Northern California sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack buried 82 years later

DAVIS – A Northern California sailor has been laid to rest 82 years after his death. Radioman 3rd Class with Winfield died during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

“Family history is very important to us, so we were all told stories,” Adam Morril said.

Stories from Radioman 3rd Class with Winfield was from San Rafael, California.

“He died about 80 years ago. We didn’t know him, but obviously we still have a strong connection because we all grew up with the stories about him,” Morril said.

Winfield died when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. He was aboard the USS Oklahoma, but his body was never “officially” identified. His great-nephew and Davis resident Adam Morrill says that meant there were several memorials left of him.

“I know it bothered my grandmother to some extent. They had lost their father when they were young,” Morrill said.

But recently he received a call and after years a match happened between them.

Winfield was buried with full military honors today at Arlington National Ceremony.

Carrie LeGarde is an anthropologist and project manager for the team that made the match. She said initially after Pearl Harbor, unknown remains were buried because of the ongoing war. Years later, they only had to submit dental records. But recently DNA has come into play.

“Your contributions through donating DNA and asking questions and participating in the process are why we can do what we do,” LeGarde said.

It turned out that many families are still waiting for their remains to be identified.

“So there are more than 81,000 people who are still missing and are still missing due to a combination of World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam and even up to Operation Desert Storm,” Sean Everette said from the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

But thanks to people like LeGardge, little by little questions are being answered and families are finding closure.

“This is a truly rewarding role and I am truly honored to be a part of our mission,” said LeGardge.

“Thank you for keeping the family close,” Morrill said. “We now have a monument, we can point to something. He existed, he is not just a name on something, but we can point to this stone and the sacred ground of our capital and say, ‘He is there.'”