HONOLULU, Hawaii — An Ohio sailor was laid to rest this week, more than 80 years after he died.
What You Need To Know
- U.S. Navy Sailor Ralph Derrington, from Columbus, was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941
- The government was able to identify Derrington’s remains in 2021
- Derrington’s last remaining relatives traveled to Hawaii this week to pay tribute to him
- He was buried with full military honors
U.S. Navy Sailor Ralph Derrington was only 42 when he died on board the USS Oklahoma. He was among more than 400 people who were killed on the Japanese attacked on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
“Ralph’s death was a real tragedy, because we never knew what happened. We knew that obviously he was gone, but didn’t know the circumstances,” said Alan Schultz, Ralph Derrington’s great nephew.
It wasn’t until 2021 that the government was able to identify his remains using DNA analysis.
Schultz is Derrington’s last remaining relative. He and his wife, Elaine, traveled to Hawaii to say a final goodbye to a man and hero they only knew through stories.
“My father always referred to him as a big brother he never had,” said Schultz. “So, they grew up together, fished and bonded together in Ohio and Illinois, and he and my father were very close,” he explained.
Even though Schultz was too young to know Derrington, he feels privileged to say goodbye one more time: “I’m proud to have been part of that lineage. I’m proud of his service to this great country.”
Derrington was buried with full military honors.
