choices on the stays of that member of the family, in line with Capt. Robert McMahan, Director, Navy Casualty Workplace.

The Navy covers all funeral bills, household journey and lodging for as much as three blood-related relations to that service member. There are lots of points of the funeral which are additionally dealt with together with casket, stays transportation, funeral residence and cemetery bills.

These seamen obtain full funeral honors with a rifle salute, burial crew and Faucets.