Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the last remaining survivor of the USS Utah, passed away at the age of 105. He died at a hospital in Los Gatos, California, after battling pneumonia. The USS Utah, a battleship, was stationed at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes initiated the attack on December 7, 1941, marking the U.S.'s entry into World War II.
Upton recounted his experience of the attack, mentioning that he was preparing to shave when the first torpedo struck the Utah. The crew was initially unaware of the cause of the ship's shaking until a second torpedo hit, causing the ship to list and capsize. At 22 years old, Upton swam to Ford Island and sought refuge in a trench to evade the Japanese planes strafing the area. After about 30 minutes, he was rescued by a truck and taken to safety.
Despite being willing to discuss his experiences during the attack, Upton expressed sorrow over losing many of his shipmates over the years. By 2020, only three crew members of the Utah remained alive, including himself. Military historian J. Michael Wenger estimated that there were approximately 87,000 military personnel on Oahu during the attack, with only 15 survivors remaining after Upton's passing.
