One of last USS Arizona survivors has died

One of the last remaining veterans who survived the USS Arizona attack at Pearl Harbor has died.

Clarendon “Clare” Hetrick passed away. He was 92 years old.

Hetrick was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.

According to a statement from The Greatest Generations Foundation, the veteran was one of the last of seven remaining USS Arizona survivors.

“I just talked to him the day before and he was so excited about all the things that we had planned in our schedule and what was going on, and he just couldn’t wait to get out there,” Randy Stratton, the son of another Arizona survivor, Don Stratton said.

An 18-year-old mess cook, Hetrick was shaving when the attack on Pearl Harbor began. He ran to his battle station in his underwear. When a bomb hit the ship, Hetrick climbed a ladder, managed to help a stuck sailor, and then jumped over the side of the ship.

The family plans to have Hetrick’s ashes interred with fellow shipmates at the Arizona site in Hawaii.