Warren Upton, the oldest known survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack, passed away on December 25, 2024, at the age of 105. He died in a hospital in Los Gatos, California, after a battle with pneumonia. Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, confirmed his death. Upton’s passing marks the loss of one of the last living connections to the tragic events of December 7, 1941.
Upton’s Experience in the Attack
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Upton was 22 years old and serving on board the USS Utah, a battleship that was attacked in the surprise Japanese assault. In a 2020 interview, Upton vividly remembered when the first torpedo hit the Utah as he was getting ready to shave. The second torpedo hit within seconds, and the ship began to sink.
In the ensuing chaos, Upton swam ashore to Ford Island, where he took cover in a trench to avoid strafing Japanese planes. He stayed in the trench for about 30 minutes until a truck came to evacuate him and other survivors. Despite the overwhelming trauma, Upton continued to share his harrowing story in later years.
A Long Legacy of Survival
Over the years, Upton had seen many of his comrades from the Utah go into eternity. As of 2020, he was one of only three living members of the ship’s crew. His passing leaves just 15 known survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, says military historian J. Michael Wenger.
Upton was born in 1918 and witnessed the changes in history. Much of the 20th and early 21st century lived within the scope of his life. The life-altering events of World War II reshaped not only his generation but also the United States and the world.
The Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack at Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941, marking a significant point in the world’s history. In a surprise, swift, and devastating raid, Japanese forces killed 2,333 Americans and wounded 1,139 other Americans. The attack hurled the United States into World War II, ending its neutrality period and altering the nature of the war. Franklin D. Roosevelt, president at the time, famously declared the day “a date which will live in infamy,” a moment of shock and grief for the nation.
Historians note that the attack could have been avoided if there had been better communication and recognition of critical intelligence, as three major warnings were missed by the U.S. military. Despite the surprise nature of the attack, it unified the American public, leading to a surge of enlistment in the military and eventual victory over the Axis powers.
End of an Era
The death of Warren Upton reminds us that time waits for no one, and that firsthand accounts from survivors of such historical events are gradually being lost in the passage of time. His life and his testimony stand as a living history of one of the most defining moments in American and world history. His death leaves fewer Pearl Harbor survivors and their stories, which have kept that fateful day alive for generations to come.