Warren Upton, Oldest Living Survivor of the Pearl Harbor Attack, Dies at 105
Upton was the last living survivor of the USS Utah, which was hit by two torpedos on Dec. 7, 1941
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Allen Michael Amani/U.S. Navy via AP
Warren Upton is greeted by Michael Ferreira, commander of Pearl Harbor American Veterans, in December 2019Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105.
Upton was surrounded by his "loving family" when he died on Wednesday, Dec. 25 following a "short hospital stay," according to a Facebook announcement from the Pacific Historic Parks nonprofit.
Upton's Christmas Day death — at a hospital in Los Gatos, Calif. — followed a bout with pneumonia, Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, told the Associated Press.
Beyond being the oldest living survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Upton was also the last living survivor of the USS Utah — a naval ship that sank after being hit by two torpedoes during the early minutes of the Hawaii attack, per the nonprofit.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Deanne Fitzmaurice/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty
Warren Upton photographed in December 2003Related: Prince Harry Salutes Navy Servicemen in New Photos from Surprise Pearl Harbor Visit on Veterans Day
Upton was 22 when he served as a radioman on the ship before it capsized. He and others escaped and swam to Ford Island, per the Pacific Historic Parks. Upton also helped another man who couldn't swim escape, according to the nonprofit.
Of the 58 crew members who died aboard the ship, many couldn't escape while it rolled over. The wreck itself now marks the site of a memorial at Pearl Harbor.
Upton continued to serve as a radioman during World War II and later started a family with wife Gene, who Pacific Historic Parks said died in 2018.
The late veteran previously told the AP in 2020 that he was about to shave before the first torpedo struck the USS Utah. He added that nobody on board understood why the ship had shaken ahead of the second torpedo, which then caused it to capsize.
The outlet, which cites military historian J. Michael Wenger, said 87,000 military personnel were on Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941, and only 15 are still alive following Upton's death.
Related: Remains of Ohio Sailor Identified 80 Years After Pearl Harbor Attack, Officials Say
Upton's death comes months after Lou Conter, a fellow Pearl Harbor survivor and the last known survivor of the USS Arizona battleship, died at age 102 in April.
According to multiple local outlets, Conter had congestive heart failure and died at his home in Grass Valley, Calif.
Conter was serving as a quartermaster at the time. He was standing on the main deck of the ship when it was attacked.
The veteran later served in three wars, flew in 200 missions as a pilot and retired in 1967 after nearly 30 years in the Navy, per multiple outlets.
Read the original article on People
