Warren Upton, the oldest identified survivor of the assault on Pearl Harbor and the final residing crew member of the USS Utah, handed away on the age of 105. Upton, who endured the horrors of December 7, 1941, and lived to bear witness to the sacrifices of his technology, succumbed to pneumonia on Wednesday in a hospital in Los Gatos, California, in response to Kathleen Farley, president of the California chapter of Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors.
The passing of Upton marks a solemn second in historical past. Of the estimated 87,000 navy personnel stationed on Oahu throughout the assault that propelled the USA into World Warfare II, solely 15 survivors stay.
A Day of Infamy: The Assault That Modified Every little thing
The USS Utah, a battleship moored in Pearl Harbor, was among the many first vessels struck throughout the Japanese shock assault. Upton, then a 22-year-old sailor, was getting ready to shave when he felt the ship shudder violently below the affect of a torpedo.
“At first, none of us knew what had hit the ship,” Upton recalled in a 2020 interview. A second torpedo struck quickly after, inflicting the battleship to listing and capsize. As chaos engulfed the harbor, Upton swam to Ford Island below a hail of enemy fireplace. He sought refuge in a trench for 30 harrowing minutes earlier than being rescued by a truck that carried him to security.
Regardless of the trauma of that day, Upton hardly ever dwelled on the assault itself. What haunted him extra, he mentioned, was the regular lack of his shipmates and fellow survivors over the a long time. By 2020, solely three crew members of the Utah had been nonetheless alive, together with Upton.
A Legacy of Braveness and Reflection
The assault on Pearl Harbor stays some of the pivotal moments in American historical past. That morning, Japanese forces launched an aerial assault that destroyed or broken almost 20 U.S. naval vessels and over 300 plane. Greater than 2,400 Individuals misplaced their lives, and one other 1,000 had been wounded. For a lot of, together with Upton, it marked the start of a lifetime outlined by resilience.
Regardless of the devastation, Upton lived a protracted and memorable life, carrying the reminiscences of his shipmates and the teachings of Pearl Harbor with him. His story served as a reminder of the braveness and sacrifice of the Best Era.
J. Michael Wenger, a navy historian, estimates that of the 1000’s who bore witness to the “day of infamy,” solely 15 survivors now stay. Their voices develop quieter, however their tales endure.
Honoring a US Hero
Because the commander of the Pearl Harbor Veterans Affiliation bid farewell to Upton throughout a latest ceremony, the load of historical past was palpable. His handshake with Upton symbolized a bridge between the previous and current, a gesture of gratitude for a life lived with braveness and dignity.
The loss of life of Warren Upton underscores the urgency of preserving the tales of those that witnessed and survived Pearl Harbor. For as their numbers dwindle, so too does the firsthand connection to a chapter of historical past that formed the fashionable world.
Upton’s legacy will reside on within the reminiscences of his household, the reverence of historians, and the gratitude of a nation. He was a survivor, a storyteller, and above all, a testomony to the enduring human spirit.
