Larimer County Genealogical Society

Killed at Pearl Harbor When He Was 20. More Than 80 Years Later, This Sailor Has Been Laid to Rest.

George Gilbert, a sailor killed in the Pearl Harbor attack who remained unidentified for decades, was laid to rest Monday — more than 80 years after his death, officials said. DNA played a major role in his identification.

He was 20 years old when he died.

A Fire Controlman 2nd class, Gilbert was stationed on the USS Oklahoma after joining the Navy from Indiana, according to a profile page on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) website. The agency’s mission is to recover US military personnel and identify them using a combination of forensic science technology and military records.

Personnel at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) used procedures including dental, anthropological and mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify Gilbrt’s remains.

You can read more on CNN.com at: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/07/us/george-gilbert-sailor-pearl-harbor-national-cemetery-pacific/index.html