Northern California sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack laid to rest 82 years later

DAVIS -- A Northern California sailor has been laid to rest 82 years after his death. Radioman 3rd Class Starring Winfield died during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

"Family history is really important to us so we were told all the stories," said Adam Morril.

Stories of Radioman 3rd Class Starring Winfield was a native of San Rafael, California.

"He died 80-something years ago. We didn't know him but obviously still have that strong connection because we were all raised on with the stories about him," Morril said.

Winfield died when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. He was on board the USS Oklahoma, but his body was never "officially" identified. His grandnephew, and Davis resident Adam Morrill, says that meant he was left of several memorials.

"I know it bothered my grandmother to some extent. They had lost their father when they were young," Morrill said.

But recently he got a call and after years, they had a match.

Winfield was laid to rest today at the Arlington National Ceremony with full military honors.

Carrie LeGarde is an anthropologist and the project lead for the team that made the match. She said, initially, after Pearl Harbor, inidentified remains were buried because of the ongoing war. Years later all they had to go off of were dental records. But recently DNA has come into play.

"Their contributions by donating DNA and asking questions, and being a part of the process is why we're able to do what we do," LeGarde said.

Turns out, there are a lot of families still waiting to have remains identified.

"So there are more than 81,000 people still MIA, still unaccounted for a combination of World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam and even up to Operation Desert Storm," said Sean Everette, with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

But thanks to people like LeGardge, one by one, questions are being answered and families are finding closure.

"This is a really rewarding job and I really feel honored to be able to be a part of our mission," LeGardge said.

"Thank you for the family's closer," Morrill said. "We have a monument now, we can point to something. He existed, he's not just a name on something but we can point to that stone and hallowed ground of our capitol and say, 'He's there.'"