Elma grad rejoins fellow crewmates on USS Arizona

Lauren Bruner, who graduated from Elma High School in the 1930s, became the last person to be laid to rest on the USS Arizona.

During a sunset ceremony Dec. 7, the 78th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bruner’s remains were added to those of his shipmates. In addition to numerous family and friends, multiple dignitaries attending the service, including David Bernhardt, secretary of the Interior; 1st Admiral John C. Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Lou Conter, one of three surviving members of the crew of the Arizona.

Bruner was a 21-year-old fireman third class during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was shot twice by enemy aircraft and burned over 70 percent of his body. He recovered after months of hospital care and continued to serve in the Navy, including in seven other battles.

During the service, Daniel Martinez recalled Bruner telling him: “At that moment in my life, I chose to face the future and not let my past dictate what might be ahead.”

Bruner was the second to last person to make it off the Arizona and survive.

He died in September in La Mirada, California. He was 98.

Bruner graduated from Elma High School in 1938. His best friend was William (Billy) Mann, according to Mann’s niece, Teri Mann Whyatt of Seattle. Billy Mann was one of the 1,177 Arizona crew members killed during the attack. Bruner was a member of several clubs in school, including Glee Club, Lettermen’s Club and Boy’s Quartet. He also ran track for three years. He transferred to Elma from Olympia High School in 1935.

“Lauren remained a dedicated friend to Billy for nearly 78 years and will be once again reunited,” Mann Whyatt said in an email.

Among Bruner’s medals is the Purple Heart. He told his story in the 2017 book “Second to the Last to Leave USS Arizona.” Bruner was the 44th person to be interred on the Arizona since the practice began in 1982. He struggled with the memories of war for the rest of his life.

“Lauren is an American hero … ,” Aquilino said in his tribute. “He was the kind of man, the kind of sailor and the kind of American that we in the Navy try to emulate every day.”

The three remaining members of the Arizona crew have opted not to be interred in the Pearl Harbor memorial for the ship.

Multiple people recounted during the service that Bruner wanted to be laid to rest where people would continue to visit him. He wanted to be in a place that people would never forget, Pearl Harbor.

Photos courtesy Teri Mann Whyatt Above, USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter (center) speaks at interment of his shipmate and friend Lauren Bruner on Dec. 7 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Bruner’s ashes were placed aboard the Arizona. Conter is one of three remaining survivors of the Arizona crew. All three have elected not to be interred on the ship. Below, Lauren Bruner’s brother, Chet Danforth, poses for a photo with Teri Mann Whyatt in Hawaii.

Lauren Bruner’s brother, Chet Danforth, poses for a photo with Teri Mann Whyatt in Hawaii. (Photo courtesy Teri Mann Whyatt)

Photo courtesy Teri Mann Whyatt A sign at Smith’s Union Bar in Honolulu includes a picture of Lauren Bruner and Teri Mann Whyatt when they met in 2016.

Photo courtesy Teri Mann Whyatt Sailors fold the U.S. flag during a ceremony for Lauren Bruner, a USS Arizona survivor and Elma High School graduate, on Dec. 7 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The service was held on the USS Arizona Memorial. Bruner is believed to be the last person to be interred into the ship.