Is Lou Conter still alive?

Publish date: 2024-05-02
Conter now lives quietly in Grass Valley, Calif., about an hour north of Sacramento. What happened on December 7, 1941 is never far from his mind.

How many USS Arizona survivors are still living?

Potts is one of only two living survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona. He lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife Doris. He still receives fan mail and special invitations from all over the country.

Where does Lou Conter live?

Conter currently lives in Grass Valley, California.

How many are entombed in the USS Arizona?

Of the 1,177 USS Arizona sailors and Marines killed at Pearl Harbor, more than 900 could not be recovered and remain entombed on the ship, which sank in nine minutes. A memorial built in 1962 sits above the wreckage. Sixty died on the Utah, and three have been interred there.

Why didn't they get the bodies out of the Arizona?

Caitlin said: “When it was determined that the USS Arizona could not be salvaged, the navy decided that it would be 'too difficult to remove the dead in a respectful manner'. “So 1,102 people remain entombed in the USS Arizona, considered buried at sea.”

U.S. Navy hero, USS Arizona survivor Lieutenant Commander Louis A. "Lou" Conter celebrates 100th bir

Are there skeletons on the USS Arizona?

The majority of those have never been recovered from the wreckage. According to DPAA, their remains are entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial. As of December 1, 2021, DPAA reports more than 81,600 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Gulf Wars or other conflicts.

Can survivors be buried on the USS Arizona?

Only USS Arizona survivors can be interred on the USS Arizona. Pearl Harbor survivors can have their ashes scattered over Pearl Harbor. The memorial service and interment of deceased USS Arizona Survivors is conducted on the USS Arizona Memorial.

Where is Donald Stratton buried?

Donald Stratton died late Saturday at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His wife, Velma, and his son, Randy, were with him. He was 97. Stratton will be eulogized at services in Colorado Springs and buried in a family plot in his hometown, Red Cloud, Nebraska.

Who survived the sinking of the USS Arizona?

More than 900 of Potts' crewmates are entombed in the sunken battleship. There is just one other living survivor from the Arizona, retired Lt. Cmdr. Louis “Lou” Conter, also 100.

Who is the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor?

Ray Chavez, of Poway, is the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor. NBC 7's Alex Presha has the story. Stationed in San Diego, Chavez was assigned to a U.S. Navy minesweeper.

Is the USS Arizona still leaking oil 2020?

Fuel continues to leak from USS Arizona's wreckage.

However, despite the raging fire and ravages of time, some 500,000 gallons are still slowly seeping out of the ship's submerged wreckage: Nearly 70 years after its demise, Arizona continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day.

Is there a list of Pearl Harbor survivors?

Those eleven survivors were: Clarence Bonn, Mark Ferris, George Haines Jr. Edward Kronberger, Robert Kronberger, Samuel Kronberger, Raymond LeBer, George Schafer, Louis P. Smith, Ed Steffa, and James C. Taneyhill.

How long will USS Arizona last?

“It was an environmental disaster here,” said Daniel Martinez, historian with the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor. It's believed between 14,000 and 64,000 gallons of oil have leaked from the USS Arizona since the attack, and the National Park Service estimates it could continue to leak for 500 years.

Is Donald Stratton of the USS Arizona still alive?

He was 97 and passed away in his Colorado Springs, Colorado, home surrounded by his wife of nearly seven decades, Velma, and his son, Randy, a Facebook post stated. “One of Donald's final wishes was that people remember Pearl Harbor and the men aboard the USS Arizona.

What ships are still at the bottom of Pearl Harbor?

The target ship USS Utah, and the battleships USS Arizona and Oklahoma, were the only ships the Japanese left beyond repair. The Utah remains on the Pearl Harbor floor along with the Arizona. The Oklahoma was raised after a massive effort but proved to be too damaged to return to service.

Can you dive to the USS Arizona?

Because the Arizona is considered to be a memorial, it is unlawful for divers to enter the ship, so careful egresses are made using underwater rovers that document interior conditions. Members of PVA dive the waters of the USS Arizona along with the National Park Service.

Who was the last person interred on the USS Arizona?

Lauren Bruner is the last survivor of the USS Arizona to have his remains interred on the submerged ship in Pearl Harbor. Loved ones gathered at sunset at the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu. Family and friends handed Bruner's ashes over to divers who placed the urn inside the well of the barbette on gun turret No. 4.

Is there a flag underwater at Pearl Harbor?

False. According to a spokesperson for the National Park Service, the underwater flag photo was not taken at the Pearl Harbor site. Instead, it depicts a flag once displayed at the USNS Vandenberg located in the waters of the Florida Keys.

Were any Japanese remains found at Pearl Harbor?

Oklahoma when it sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Using DNA taken from a nephew, the Pentagon was finally able to identify the remains of the 25-year-old sailor in 2020.

Are there still bodies in the USS Oklahoma?

After years of planning, an announcement was made by DPAA that all Oklahoma remains would be exhumed and DNA tested for identification. This operations was known as the Oklahoma Project. As of September 2021, out of the remaining 394, 346 sailors and marines already have been identified and buried under their names.

How many bodies are entombed at Pearl Harbor?

The USS Arizona Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day.

How many bodies are still on the USS Utah?

The correct answer is 58 men died on the Utah. That number includes officers. Four of the 58 men were buried on land, but 54 of them are still entombed inside the ship.

Did they ever try to raise the USS Arizona?

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the short answer is no; she'll likely remain submerged in the harbor until she completely erodes down to nothing.

How many survivors from Pearl Harbor are still alive today?

As we prepare to enter 2022, the total number of Pearl Harbor survivors is estimated to be less than 1,500 — the youngest of whom would be 97. Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only 240,000 were still alive in 2021, only 25,000 in California, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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