Remains of Pittsburgh area killed in Pearl Harbor attack to be buried at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) - A Pittsburgh area native who died in the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, will be buried at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies next week.
According to the U.S. Navy, Fireman 1st Class Walter Schleiter was born in Freedom, Pennsylvania, and then raised in Massillon Ohio, was killed on what was then called "a day that will live infamy" when Japanese forces attacked the United States Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Schleiter was born on September 27, 1919, in Freedom and enlisted in 1940.
He was promoted to a fireman first class just days before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on October 1, 1941.
In his role, he was more than just a firefighter. He stood engineering watches, power plant, and ship security watches, and during those watches, he would ensure safety standards were met.
At the time of the attack and his death, he was serving on the USS Oklahoma.
The Navy honored him with a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal.
Schleiter will be buried on April 11 at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies at 1 p.m.
The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies is the final resting place for members of the armed forces who met an active duty minimum service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. It also is a national cemetery for those who were killed in active duty.