MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The remains of US Navy Seaman First Class Glenn Tipton were returned to his native northeast Arkansas on Wednesday evening, 77 years after his death at the opening of World War II.
Tipton was a Randolph County, Arkansas native who was killed when his ship, the USS Oklahoma, capsized during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.
His remains and those of many others lost on the ship were anonymous until recently, when some, including Tipton’s, were identified through the use of DNA technology.
An Arkansas Air National Guard C-130 carried Tipton’s body from Memphis to Walnut Ridge Regional Airport, and the flag-draped coffin was carried from the plane by a military honor guard.
Visitation for Tipton will be Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wings of Honor WWII Museum, located at 70 Beacon Road in Walnut Ridge. His remains will lay in repose, and family members will be on hand to greet visitors.
A memorial service will be held Friday at 10 a.m., also at the museum.
A photo gallery can be viewed below.