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ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – The identity of a Rogersville man killed during World War II has been determined, military officials announced Monday.
Seaman 2nd Class Cecil Thornton was identified in April 2019, but his family only recently received an explanation of his identity.
Thornton was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was docked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when it came under attack by Japanese aircraft.
USS Oklahoma was hit by multiple torpedoes and capsized. The attack killed 429 of her crew, including 21-year-old Thornton.
His body was recovered after the attack, but was not identified at the time. Thornton was later buried unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Rear Adm. Jeff Spivey, head of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, attended the ceremony and said he was glad to be able to put Thornton to rest.
“You have to be 100 percent sure before you tell the family anything,” Spivey said. “Of the 429 people who died, they were actually on the ship that day, December 7th. There were probably others who were resting. People who were doing other things. Maybe the work on deck was off, but 429 people died.”
In 2015, thanks to advances in forensic technology, Thornton’s body was dismembered and eventually identified.
Scientists used dental and anthropological analysis along with mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify Thornton’s remains.
Thornton is commemorated in the Missing Persons Tribunal at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with other men missing in action during World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that he has been accounted for.
Thornton will be buried in Rogersville. His relatives, like John Bellue, said they were thrilled to finally be able to take him home.
“I thought it was great,” Bellu said. “I thought it would be great and he would be honored and proud. It’s been 82 years since he passed away, so I remember that very few people in this area even knew him. It’s been a long time. I’m so glad we were able to bring him home after that. His life was cut too short, you never know what life will bring. But we finally brought him home. I took him home.”
Bellu said sadly that Thornton was the only male in his family. She also said Thornton’s mother always believed he was alive, but she is now buried in the same cemetery.
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