Seventy-nine years after Louis Tushla's sacrifice at Pearl Harbor, his family finally has some closure. Louis Tushla enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 23 years old in 1939. "The pictures show he was very proud of the fact he was a Navy Seaman," James E. Gilg said. Two years later, he was aboard the USS Oklahoma when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. His remains were buried without being identified. "There was always that sense of wondering that sense of not bringing it all together not any closure," Gilg said. Gilg grew up learning about his second cousin's sacrifice. The family waited for decades and then, out of the blue, they got the call in 2020, from the USS Oklahoma Project at Offutt Air Force Base. "Sometimes people think because we're so many decades past that it's not as important but it is important," USS Oklahoma Project lead and anthropologist Carrie LeGarde said. The revelation came as a big surprise to Tushla's cousin, Barbara Huntley. "I called Monsignor (Gilg) immediately and I said, 'Did you hear they've identified Louis!' and he said he saw it in the paper," Huntley said. Family from all over came to Offutt Thursday for the moment they've waited so long for. Huntley said it's important to bring Tushla home to Atkinson, Nebraska. "So, he will be buried next to his mom and dad," Huntley said. Tushla's brother Harrold is still missing. He made the ultimate sacrifice in that same war during a battle in Italy. "We've never had hope that we'd get Harold back because we just know the plane was shot down over the ocean or the Mediterranean Sea," Huntley said. Both Harrold's and Louis' tombstones read 'Lost at Sea.' "Now we're changing Louis' stone and now underneath where it says, 'Lost at sea,' it will say, 'Repatriated June 17th, 2021,'" Huntley said. Finally, they have at least some closure. "Isn't that just it's so awesome for all of us. We're just so...it's a beautiful end to such a sad, sad day in American history," Huntley said. Tushla will be laid to rest Saturday morning in Atkinson. The USS Oklahoma Project has now identified 344 Marines and soldiers who died on the ship at Pearl Harbor. The mission is far from over because 50 other families are still waiting for their loved ones to come home.
Seventy-nine years after Louis Tushla's sacrifice at Pearl Harbor, his family finally has some closure.
Louis Tushla enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 23 years old in 1939.
"The pictures show he was very proud of the fact he was a Navy Seaman," James E. Gilg said.
Two years later, he was aboard the USS Oklahoma when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. His remains were buried without being identified.
"There was always that sense of wondering that sense of not bringing it all together not any closure," Gilg said.
Gilg grew up learning about his second cousin's sacrifice. The family waited for decades and then, out of the blue, they got the call in 2020, from the USS Oklahoma Project at Offutt Air Force Base.
"Sometimes people think because we're so many decades past that it's not as important but it is important," USS Oklahoma Project lead and anthropologist Carrie LeGarde said.
The revelation came as a big surprise to Tushla's cousin, Barbara Huntley.
"I called Monsignor (Gilg) immediately and I said, 'Did you hear they've identified Louis!' and he said he saw it in the paper," Huntley said.
Family from all over came to Offutt Thursday for the moment they've waited so long for. Huntley said it's important to bring Tushla home to Atkinson, Nebraska.
"So, he will be buried next to his mom and dad," Huntley said.
Tushla's brother Harrold is still missing. He made the ultimate sacrifice in that same war during a battle in Italy.
"We've never had hope that we'd get Harold back because we just know the plane was shot down over the ocean or the Mediterranean Sea," Huntley said.
Both Harrold's and Louis' tombstones read 'Lost at Sea.'
"Now we're changing Louis' stone and now underneath where it says, 'Lost at sea,' it will say, 'Repatriated June 17th, 2021,'" Huntley said.
Finally, they have at least some closure.
"Isn't that just it's so awesome for all of us. We're just so...it's a beautiful end to such a sad, sad day in American history," Huntley said.
Tushla will be laid to rest Saturday morning in Atkinson.
The USS Oklahoma Project has now identified 344 Marines and soldiers who died on the ship at Pearl Harbor. The mission is far from over because 50 other families are still waiting for their loved ones to come home.
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