USS Arizona crew member and Pearl Harbor survivor Donald Stratton was honored with a memorial service Saturday morning in Colorado Springs. In 1966, Stratton returned to Pearl Harbor with his family. Stratton figured he could do with the $21 a month, so he joined the Navy. As the WWII B-25 circled around the funeral, on the ground, family and friends spoke, wearing Hawaiian shirts and our nation's colors. Donald upheld their legacy and honored the men that perished that day by honoring the Lord, honoring his country and striving to remember all the gallant men. A total of 1, 177 men were killed on the Arizona. Legal Statement. They were all yelling and pointing toward Ford Island, he said. Two motorists lost their lives in Gove County, Kan., including a member of the Kansas Patriot Guard motorcycle group that was escorting Strattons coffin for burial. All Rights Reserved. Search by Name. It's a different view from above, but the purpose was the same: honoring one of the remaining few from the Greatest Generation. The Arizona motored through the Pacific to the sandy beaches of Honolulu Hawaii and Pearl Harbor not bad for a flatlander from Nebraska. An Arizona crew that once numbered 1, 512 is now down to two. The Colorado Springs man was 97. Stratton would learn that George, who died in 1996, had defied orders to cut the Vestals line, a decision that likely cost him a commendation. What we were doing is a thing for respect of an American hero, so it was our honor to be there for it, he said. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Owing to his injuries, Stratton was discharged in September 1942 and sent back to Red Cloud. Donald was burned over 65% of his body and escaped the inferno by climbing across a line to a neighboring shipthe USS Vestal. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! On the morning of December 7, 1941, a 19-year-old Donald was beckoned to his battle station as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor sending the Navy's flagship, the USS Arizona to the depths. Flint Journal Homepage. His legacy will forever be cherished in the lives of his grandchildren: Dana Stratton, Kimberly Brewer, Robert Stratton Jr., (Becky), Jessika Caldwell (Tony) and Nicole Stratton. The motorcycle landed in the median. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! He taught. It was thunderous.. The family has entrusted Seederly-Mong & Beck Funeral Home in North Lima, Ohio with the arrangements for their loved one. Even though Stratton lived in Colorado, and Landon lived in North Carolina, they developed a friendship. To have people who pass trying to show respect is terrible.. "He gave us his words, through 'All the Gallant Men,' that will never be forgottenand you will never be forgotten," said Stratton's son, Randy. He was united in holy matrimony to Velma DEtte on April 23, 1950. The license plate readUSS ARIZ, and amural on a white bed cover depicted the USS Arizona and the memorial that floats above it in Pearl Harbor. The. My heart goes out for the families, as well as all those who sacrificed for their great country so I could be writing this right now! The procession reached 3 miles long at one point as many bikers joined the trip back to Red Cloud. Stratton, 97, a Colorado Springs resident, died Feb. 15. 241 West 4th Avenue I will always miss you. He is survived by his brother Willie and his son Randy Stratton (Kathy) and wife Velma. Share their story and never forget those who gave all for our great country.. "Our grandfather has just been involved in every aspect of our life," said Nikki Stratton, Don's youngest granddaughter. In 2016, he published a memoir, All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor. After that, Randy said, he was done. As he had ignored a direct order, it wasnt until Stratton and the others spoke up that he was awarded with a Bronze Star in 2017. I love you and I hope you are enjoying making your shipmates laugh once again," Knestrick said. Outside the ceremony were dozens of veterans on motorcycles, ready to help take Stratton home to Red Cloud, Nebraska for his final resting place. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. It is unknown if Batchelor was injured. After years of striving to recognize Joe for his heroism that day, Donald, Lauren Bruner and their families, stood aboard the USS Arizona Memorial December 7, 2018 to posthumously honor Joe George with a Bronze Star with a V. The courage and bravery of Joe and the grit and grace of Donald has weaved together a precious community of families that hope to keep the memory of Pearl Harbor alive. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, September 23 at 11 a.m. in St. Joseph's Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Jessie, daughters Gypsy Dawn and Roxane Jo and son Robert, brother Daryl and sister Norma and great grandson DJ. At first, the Navy wouldn't allow Donald to re-enlist due to his medical discharge, however he proved them wrong by going through boot camp a second time. They pulled a heavier line over and one by one began to climb across the gap separating the two ships. PAYMENT CENTER Click here to make a payment. He was the best dad in the whole wide world. He participated in six more invasions aboard the USS Stack. Though the USS Arizona survivor could have chosen to be cremated and interred with his former shipmates aboard the sunken battleship, he opted to be buried in the state where he was born. Donald Stratton. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. "If anyone deserved a Medal of Honor that day, in my opinion, it was him.". His skills were endless and his mind was always looking for the next thing to invent, design and bring to life. He quietly departed this life Saturday, February 15, 2020 in his Colorado Springs, CO home alongside his wife and son. However, on the morning of December 7th all that changed. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Sharer-Stirling Funeral Home with . But I'm grateful more or less for the 1,117 men that we lost that day on the Arizona," Stratton said in an interview with KKTV in 2018. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. He joined the USS Stack, a destroyer headed for the Pacific. For Stratton, Bruner and the four other men, salvation appeared in the form of Joe George, a sailor and boxer on the Vestal. Donald and Velma were married for 70 years. The driver of a Honda Accord, 81-year-old Carl Silvrants of Fredericksburg, Va., was killed when he tried to get around the motorcycle crash and hit a parked firetruck on Interstate 70. Just past dawn the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor creating an inferno of fire, and strafing ships with machine guns. The fire burned at its highest level at around 8000 degrees, which is about 3 times hotter than lava coming out of the Kilauea volcano. After his service to the Navy was finished, he was employed at a diving company and later on an offshore drilling platform. Donald was a faithful member of Mount Olivet United Church of Christ for over 60 years. A friendship between the two began in 2016. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Nellie Stratton; and 13 siblings. The battleship shuddered as another explosion, the most powerfulyet, cracked its hull. | Theme: Fairy by Candid Themes. 2023 Seederly-Mong & Beck Funeral Home. His wife, Velma, and his son, Randy, were with him. What a great story that needs to be heard for many more years! Donald was predeceased by his daughter, Donna Stratton; parents, Robert and Ida Stratton; and brother, Robert Stratton Jr. You will be my forever hero.". Donald Stratton died in his sleep several weeks ago at the age of 97. Donald J. Stratton, Sr. March 14, 1928 March 4, 2019. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. The Arizona took firebut could barely return its own. Instead, heescaped the flames, recovered and went on to reenlist in the Navy, work in thecommercial diving businessand travel the world. In the Army, you were crawling around in the mud and everything else, and I didnt want to do that.. The funeral procession stretching from Colorado Springs to Red Cloud, Neb., was involved in three separate crashes along the nearly seven-hour, 448-mile route. Donald J. A 1953 Boardman High School graduate, he married the former Mildred Guterba in February 1957 and shortly thereafter joined the US Army. Saul-Gabauer Funeral Home & Sylvania Hills Memorial Park, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Now only Lou Conter and Ken Potts remain to continue sharing their memories of the events of December 7, 1941 and the Pearl Harbor attack that launched the United States into World War II. He participated in six more invasions aboard the USS Stack. He was well known in Colorado Springs, a regular at car shows, where he brought his 1965 Chevrolet pickup. 3 crashes, 2 deaths involving Donald Stratton funeral procession, By Debbie Kelley 2023 Cappadona Funeral Home The Original Trusted Alternative Funeral Service. Klaers is the CEO and president of The National WWII Aviation Museum. His wife, Velma, and his son, Randy, were with him. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Mt. This image is an artists recreation of the burns Donald suffered during Pearl Harbor. Dave began his teaching career in the Chicopee Public Schools before transferring to the Springfield Public School System. Don loved being outdoors and in his beloved hobby shop where he spent countless hours with his son Allen where they would work meticulously on various projects. The family will receive visitors 3 - 6 P.M. Saturday, April. Stratton will be eulogized at services in Colorado Springs,. Donald Stratton was one of the last three remaining survivors of the USS Arizona. Funeral Home website by. Donald R. "Doc" Stratton, age 60 of Roseville, MN, formerly of Westhope, died Saturday in Roseville. Randy and his mother were with Stratton when he died Saturday. Donald Stratton - Arizona Final Salute Donald Stratton Donald was born July 14, 1922 in Invale Nebraska and grew up in Red Cloud, Nebraska. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. George and the ship's captain "were engaged in some kind of a debate, a heated one " that conveyed to Stratton that "we didn't have a chance.". "OnceI made a dive in a two-man submarine, down in over 1,200 feet of water off Santa Barbara coast," he said. to the family or plant a tree Per Docs wishes, a private family service was held.Donald Stratton, a son of Donald and Doris (Sletten) Stratton, was born in Bottineau on April 4, 1950. Don Stratton, a founding member of the Krewe of Armeinius, passed away on August 30, 2021 at his home in New Orleans, one day before his 77th birthday. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com. The Arizona was on fire and the Japanese were still attacking. Our support in your time of need does not end after the funeral services. His wife, Velma, and his son, Randy, were with him. Stratton was a sight setter. It was 8:06 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, when death raced through the USS Arizona, chasing them all. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Donald retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 20 years. On Dec. 7, Stratton, Bruner and Conter watched on board the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor as theNavy awarded George a posthumous Bronze Star for Valor. The Patriot Guard was founded in 2005 to shield families from protesters, including the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., during funerals for fallen service members. In conjunction with the Dec. 7 ceremony that year, the deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet presented a Bronze Star with "V " Device for Valor to George's daughter, Joe Ann Taylor, aboard the USS Arizona Memorial. Donald Stratton passed away at age 72 years old on April 9, 2008. 2023 Williams Funeral Homes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Velma passed away exactly three months to day Donald was buried as she couldnt be separated from her lifes long love. If desired, contributions can be made to the American Heart Association, 444 Liberty Ave #1300, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. He was 97. At one point in his life, he had no fingerprints as they had all been burned through and off. Doc began his meat processing career in Westhope and through they years he worked as a meat cutter in numerous places through out North Dakota and Minnesota.He is survived by his companion, Jo Anne Freeberg of Roseville; daughter, Michelle Lafond (Jonas) of Auburn, GA; son, Marc Stratton (Susan) of Fergus Falls, MN; grandchildren, Cody Lafond and Kyle and Rylee Stratton; brothers, Bill Stratton (LeRae) of Westhope, Duane Stratton (Nancy) of Lakeville, MN and Keith Stratton (Donna) of Westhope; sister, Tudi Henderson (Ken) of Velva; one uncle; several aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins; and step-mother, Deloras Stratton.He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Doris Stratton and niece Morgan Stratton.Arrangements were with Nero Funeral Home in Westhope. The police motorcade went until the Monument area. He will be sadly missed by his close friend and partner Peggy Klepic. Donald reenlisted in the Navy, went through boot camp a second time, and was stationed on the USS Stack for the remainder of the war. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. May 18, 1934 - November 30, 2020. To send flowers Donald retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than. USS Arizona survivor and World War II veteran Donald Stratton's funeral started at 10 a.m.., and hundreds showed up to pay their respects, even in mid-air. Olivet United Church of Christ Memorial Fund. Average Age & Life Expectancy Donald Richard Stratton lived exactly as long as the average Stratton family member when he died at the age of 72. They fired the guns, but the bombers were too high. STRATTON, DONALD EUGENE STRATTON, Donald Eugene - Mt. Mr. Franklin was a 1938 graduate of Osgood High School and was an Army veteran of WWII where he served in the 119th Infantry Regiment and the 30th Infantry Division. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. The attack left Stratton with burns over 60 percent of his body, costing him his fingerprints and leaving permanent scars. He is now part of our national memory.". Throughout his life, Donald asked himself that very question. As long as there be war, I must answer Am I worth dying for?. He met up with the Arizona while it was in dry dock in Bremerton Washington. He was gifted and talented in being able to design and invent something from scratch. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Other men carrying their wounded buddies to safety, trying desperately to stanch their bleeding. "We are profoundly sad to say that last night, Feb. 15, USS Arizona Survivor Donald Stratton passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his wife of nearly 70 years, Velma, and his son Randy, " Pearl Harbor National Memorial Daniel Martinez, chief historian for the memorial, said, "God bless him and his beloved family. 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