02/24/2026
Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
U.S. Navy divers carried out a final, sacred mission—one written not in orders, but in honor, escorting the remains of John D. Anderson, Boatswain’s Mate Second Class, home to the hallowed wreck of the USS Arizona Memorial. On the morning of December 7, 1941, as fire consumed steel and the harbor boiled with oil and fire, John refused to abandon the ship. He would not leave the burning ship until he found his twin brother, Delbert. That search—born of love and loyalty—ended in heartbreak. Delbert was among the 1,177 who never came home. John survived. And he carried that loss for a lifetime.🕊️🇺🇸⚓
He lived on as one of the last survivors, bearing a grief that never truly slept, honoring his brother and fallen shipmates through decades of quiet resilience and service. The wait was long. The ache endured. But the promise was never forgotten.
Now, at last, that vigil is over. With reverence and care, John’s ashes were placed within Turret Four, where the search began, and where it now ends. He is reunited with Delbert and the 1,176 crewmates who never left their post.
The promise has been kept.
Together again.
Two brothers, reunited in eternity.
