US Navy Fireman’s Remains Return Home 80 Years After He Lost His Life On USS Oklahoma

Jul 16, 2021

Losing a family member is never easy, but not getting the chance to say a final goodbye can make it that much harder to grieve the loss. A family in Minnesota has finally found a sense of closure 80 years after their loved one died at Pearl Harbor. Navy Fireman First Class Neal Todd was serving on the USS Oklahoma at the time of his death on Dec. 17, 1941, when Japanese aircraft bombed the base in Hawaii in a devastating attack. The tragic attack was ultimately the catalyst for the United States’ involvement in World War II. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt described the Pearl Harbor attack as “a day which will live in infamy.”

Todd’s family had later been notified about his passing, but his remains were unable to be found due to a lack of technology at the time. Heartbroken, his family was forced to move on without feeling like they had gotten the sense of closure or peace that they needed to move forward. Todd’s brother Orville Staffenhagen was just 8 years old at the time of the Navy man’s passing.

After 80 long years, Todd’s remains were finally identified and were returned to his home in Minnesota for a proper service. An overwhelming wave of emotions swept through the family and friends of the fallen Navy man. It had taken eight decades for his remains to be properly identified through DNA testing, and once they were, they were returned home to be buried in the funeral service that Todd deserved.

On July 8, a Southwest Airlines flight landed in Minneapolis to a sea of uniformed military members, firefighters and more than 50 of Todd’s relatives, as per KARE 11. A casket rolled out adorned with an American flag that carried the identified remains of the previous Navy fireman. Staffenhagen had only been 8 years old at the time his brother died, and finally felt a sense of peace with his remains being returned home. “I never thought it would happen,” he said. “We are happy to have him home.”

KARE 11 reported that Todd had grown up in a blended family of 12 in Akeley, Minnesota, with eight of the siblings serving in the military in some fashion. Staffenhagen later served in the Army after World War II despite wanting to be a Navy man just like his brothers. “He was one of a kind,” Staffenhagen said about Todd. “He was the friendliest man in the world.”

The Department of Defense confirmed that Todd’s remains were found in February 2021 after the family submitted DNA for testing, although they did not find out about this confirmation until March 2021. Staffenhagen was overcome with emotions as he watched his brother’s remains be carried to a hearse and had a hard time speaking through his tears. “We’re sure proud to have him coming home,” Staffenhagen said. 

It had taken eight decades, but Todd’s remains were finally home where they belonged and he received the proper service he deserved. KARE 11 reported that Todd’s remains were buried on July 10, 2021, in a place right next to his mother and father.

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