He died at Pearl Harbor and wasn't identified for 76 years. Now an Iowa sailor can be laid to rest

[Omaha Steve]

By Steve Liewer

Former Omahans George E. Ford and his wife, Kristin, laid flowers on the graves of relatives in Carroll County, Iowa, this Memorial Day weekend.

There will be no flowers, though, for Ford’s namesake uncle, Fireman 2nd Class George C. Ford, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese torpedoes sank the ship at Pearl Harbor. That’s because, like nearly 400 of his shipmates, his body was never identified after the attack. Instead, their bones were mingled together and buried in Hawaii, in graves marked “Unknown.”

By next Memorial Day, George C. Ford may have his own final resting place alongside his Iowa kin. Earlier this month, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that his remains have been identified as part of a five-year effort called the USS Oklahoma Project, undertaken at the agency’s Offutt Air Force Base laboratory.

“Since I was named after him, he always had a place in my heart,” George E. Ford said.

FULL story: http://www.omaha.com/news/plus/he-died-at-pearl-harbor-and-wasn-t-identified-for/article_708a0752-d80d-5a62-924e-285d12bb4e9b.html

[malaise]

1. But according to the Con, he is happy with his America

because he says so.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Welcome home, Sailor.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Self-deleted

Last edited Tue May 29, 2018, 12:15 AM - Edit history (1)

You win. I could give a shit at this point.

[stevenleser]

4. There is some ugly statement attributed to him in his wiki page

Wiki apparently got it from a book about the assassination. I won’t post the quote here but I will link to the wiki page. There is an “n” word quote. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Leavelle

[Dennis Donovan]

5. ...and this is nothing remotely germane to this particular conversation.

Nice try, sparky...

[stevenleser]

6. I bet most DUers will disagree. Heaping praise on a racist is not generally what we do here

YMMV. back at you.

[Dennis Donovan]

7. There was no praise, just recognition for a guy who had a front seat to hugely historical events...,

Shouldn't you be in the Faux News green room or something?

[EffieBlack]

8. When you inject a person into a discussion that had nothing to do with him,

you can’t complain that comments about him aren’t “germane” to the conversation.

[Dennis Donovan]

11. This is about Pearl Harbor...

...and Jim Leavelle was there. And was handcuffed to LHO when Ruby shot him

Note to self, never discuss Hx on DU...

[stevenleser]

14. So if David Duke was at Pearl Harbor you would want DU to praise him too? Nt

[Dennis Donovan]

16. self delete

I will not crap all over Omaha Steve's OP like you have done, sparky...

[EffieBlack]

20. Says the guy who hijacked the thread about a Pearl Harbor hero to talk about who ELSE was there

and then got pissed when someone gave a little more detail about the guy you decided to talk about instead of the subject of the thread.

[Dennis Donovan]

22. Have a good night!

[EffieBlack]

17. YOU brought up Leavelle and Oswald's shooting.

Don’t get mad because someone mentioned what the guy YOU brought up said about the killing YOU brought up.

[Dennis Donovan]

18. I'm not mad at all

[stevenleser]

19. Exactly. I don't know what this person's problem is

The correct response to my first post would have been

“Oh man, had no idea that person said that. Screw that guy. Thanks for letting me know”

Instead that person attacked me for pointing out the ugly truth about that person.

[EffieBlack]

21. Or even just silence would have been than arguing about "germaneness."

[Dennis Donovan]

24. Have a good night!

[stevenleser]

25. It's such a bother when we point out someone is a racist. We should just shut up about

issues of race I guess.

Because they are not Germane to whatever else this person wants to talk about.

[Dennis Donovan]

23. Attacked?

You slay me dude!!

[stevenleser]

26. Uh huh. You aren't fooling anyone about anything. So you know. nt

[Dennis Donovan]

27. Have an AWESOME night!

[stevenleser]

10. That's what you are going with after directing praise toward a racist?

Trying to make it about me?

[Dennis Donovan]

12. .

[stevenleser]

15. Exactly

[heaven05]

30. yeah

A racist POS, who happened to be witness to "hugely historical events". I have no respect or recognition for a POS like this sailor. Maybe you should be in that "green room".

This sailor is the same type of guy I had to watch my back with in Vietnam. We had lots of Confederate soldiers there. Shouldn't even mention this sailor actually.

I don't care for vets who see my service to america as different than their based on one criteria, skin color. It's like my experience with KKKristianity in ameriKKKa. Yeah, you are a Christian, but you are a different Christian because of ameriKKKan KKKristianity, only because of skin color.

[LanternWaste]

31. conveniently ignoring certain aspects of our past certainly allows us the opportunity to celebrate

I'll be the first to admit, conveniently ignoring certain aspects of our past certainly allows us the opportunity to celebrate any one person for any reason, dependent only on how far we rationalize the irrational and defend the indefensible.

Nice try, Sparky indeed...

[stevenleser]

32. And as I said above, I have no idea why that person reacted to me the way they did.

I didn't accuse them of anything, I only pointed it out, then that person made it all about me.

[Dennis Donovan]

34. he posted @ 1:49p - you responded at 2p on a 5 day old post that I self-deleted

That behavior smacks as creepy...

(Before you alert, I didn't call you creepy, just the exhibited behavior).

[stevenleser]

35. Nope, not creepy, happened to be reading DU and when Lantern posted it kicked the thread which

caught my attention.

You know, the way online forums like this work, threads get kicked?

Nice try though. You seem particularly invested in inventing new ways to attack me. Have we discoursed before this OP?

[Dennis Donovan]

37. oh, sure... in the span of 10 mins from one reply *not to you*

...and you *happened* to be reading a 5 day old thread.

[stevenleser]

40. Yup, that's how it happened. I like your selfie. nt

[Dennis Donovan]

33. Sorry, Waste...

...but I'm done talking about this.

[stevenleser]

36. Apparently the exception is inventing new ways to be nasty to me however. nt

[Dennis Donovan]

38. Always the victim, eh Sparky?

Cue up the circus organ grinder playing Just For You...

[stevenleser]

39. Nope, I don't feel the slightest bit victimized by you. I'm just noticing your behavior. nt

[Niagara]

13. K & R

Thank you for sharing this, Omaha Steve. I appreciate the photo and article.

I feel that your OP should be kicked higher then what it is.

[radical noodle]

28. K&R

[Docreed2003]

29. K&R!!