Back in April we told you Lou Conter, the last surviving crew member of the USS Arizona passed away at age 102. On Christmas day, Warren Upton, the last surviving crew member of the USS Utah passed away.
Upton was 105.
He died following complications from pneumonia, according to family:
Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at 105 https://t.co/4sKzyXBHX7
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 28, 2024
The Utah, a battleship, was moored at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes began bombing the Hawaii naval base in the early hours of Dec. 7, 1941, in an attack that propelled the U.S. into World War II.
Upton told The Associated Press in 2020 that he had been getting ready to shave when he felt the first torpedo hit the Utah. He recalled that no one on board knew what made the ship shake. Then, the second torpedo hit and the ship began to list and capsize.
The then-22-year-old swam ashore to Ford Island, where he jumped in a trench to avoid Japanese planes strafing the area. He stayed for about 30 minutes until a truck came and took him to safety.
After Pearl Harbor, Upton served as a Navy radioman. After the war, he married and had a family. His wife Gene, a Navy nurse, passed in 2018.
Of the 87,000 personnel at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there are now only 15 remaining.
Upton turned 105 in October:
Warren Upton, of San Jose, CA, the last known survivor of the USS Utah during the Pearl Harbor attack, celebrated his 105th birthday on Oct. 17, 2024. Upton served as a radioman aboard USS Utah on Dec. 7, 1941.
Happy Birthday Sir! We thank you for your service!#WeRememberThem pic.twitter.com/qMPe2PH8Wa
— WWII Memorial Friends (@WWIIMemorial) October 29, 2024
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What a life!
I hope we can cultivate this kind of resilience and pride in accomplishment again. It’s up to us parents to raise strong, principled and kind people. The best humans are all three.
— Benjamin (@awesomeradical) December 28, 2024
Upton was among the best of us.
🫡 The Greatest Generation. We’ll never see the likes of them again. 🙏
— Rocky Resistor🇺🇸😎🇺🇦 (@RockyResistor) December 28, 2024
The Greatest Generation, indeed.
There are only 15 survivors of Pearl Harbor left.
We’re in the twilight years of remaining WWII veterans. I only hope that we can preserve their stories and hear their perspectives while they’re still around. https://t.co/MzQ0vpur3R
— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@OliverJia1014) December 28, 2024
Soon they’ll all be lost to history.
#RIP Pearl Harbor survivor Warren “Red” Upton who passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 105. Upton was a radioman aboard USS Utah when the battleship was hit by two torpedoes on 7 December 1941. As the Utah began to roll over, he abandoned ship and swam to Ford Island,… pic.twitter.com/IQApqMRD9Z
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) December 26, 2024
Ford Island sits in the middle of Pearl Harbor; the USS Arizona memorial sits next to it.
Warren “Red” Upton is with his brothers now, and they are partying like only sailors can.
The Greatest Generation:
Many service members were in their late teens and early 20s — boys, who were expected to react, understand and even lead like experienced men.
“I was just… pic.twitter.com/SynNBGLFqj
— Joe F. (@JoeF_Volusia) December 26, 2024
They met and exceeded those expectations.
Radioman school was tough too. Those guys knew their radios inside out.
They had to know how to rebuild a radio just in case.
— Cranky Cold War Vet (@Bhess) December 26, 2024
Just in case.
We have now, so few Pearl Harbor survivors still living that we worry that the sacrifice and their message of “Remember Pearl Harbor – Keep America safe” will dwindle in time. Godspeed “Red” Upton. A grateful nation thanks you for your service to the country. ⚓️🇺🇸 https://t.co/QV1pNpoPux
— USS Arizona (@USSArizona) December 27, 2024
Here’s a news report about Upton’s passing:
🚨NEW: Last survivor of USS Utah, sunk during Pearl Harbor attack, dies at 105. 🇺🇸
Warren Upton was a radioman aboard the USS Utah when it was hit by two torpedos. When he abandoned ship & swam for Ford Island, he towed a shipmate with him who didn’t know how to swim. ⚓️ pic.twitter.com/w5CyWM7ovq
— J&L Historical (@Jason_R_Burt) December 28, 2024
Fair winds and following seas, sailor. Semper fortis.
