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Pearl Harbor victim laid to rest in La Crosse

Published

5 years ago

May 18, 2019

A Naval honor guard of pallbearers carries the casket of sailor George Naegle, killed at Pearl Harbor in 1941, at La Crosse's Catholic Cemetery

About 50 people gathered at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral in La Crosse on Saturday to honor a local sailor who died 78 years ago, in the Pearl Harbor attack.

Funeral services were held for George Naegle, who was aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was bombed by the Japanese in December of 1941.

A Navy honor guard also accompanied Naegle’s remains to Catholic Cemetery, where he was interred at a mausoleum with members of his family.

Naegle, a La Crosse Central graduate, was buried with other sailors from the Oklahoma.

The Navy did not identify him until doing genetic testing about four years ago.

A female admiral stationed at a Nebraska base was among the Navy representatives attending the burial ceremony.

Related Topics:George Naegle Pearl Harbor USS Oklahoma

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.