Frank Hryniewicz, a Seaman 1st Class from Three Rivers, Massachusetts, was among the 429 American service members who perished aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. At the age of 20, Hryniewicz had enlisted in the Navy less than two years prior, driven by a desire to experience the world. After more than 80 years, he was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this month.
For years, the Hryniewicz family held onto a letter from his older brother sent after the attack, urging Hryniewicz to stay in touch and informing him he had become an uncle. As the youngest of five siblings, Hryniewicz was the baby of the family and had a reputation as a charmer. His nieces and nephews grew up listening to tales of his Navy exploits.
“Darn your hide! Why in hell don’t you write? Last Sunday we heard the Oklahoma had been sent to the bottom of Pearl Harbor, ever since then we’ve been sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear from you or from the Navy Department… P.S. you’re now an uncle as of last Thursday 8:30 A.M.,” his older