Pearl Harbor survivor Warren Upton, last of USS Utah crew, has died
SALINAS, Calif. − The oldest living survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks died Christmas morning.
Warren “Red” Upton, of San Jose, California, was also the last living survivor of the USS Utah, which sank during Japanese attacks on the U.S. Naval Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. He was 105.
Upton had a short hospital stay in Los Gatos surrounded by his family before he died Wednesday, according to Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the nonprofit Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. There are 15 living Pearl Harbor survivors, she said in a phone interview Saturday.
Upton was a Navy radioman aboard the USS Utah when torpedoes hit the battleship and quickly capsized it, the nonprofit Pacific Historic Parks said in a social media post. In total, 58 of Upton’s shipmates died when the USS Utah quickly sank, and 461 sailors survived.
During the attacks, Upton swam to nearby Ford Island, a naval air station in the middle of Pearl Harbor. He helped another shipmate along the way who couldn’t swim, according to Pacific Historic Parks.
The attacks killed 2,403 American service members and civilians. Over 1,000 people were injured. It spurred the U.S. to enter World War II.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Pearl Harbor Survivor Warren "Red" Upton, the last living...
Posted by Pacific Historic Parks on Thursday, December 26, 2024
Upton served as a radioman throughout the war, Farley said.
After his service, he returned home to California, where he married his wife, Gene, a former Navy nurse during the war. The two had five children and numerous grandchildren. Gene diedin 2018. She was 97.
Upton remained an active member of his local chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Farley said. His last visit to Pearl Harbor was in 2019.
Many wondered whether he wanted to be cremated and interred inside the USS Utah with his shipmates in Pearl Harbor, Farley said. Only survivors are eligible for the honor, according to the National Park Service. Upton had no plans of doing so, Farley said.
“He always said, ‘I was lucky enough to make it off the ship. I’m not going back,’” she said.
Services for Upton are still pending.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pearl Harbor survivor Warren Upton, last of USS Utah crew, has died
