Remains of 17-year-old US sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack return home after 84 years

A 17-year-old sailor's body is returning home over 84 years later for a proper burial, who was killed during the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor. The sailor identified as Royle Bradford Luker is set to be laid to rest with full military honours in Plainview, Arkansas, on May 30 alongside his parents, including his father, who was a World War I veteran.

"As a Fireman Third Class in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia, he gave his all and was killed in the line of duty during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941," his obituary from Cornwell Funeral Homes said.

The obituary stated that his burial was arranged after modern forensic testing and DNA analysis compared his remains with DNA from living relatives, confirming his identity decades later.

Exceptional heroism

For his bravery, dedication, and sacrifice, Luker was said to have earned several prestigious military honours. These included the Purple Heart, given to service members wounded or killed in battle, and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, awarded to military units that displayed exceptional heroism during enemy attacks.

According to his obituary, he also received additional recognitions, including the Gold Star Veteran designation, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Luker was one of the 106 sailors who lost their lives when the USS West Virginia was hit during Japan’s unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor.

For many decades, he was considered killed in action, while his unidentified remains were buried among unknown soldiers at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, as stated by the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency. His name was also engraved on the cemetery's Courts of the Missing. Almost 82 years after he died, Luker was finally identified on May 29, 2024, after officials exhumed several caskets and used advanced forensic and DNA testing, according to the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency.