Therese Apel

The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

WESSON, Miss. — In the crowd that filled Wesson Cemetery and stretched down the road to a hillside, there were only a handful of people who had ever even met Navy Petty Officer Jim Johnston, if that many.

Still, hundreds of people turned out from all over the state to say farewell Wednesday to the man given up by his family as lost when the USS Oklahoma sank at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. He was laid to rest a full three-quarters of a century after his death, after DNA technology allowed the government to identify his remains, which had been in a mass grave in Hawaii until last year.

On Wednesday, history was unfolding for Wesson, and whether it was spoken as such among those gathered there, the recognition of the event's significance was palpable.

High school students crowded the lawn that overlooks the cemetery in order to watch the service and pay respects from afar. Wesson residents of all ages crowded the area near the grave, just to be close to their town's own fallen hero. Dozens of Patriot Guard Riders with their flags stood almost as sentries over the proceedings.

Mississippi sailor killed at Pearl Harbor coming home

Solemn sailors lined the road as his casket was unloaded, taking great care to fold the flag from his casket. Rear Admiral Carol M. Lynch presented the flag to Johnston's nephew Frank Springs, who held it to his chest as the ceremony continued.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant's voice was emotional as he addressed the crowd, but primarily Springs.

"I’m here today to represent the citizens of the state of Mississippi. Young men and women now have answered the call of battle for generations, and over 75 years ago, Jimmy answered that call," Bryant said.

"Today he’s home. Back in Mississippi with family and friends. We have no doubt that for 75 years now he has walked the streets of glory, and he has sailed calm, peaceful seas. We dedicate here today his mortal remains at his final resting place. Jimmy Johnston and all those who were lost on Dec. 7, 1941, will never be forgotten."

Springs said afterward that he had no way of knowing what a moving event it would be for him prior to the funeral.

"You can’t prepare for anything like this,” he said. “This is over and above anything I could have imagined. I expected to bring him home and bring him to Wesson and put him down here with his parents and his brother, but this outpouring of affection is more than anything I can comprehend."

Frank Springs' son, Lee Springs, remembered growing up hearing about his great-uncle. The situation was surreal for him, too.

"This is a blindside. We’ve been to Hawaii and looked for his name on the wall when I was 12, I grew up very aware of my Uncle Jim and where he died. This is just unreal, almost. I don’t even know what else to say," he said.

Frank Springs said he was around 3 years old when his uncle was killed, but he had always heard stories of the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky sailor who was liked by everyone.

Retired Lt. Cmdr. George Mercier, who attended the funeral proudly wearing a dark blue cap with "NAVY" emblazoned on it in gold, was four years older than Johnston, and was friends with his sister. He said he and Johnston joined the Navy around the same time. Mercier served for five years, and said he "went in before Pearl Harbor and didn't get out until the Japanese surrendered."

He remembers hearing of Johnston's death, and the shock wave it sent through the community.

"We went into mourning," he said. "He was the first casualty of the war from Wesson."

When the USS Oklahoma went down, 429 people died. The wreckage of the ship was righted and salvaged in 1943, but it was too damaged to repair. The hulk sank for the final time in a storm en route to San Francisco in 1947.

Follow Therese Apel on Twitter: @TRex21

Day of Infamy