16 years later, and many many many conversations with Navy Command, the Strattons were able to secure a medal the Bronze Star with Valor to Joe George. Mr. Stratton loved God, loved his country and loved his family. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. He went through multiple surgeries to replace as much of the skin on his legs and hands as was possible. WEIGH the SERVICE Date of Death: September 19, 2014. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, His parents, his wife of 60 years, Mary Stratton and brother, Ed Stratton,. To send flowers The funeral procession stretching. (Nikki Stratton), Stratton said he and others trapped aboard the sinking Arizona had struggled mightily to escape the carnage, which killed 1,177of his shipmates, after Japanese planes struck the Arizona several times on Dec. 7, 1941. After years of striving to recognize Joe for his heroism that day, Donald, Lauren Bruner and their families, stood aboard the USS Arizona Memorial December 7, 2018 to posthumously honor Joe George with a Bronze Star with a V. The courage and bravery of Joe and the grit and grace of Donald has weaved together a precious community of families that hope to keep the memory of Pearl Harbor alive. Donald Stratton is survived by his wife of 69 years, four children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will continue to share his stories of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the heroes who emerged that day. He was 97. We just kept thinking, Gosh, how much worse can this get, Wittmer said. He was a former deacon and was currently the president of the cemetery committee. The family has entrusted Seederly-Mong & Beck Funeral Home in North Lima, Ohio with the arrangements for their loved one. Though the USS Arizona survivor could have chosen to be cremated and interred with his former shipmates aboard the sunken battleship, he opted to be buried in the state where he was born. Nikki Stratton Send Email, [fts_facebook type=page id=289485248175495 access_token=EAAP9hArvboQBAEi1R1HgHwQjvEYQNPEGpuPOABmjB9K4EBjkJe4hgR8vKFO73Y68qsB12SciZCXlQUKqM3Bo6j0aRaBTttEAZCTmmbAbnArwdMNWflcFJf4ojDXaid7TYrrnDXwP4IbFjzO9kuPtRRZBhNJF1fBwO7xY4aysvP6KidXpvYQGzElcSOgZCY4ZD posts=10 height=800px description=no posts_displayed=page_only]. In 2016, he published a memoir, All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor. After that, Randy said, he was done. He was born November 17, 1932 in Neosho, Missouri to Elbert Stratton and Olga Sanders-Stratton. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. After leaving the Navy, Donald met Velma in Red Cloud and the two married. Stratton watched as the sailor waved off another man on the deck and struggled witha line. Second to last was Lauren Bruner, a fire controlmanwho died in September. The family will receive visitors 3 - 6 P.M. Saturday, April. Menu. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. If desired, contributions can be made to the American Heart Association, 444 Liberty Ave #1300, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. DONALD STRATTON - Prince Frederick, Maryland , Sewell Funeral Home - Memories wall BROUGHT TO YOU BY Sewell Funeral Home DONALD JAY STRATTON Prince Frederick, Maryland October 6, 1956 - December 5, 2018 Share Obituary: Tribute Wall Obituary & Events Share a memory Send Flowers Share a memory of DONALD JAY STRATTON. Donalds life was chronicled in the book All the Gallant Men which can be found online and your local book stores. Stratton received burns over 65% of his body. All rights reserved. Dave began his. Stratton, Donald, age 89 of Arden Hills, passed away peacefully at home on March 8, 2020. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. World War II veteran Donald Stratton was transported in a funeral procession from Colorado Springs, Colorado to Red Cloud, Nebraska on Saturday, Feb. 29. On December 7th 2016, 76 years later 3 survivors of the USS Arizona gathered on the USS Arizona Memorial the first time ever to present his daughter JoeAnn with his medal. Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. They moved back to California briefly and then settled in Colorado Springs. Donald Stratton held many titles: a veteran, a survivor, a hero. This Saturday, Landon will say his final goodbye to his friend in Colorado Springs, as the 8-year-old was asked to be a speaker at Donald's memorial. Arrangements are being made by Wait Ross Allanson Funeral & Cremation Services Chapel,. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. The life of locally revered World War II veteran Donald Stratton will be celebrated in Colorado Springs on Saturday ahead of an elaborate proc, Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. The Strattons knew they had to right that wrong. "One of Donald's final wishes was that people remember Pearl Harbor and the men aboard the USS Arizona. In conjunction with the Dec. 7 ceremony that year, the deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet presented a Bronze Star with "V " Device for Valor to George's daughter, Joe Ann Taylor, aboard the USS Arizona Memorial. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. It's a different view from above, but the purpose was the same: honoring one of the remaining few from the Greatest Generation. The crash between a Harley-Davidson and a Victorious happened north of Castle Rock around 1:30 p.m., Colorado State Trooper Josh Lewis said. Born July 14, 1922, Donald Stratton grew up in Red Cloud, NE. The Navy offered him a job as a chief petty officer running recruits through boot camp in Idaho. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Sharer-Stirling Funeral Home with . Donald Stratton, a son of Donald and Doris (Sletten) Stratton, was born in Bottineau on April 4, 1950. Velma passed away exactly three months to day Donald was buried as she couldnt be separated from her lifes long love. The war still raged in the Pacific. In the Army, you were crawling around in the mud and everything else, and I didnt want to do that.. On December 7, 1941, Mr. Stratton survived the attack on Pearl Harbor with courage, the . It was quite a sight for an old flatlander like me to see a 35,000-ton battleship out of the water, he said. We can't let it happen again.. "I will never forget you and hope to be more like you as I grow up. Helping USS Arizona Survivors and their Families. But I'm grateful more or less for the 1,117 men that we lost that day on the Arizona," Stratton said in an interview with KKTV in 2018. 2023 Williams Funeral Homes. In time, he tried to let go of his anger toward the Japanese, but he could never forget what happened. A funeral service will be held at the North Devon Crematorium on Tuesday 28th February at 10.20am. All Rights Reserved. Your browser does not support this video format. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. They had four children, two of which passed before they were just 5 days old, and 2 boys Robert and Randy. 3 crashes, 2 deaths involving Donald Stratton funeral procession, By Debbie Kelley All Rights Reserved 2022. We should never forget what these guys did for us, Randy said Sunday from Colorado Springs. Donald was a faithful member of Mount Olivet United Church of Christ for over 60 years. Joe George saved 6 lives that day, and was never awarded for his heroism until 76 years later. Finally, he was given a medical discharge and returned to Nebraska. A year later, he reenlisted. Donald was born March 18, 1935 in Boardman, a son of James Allen and Ruth (Craig) Stratton. Red Cloud, Nebraska 68970, Phone 402-746-2500 Family and friends are invited to visitwww.seederly-mongandbeck.comto sign the guestbook or send private condolences. Throughout his life, Donald asked himself that very question. Klaers is the CEO and president of The National WWII Aviation Museum. Enter Donald Stratton died late Saturday at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This article originally appeared on The Republic | azcentral.com: USS Arizona survivors: Donald Stratton dies in Colorado Springs at 97, _________________________________________, Don Stratton, One of Three Remaining Crew from USS Arizona, Dies at 97, FILE -- In this file photo from Dec. 7, 2016, Donald Stratton, center, a USS Arizona survivor shakes the hand of an admirer at Kilo Pier next to the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu. Born in Bath, NY, he lived in Camillus for more than 15 years. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. Stratton told his own story many times over the years. He was a communicant of St. Joseph's Church. Elizabeth II undertook a number of state and official visits over her 70-year reign (1952 to 2022), as well as trips throughout the Commonwealth, making her the most widely travelled head of state in history.She did not require a British passport for travelling overseas, as all British passports were issued in her name. Our support in your time of need does not end after the funeral services. A friendship between the two began in 2016. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Sympathy Ideas . On the morning of December 7, 1941, a 19-year-old Donald was beckoned to his battle station as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor sending the Navy's flagship, the USS Arizona to the depths. The procession reached 3 miles long at one point as many bikers joined the trip back to Red Cloud. By early 1941, the Arizona had steamed down the coast and put in at Pearl Harbor. Two motorists lost their lives in Gove County, Kan., including a member of the Kansas Patriot Guard motorcycle group that was escorting Strattons coffin for burial. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. The Navy said George, who died in 1996, was commended in 1942 but he never received any medal for his actions. Mr. Franklin was a 1938 graduate of Osgood High School and was an Army veteran of WWII where he served in the 119th Infantry Regiment and the 30th Infantry Division. On that day, 1,177 men perished in the explosion leaving just 300 alive. or redistributed. With the Pearl Harbor attack long behind him, Stratton and the others who owed their lives to Joe George began a campaign to have the Vestal crew member honored. Sunday afternoon, Red Cloud residents volunteered to set up flags at the Red Cloud cemetery in preparation for the funeral ceremony of Donald Stratton, a sailor who survived. Stratton's granddaughter, Nikki, told Fox News hedied "peacefully" with family by his side, including his wife of nearly 70 years, Velma. You have funeral questions, we have answers. In the early hours of December 7, 1941, Stratton stepped out onto Arizonas deck and spotted the Japanese dive bombers launching their assault. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. His great grandchildren were so blessed to have spent precious years hearing his stories: Nathan Hernandez, Jax Brewer, Robert Stratton, Kennedy Stratton, Emersyn Caldwell, Bryce Caldwell and Boden Caldwell. Submit an Obituary. He was skilled in mechanics and during his lifetime built two ultralight airplanes in which he modified the engines in both. Let others know about your loved one's death. Enter 2023 Cappadona Funeral Home The Original Trusted Alternative Funeral Service. Olivet United Church of Christ, 410 W. South Range Rd, North Lima. George and the ship's captain "were engaged in some kind of a debate, a heated one " that conveyed to Stratton that "we didn't have a chance.". It was there he and Randy started their campaign to recognize Joe George, the sailor who threw the line to the burning Arizona. Stratton. Conter, who was on the stern of the battleship when the big bomb hit, returned to Pearl Harbor for the most recent Dec. 7 observance, in part to be present for the interment of fellow crew member Lauren Bruner. Olivet Church, and again on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 10:00 am until the time of the service. Read more about the life story of Donald and share your memory. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. He met up with the Arizona while it was in dry dock in Bremerton Washington. The attack left Stratton with burns over 60 percent of his body, costing him his fingerprints and leaving permanent scars. Donald retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 20 years. 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