MANHATTAN (KSNT) – Edward E. Casinger was just 20-years-old when he lost his life at the battle of Pearl Harbor.

Now, 81 years later, his remains are set to be buried with full military honors.

Navy Personnel Command records show that Casinger was born in Manhattan, Kan. on May 12, 1920. He would later enlist as an Apprentice Seaman on July 9, 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri, eventually rising to the rank of Fireman 2nd Class by late 1941.

He was stationed in Hawaii aboard the USS Oklahoma when the U.S. entered WWII. He lost his life during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, according to Navy Personnel Command records.

The Oklahoma was hit by multiple torpedoes, rolling over and trapping crewmembers inside who were unable to escape. Casinger was among the 429 sailors and marines who lost their lives on The Oklahoma.

The vessel was eventually righted in 1944 so the remains could be recovered, according to Navy Personnel Command records. Of the 429 dead, only 35 were able to be identified while the remains of 388 unidentified sailors and marines were interred as “unknowns” in two cemeteries. The remains were later exhumed in 2015 as part of a policy change so DNA analysis could be performed.

Casinger’s remains were accounted for on Oct. 1, 2021. He was successfully identified through the use of dental and anthropological analysis, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

He was listed as having the following awards and decorations for his service:

• Purple Heart Medal
• American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet Clasp)
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star)
• World War II Victory Medal

Casinger’s remains will be buried on Nov. 19, 2022 in Washington D.C. at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.