Private First Class Frank Hryniewicz, of Three Rivers, Massachusetts, was one of 429 American soldiers killed aboard the USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Hryniewicz was just 20 years old, less than two years after joining the Navy to see the world. More than 80 years later, he was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this month.
For years, Hryniewicz’s family treasured a letter from his brother, who had contacted him after the attack and told him he’d become an uncle. The youngest of five children, Hryniewicz was the youngest in the family and known for being a ladies’ man, and his nieces and nephews grew up hearing tales of his adventures in the navy.
“Dammit! Why the hell haven’t you written? We heard the Oklahoma sank at Pearl Harbor last Sunday and we’ve been in suspense ever since, waiting to hear from you or the Navy Department…. P.S. you became an uncle as of 8:30am last Thursday,” his brother wrote.
Frank’s niece, Joy Hallstrom, was so inspired by her uncle’s story of sacrifice that she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, she said, that her uncle’s life was taken so early that she felt the family had unfinished business.
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Frank Hryniewicz was killed aboard the USS Oklahoma at age 20. His family said he joined the Navy to see the world. (The Hryniewicz family)
“His presence in my family influenced me in some way, and I know that had a big influence on me joining the Navy, I really do, because I felt like I had unfinished business there,” Hallstrom said.
On a sunny May afternoon, 10 members of the Hryniewicz family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to remember their uncle, Frank. It was the first time the family had gathered together in years. The Navy gave Frank military honors.
Frances Griffin, 81, whose son was named after her uncle, was overcome with emotion.
“I’ve known about this for a long time. It’s been a part of my life, it’s part of my family lore. I was just so shocked I started crying,” Griffin said.
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Eight days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Frank’s brother wrote him a letter, telling him he was his uncle. (The Hryniewicz family)
Griffin’s father, who wrote to his uncle Frank after Griffin’s brother was born, died three days before Hryniewicz’s body was identified.
“I feel like my dad would be conflicted. He’s so happy that Uncle Frank is here, but he’s also so sad about all the things he’s missed out on in life,” Griffin said.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they strafed the decks of the American battleship Oklahoma, capsizing the ship. Hryniewicz and his fellow sailors were trapped in the hull. For days afterward, sailors could be heard banging on doors from inside the sunken ship. Eventually, 429 crew members of the Oklahoma were declared dead.
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The Oklahoma was not turned over to recover the remains of its sailors until 1944. Initially, only 35 bodies were identified. 61 coffins and 45 graves were exhumed from the National Memorial Cemetery in Honolulu. Each coffin contained partial remains of 100 sailors.
Maj. Gen. Scott Papano presents the flag to Frances Griffin, niece of Frank Hryniewicz, who will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on May 16, 2024. (Fox News)
The Defense Department’s POW/MIA Agency has been working to compile the remains of those missing from the USS Oklahoma since 2015. Carrie Lugard, project leader for the USS Oklahoma Identification Project, said her team has been able to identify 362 service members missing from the Oklahoma, or 92 percent.
“This project required a lot of time and resource investment to be successful,” Lugard said.
“We’re able to provide answers for a lot of the families and that’s really rewarding. To be able to see this part of the project where the men are coming home for burial in their hometowns or other national cemeteries, it’s like closing a chapter in those family histories and it’s a little bit emotional.”
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The Hryniewicz family felt that their beloved uncle had finally received a proper burial.
“What I feel is an incredible sense of relief. He’s home. We’ve brought him home. And I really believe that we have to take care of our veterans that have passed away, our veterans that are here now, these people that put their lives on the line for us,” Hallstrom said.
Hallstrom said she was thrilled that her uncle would finally be reunited with his fellow shipmates.
“To me, the importance of him being here is that he will not be forgotten. It’s a lasting honor. Everybody knows where he is and he’s with his fellow shipmates. It gives you goosebumps. He’s with the people that matter most to him while he’s on duty,” Hallstrom said.
