After 77 Years, Wisconsin Navy Man Lost At Pearl Harbor Buried

WISCONSIN -- A Wisconsin man who served in the U.S. Navy is finally being laid to rest, 77 years after he was lost in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

Navy Seaman 1st Class William G. Bruesewitz, 26, of Appleton, Wisconsin, accounted for on March 19, 2018.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Bruesewitz was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Bruesewitz.

“Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz embodied the values our nation holds dear, and the people of Wisconsin are forever indebted for his service and sacrifice in defense of our country,” Governor Walker said Friday. “I encourage citizens to take time on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to reflect on the countless heroic Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice 77 years ago.”

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued orders, directing the disinterment of unknowns who were lost with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl National Cemetery for analysis.

To identify Bruesewitz’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, anthropological and dental analysis, along with circumstantial evidence.

Today, Brusewitz will be buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,781 still unaccounted for from World War II.

Bruesewitz’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for, and will be laid to rest.

Image Via U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency