POINT LOMA, Calif. (KGTV) — Wednesday, a military burial service was held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma for a Sailor killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The day also marked the 81st anniversary of the attack in which more than two thousand Americans lost their lives.
Chief Fire Controlman Daniel Harris' remains were buried in Hawaii, unable to be identified for decades.
"This whole process has been very eye-opening and I'm extremely proud of the U.S. Navy for all that they do," said Dianne Roberts McKee, one of the Harris' granddaughters.
Dianne and her two sisters attended the burial service along with other family members.
During the ceremony, a service member presented them with the American flag.
Harris was born in South Carolina but was stationed in San Diego during his service in the U.S. Navy.
He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, one of the first ships bombed when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Harris was among 388 Sailors and Marines whose remains were labeled “unknown” and buried in Hawaii.
In 2015, the Department of Defense began exhuming the remains with the goal of returning them to their families through advanced DNA technology.
"We kind of didn't believe it at first. I got the phone call on the day of my mother's passing of remembering her so was very special too," Shannon Mckee said.
Their mother, Harris’ daughter, and his wife were buried in San Diego.
"They are both laid to rest here so we thought they could be reunited," Shannon said.
Currently, 33 USS Oklahoma sailors remain unidentified.
Harris’ family said this day of remembrance is also for them and other families still waiting to bring their loved ones home.
"Our hearts go out to everyone who has not been found... to all of the military families because we know how hard that is and then how special it is to be found," Shannon said.
