**Excerpt:** The remains of U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class Clyde C. McMeans, killed during the Pearl Harbor attack, have been identified over eight decades later.
**Key Points:**
– Clyde C. McMeans was assigned to the USS California during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.
– He was reported missing and later declared dead after the battleship was attacked.
– McMeans’ remains were identified through DNA and forensic analysis.
– His funeral is scheduled for May 1 at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery, Texas.
– Ongoing efforts aim to identify more remains from the USS California and other ships lost during the attack.
Identification of Clyde C. McMeans
The remains of U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class Clyde C. McMeans have been officially identified, more than 80 years after he was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The announcement was made by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on November 25, 2025.
Background of the Attack
On December 7, 1941, McMeans, then 26 years old, was serving aboard the USS California, which was stationed at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. The battleship was subjected to a brutal attack by Japanese warplanes, resulting in significant damage, flooding, and eventual sinking. McMeans was reportedly helping other sailors reach safety in a motorboat when it was struck by a bomb. He was subsequently reported missing and declared dead.
Recovery Efforts
Following the attack, Navy personnel worked tirelessly until April 1942 to recover the remains of the crew. These remains were interred at Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries in Hawaii. Initially, 42 crew members from the USS California were identified; however, forensic advancements have led to the identification of more crew members in recent years.
Family Response
While the DPAA did not disclose McMeans’ hometown, his family shared that he grew up in South Texas and had a brother, Edward McMeans, who served as a medic and survived World War II. His niece, Kathy Herrmann, expressed the family’s enduring love for him, stating, “We’ve loved him forever, without ever knowing him.”
Future Commemorations
McMeans’ funeral service is set for May 1, where he will be buried with military honors at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi. In a related effort, the DPAA has announced plans to exhume the remains of 88 unidentified sailors and Marines from the USS Arizona, which also suffered heavy losses during the Pearl Harbor attack.
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