PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A piece of military history with ties to Palm Beach Gardens is happening at an event Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when Navy Fireman Third Class Harry Holmes will be buried with full military honors.
Holmes was one of the 429 U.S. servicemen who died when the USS Oklahoma sank in the Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.
For decades, Holmes' remains were unidentified, buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Over 70 years later in 2015, assets of unidentified remains were sent to military labs, ultimately leading to Holmes' family identifying him in 2020 by providing their DNA.
“We did kind of a last push to get more family reference samples and that’s actually when we got one for him," said, Carrie LeGarde, the Department of Defense Prisoner of War Missing in Action lead for the USS Oklahoma project. "And then, luckily we were able to identify him."
Holmes’ great-niece, Rachael Bubbs, lives in Palm Beach Gardens and spoke with WPTV Anchor and Navy veteran Mike Trim. Bubbs and her father will be in attendance for the Holmes' burial service.
"Even though it's 83 years later and I never knew him and I don't know a lot of stories, it is emotional, it’s family," Bubbs said.
Bubbs wears the connection with her great-uncle every day with a ring Holmes made for his sister before he enlisted in the Navy.
“When you wear that, what does that mean to you?” Trim asked Bubbs.
“Family," Bubbs said. "It’s a symbol of family."
"Being at the forefront of this and representing literally generations of your family, is that a big weight to carry or do you say it’s an honor?" Trim asked.
"An honor. It’s an honor," Bubbs said.
