BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — The remains of a U.S. Navy World War II veteran from North Dakota have been identified as Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward D. Johnson.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has announced that Johnson’s remains were accounted for in September 2020. The Hurdsfield native was serving on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on December 7, 1941.

“The Greatest Generation’s legacy of service and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and Edward D. Johnson is no different,” said Senator John Hoeven, who helped advance legislation that created the DPAA. “Edward, who perished along with 428 others on the USS Oklahoma during the attacks on Pearl Harbor, reminds us yet again of the bravery and sacrifices made during WWII. We are grateful for the DPAA and their work in identifying Edward. We join his family, his fellow veterans, and North Dakotans in honoring his sacrifice.”

In 2015, the DPAA exhumed unknown remains from the USS Oklahoma that were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), also known as the Punchbowl. They identified Johnson’s remains using DNA and other historical evidence.

Johnson will be buried in the Punchbowl in October.

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