His 82-year wait is over. Ohio Navy sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack laid to rest

Steven M. Grazier, Massillon Independent
·4 min read
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ken Blackmon, left, presents Lynn Such, cousin of fallen World War II Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter, of Massillon, an honorary flag during the sailor's military funeral at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. Around 100 people attended the ceremony, which included full military honors for Schleiter.

BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. – The flag-draped casket of U.S. Navy Fireman 1st class Walter F. Schleiter of Massillon was delivered by a team of service-dressed sailors as family members and saluting veterans gave their final farewell.

A Navy honor guard marched through heavy raindrops Thursday afternoon, while escorting the casket of the fallen World War II hero to his final resting place at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghenies.

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It was an 82-year wait to honor Schleiter's life. For the bulk of those years, he had been designated as non-recoverable by the U.S. military due to the condition of his remains.

A U.S. Navy funeral detail escorts the casket of Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter to the site of his military funeral Thursday at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.
A U.S. Navy funeral detail escorts the casket of Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter to the site of his military funeral Thursday at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.

The honorary funeral service marked a fitting tribute to Schleiter, who was 22 when he was killed while serving aboard the USS Oklahoma battleship on Dec. 7, 1941. The vessel was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

"This is overwhelming. I didn't expect this much," said an emotional Lynn Such, a cousin and closest next-of-kin to Schleiter, moments after the ceremony.

Such was 1-year-old when her cousin died.

Family of Walter F. Schleiter 'proud' of funeral professionalism, thoughtfulness

Such, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, was brought to tears during portions of Schleiter's funeral service, which included a state police and military escort to the burial. A seven-member Navy honor guard marched his casket to the ceremony's locale and stood guard for the nearly 45-minute tribute.

A gun salute is fired Thursday for U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter during his military funeral at National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies. Schleiter died while serving aboard the USS Oklahoma battleship on Dec. 7, 1941, which was moored in Pearl Harbor.
A gun salute is fired Thursday for U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter during his military funeral at National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies. Schleiter died while serving aboard the USS Oklahoma battleship on Dec. 7, 1941, which was moored in Pearl Harbor.

A band of Navy marksmen offered a rifle salute as part of the ceremony, which also included a flyby of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster that flew below a thick cloud base to be seen.

"I'm so proud of how everything turned out," said Such, 83, who was flanked by her daughter, Kelly Rhodes; husband, Joseph, and sister, Sharon Finger, during the ceremony. "I can't say enough."

Patriot Guard Riders presented Lynn Such with a plaque toward the end of the ceremony honoring her cousin's military service and life.

One of the funeral speakers, the Rev. Larry Mort, of St. Lutheran Church in Bridgeville, said Schleiter likely woke up on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, not knowing it would be his last day.

"As we lay to rest this hero, we remember his sacrifice and that he was willing to give his life for all of us," the reverend said.

The Rev. Larry Mort (left) delivers remarks Thursday during the U.S. military funeral service of Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter of Massillon at National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies.
The Rev. Larry Mort (left) delivers remarks Thursday during the U.S. military funeral service of Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter of Massillon at National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies.

The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, causing it to quickly capsize. The attack resulted in 429 crewmen deaths. Schleiter was among the deceased.

Virginia-based Rear Adm. Ken Blackmon, commander of the Navy honor guard, said Thursday's service for Schleiter was significant due to the amount of time that passed since his death.

"This is unique because we're (82) years later," Blackmon said. "This (ceremony) does have a lot of meaning to families. Most Pearl Harbor casualties were young and single."

Decades passed before Schleiter's body, remains were identified by U.S. military

Schleiter was officially identified and accounted for in May 2018 by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, a U.S. Department of Defense office tasked with recovering prisoners of war or personnel missing in action from past conflicts.

A U.S. Navy funeral detail escorts the remains of World War II-era Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter to the site of his military funeral service at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Pennsylvania.
A U.S. Navy funeral detail escorts the remains of World War II-era Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter to the site of his military funeral service at the National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Pennsylvania.

The COVID-19 pandemic and additional time necessary to identify remains of sailors who were at or approaching 100 years old were main factors in a few years passing before sharing Schleiter's identification.

Joseph Such said he and his wife, Lynn, were contacted by a Navy casualty officer in December about his positive identification.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu'uanu cemeteries.

In October 1949, the U.S. military classified those, including Schleiter, who could not be identified as non-recoverable.

U.S. Navy Musician 1st Class Catherine Chauvot plays taps Thursday at the funeral service for Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter, of Massillon.
U.S. Navy Musician 1st Class Catherine Chauvot plays taps Thursday at the funeral service for Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter, of Massillon.

Between June and November 2015, the defense accounting agency exhumed unknown seamen from the USS Oklahoma for analysis.

To identify the remains of Schleiter and others, scientists from the agency and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used dental, mitochondrial and anthropological analyses to make positive identifications.

Schleiter is the recipient of several military awards, including the Purple Heart medal; Combat Action Ribbon; American Defense Service Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

The hearse carrying the remains of U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter of Massillon enters National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.
The hearse carrying the remains of U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter of Massillon enters National Cemeteries of the Alleghanies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.
Kelly Rhodes, left, the daughter of Lynn Such, a cousin of U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter, comforts her mother during his military funeral service.
Kelly Rhodes, left, the daughter of Lynn Such, a cousin of U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter, comforts her mother during his military funeral service.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon WWII vet Walter Schleiter killed in Pearl Harbor buried