War victim's family calls hometown burial bittersweet experience
By Timberly Ferree, staff writer
Family of fallen WWII soldier Alfred Eugene Livingston, a former Worthington resident, is experiencing mixed emotions as the date of his bittersweet homecoming approaches.
Until a recent identification through dental records, Livington's remains were buried as an unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Livington perished in 1941 while serving in the U.S. Navy on the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
His nephew, Douglas Hobbs explained, ÒJust growing up I always heard stories about my uncle and how he died in Pearl Harbor from my mother (Lois Hobbs) whenever she would talk about it.Ó
Lois Hobbs, is Livington's next of kin, but Doug Hobbs is his mother's power of attorney, he explained during a phone interview earlier this week.
ÒI don't know if it's really hit her yet but she's excited,Ó he explained- noting that the reality of the situation has not quite hit home.
ÒWe were excited and disappointed on the same hand knowing that all this time he could have been identified,Ó Hobbs said- noting that dental records and historical evidence reclaimed his uncle's identity.
On July 21, Livingston will be put to rest at the Worthington Cemetery with full military honor, Hobbs explained.
Livingston has other living relatives that are also happy about the news, Hobbs said.
ÒMy mother and myself are not the only closest relatives... there are several of us. There are several nieces and nephews,Ó Hobbs explained. ÒIt's exciting for us.Ó
Heather Harris, a historian for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hickam Air Force Base, explained in an interview earlier this week, ÒWe actually did not make this identification based on DNA. We made it on historical evidence based on dental records...a dental match between the paper records we have for Livington and the pieces for the unknown.Ó
According to Harris, Livingston's identification would have not been possible without the research of Ray Emory, an 86-year old Peal Harbor survivor.
ÒMr. Emory started doing this in 1968. He conducts extensive research on Pearl Harbor, researching casualty lists...along the way he started researching into buried unknowns since the late '90s. He contacted us about Livingston,Ó Harris explained.
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