The previously unidentified remains of a sailor who was killed at Pearl Harbor will be traveling through Georgia on Friday, as Seaman 2nd class Frank Wood’s final journey comes to an end.
Wood was stationed on the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese military forces attacked Pearl Harbor, thrusting America into World War II.
According to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, a casket containing comingled remains from the USS Oklahoma was exhumed in 2015. The U.S. Navy contacted the closest remaining relatives -- niece Jill O. Overly Lee of Franklin, NC, and nephew Jack R. Overly of Estes Park, Colo. -- who both submitted DNA samples for testing. The Navy then identified Wood’s remains.
An aircraft transporting Wood is scheduled to land at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 4 pm on Friday, and a small escort will pass through Georgia afterward.
The USS Oklahoma was struck by several torpedoes, which caused the ship to quickly capsize and sustain 429 casualties. Wood was one of the missing.
