By Rick Steelhammer, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eighty-three years ago Saturday, 106 crewmen aboard the USS West Virginia lost their lives after the battleship was struck by at least seven torpedoes and two bombs from Japanese aircraft and sank to the bottom of Pearl Harbor.
Among those who died in the surprise attack that launched America’s entry into World War II were 35 “associated unknowns” aboard the battleship whose unidentified — sometimes comingled — remains were found after the Dec. 7, 1941 raid. They were buried in Hawaii’s National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
After decades of resting in anonymity, new light is now being shed on the identities of the battleship’s unknowns, thanks to advances in technology and an enduring commitment to identify the remains of American servicemen.
Since 2017, 13 of the USS West Virginia’s 35 unknowns have been identified and sent home for burial. The most recent returnee was Fireman 2nd Class William Paul Kubinec, who was laid to rest on Friday in the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo, Calif.
