Few dates in world history are more significant than December 7, 1941. In his famous speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to it as “a date which will live in infamy.” Indeed, the bombing of Pearl Harbor changed history and the trajectory of many lives.
Pearl Harbor attacks felt in Arlington
Even though Pearl Harbor is over 3,000 miles from Arlington, our small town of about 4,200 immediately felt the effects.
Francis C. Heath and George A. Coke, Jr. were young men from Arlington who died in the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941. Ultimately, Arlington lost 48 young men in World War II, a significant amount for a small town.
Francis C. Heath (left) and George A. Coke, Jr. (right)
Francis C. Heath (1919-1941)
Francis Colston Heath was born in Arlington on October 1, 1919. He graduated from Arlington High School, where he played football. He later enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, desiring steady employment and wanting to learn a trade.
Private First Class Francis C. Heath was aboard the USS Nevada when the attack started. Although the ship was able to get underway, she was hit by a torpedo and several bombs and had to be beached to avoid sinking. Fifty men died in the attack, including Heath, age 22. He was the first confirmed World War II casualty of Tarrant County. Burial occurred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Heath posthumously received the Purple Heart Medal.
Undated newspaper clipping about Francis C. Heath
Photo Credit: UTA History Lab – Memorial to the Fallen
George A. Coke, Jr. (1923-1941)
George Anderson Coke, Jr. was born in Arlington on August 6, 1923. He was a Boy Scout and graduated from Arlington High School, where he was a boxer and played football. He joined the Navy right out of school.
Seaman 1st Class George A. Coke, Jr. was aboard the USS Oklahoma when torpedoes struck her. The ship capsized, killing 429 crewmen, including Coke, age 18. While his remains were initially recovered, they could not be identified at the time. He was buried in a mass grave as an Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Decades later, though, through advances in forensics, his remains were able to be positively identified. Family members decided to bring him home. In 2017, over 75 years after his death, a public memorial was held for Coke at the First United Methodist Church of Arlington. His remains were then reinterred at Parkdale Cemetery with full military honors.
June 2017 newspaper clipping from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Photo Credit: UTA History Lab – Memorial to the Fallen
Additional Reading
- Francis C. Heath – UTA History Lab | Memorial to the Fallen
- George A. Coke, Jr. – UTA History Lab | Memorial to the Fallen
- 75 years after Pearl Harbor, a young Arlington sailor’s remains finally come home – Dallas Morning News
- At long last, Arlington sailor who died at Pearl Harbor is coming home – Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 12-07-24
Jason S. Sullivan 