Kyser was killed on Dec. 7, 1941, in the attack on Pearl Harbor and had remained an Unknown for almost eight decades before being identified on Aug. 9, 2019, by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) using his DNA and modern forensic technology.

According to the DPAA, on Dec. 7, 1941, Kyser, originally from Muskogee, Okla. – was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma was moored at Ford Island when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to capsize quickly. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Kyser, who was 18 years old at the time.

From December 1941 to June 19443, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred on Oahu, Hawaii. In 2015, advances in forensic technology prompted the reexamination of Unknown remains associated with the loss of the Oklahoma. Kyser’s remains were exhumed and transferred to the DPAA laboratory, where they were successfully identified.

“We are deeply humbled to welcome the remains of Seaman Second Class Denver True Kyser to Fresno. His ultimate sacrifice during the attack on Pearl Harbor all those years ago still resonates and has intrinsic value today. The freedoms we fight for today are built upon the efforts of those who have gone before, and we are profoundly honored to escort home the remains of one of those patriots,” said NAS Lemoore Commanding Officer Capt. Douglas M. Peterson.

Kyser’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

On May 21, 2022, the interment will be at 1 p.m. in Fresno Memorial Garden, 175 S. Cornelia Ave., in Fresno. California Ream Admiral Gene F. Price, Vice Commander of Navy Information Forces, will conduct the graveside honors.