CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Science made it possible, and faith made him unforgettable. More than 80 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a hero is finally coming home to be laid to rest in the Coastal Bend.

U.S. Navy Storekeeper 3rd Class Roberto Stillman Garcia, was a sailor from Concepcion, Texas. He served aboard the battleship USS California, which was moored at Ford Island, when Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

In the early minutes of the assault, the California was struck by two torpedoes and a bomb, sustaining heavy damage. Roughly 100 crew members were killed, including 23-year-old Garcia.

His remains were recovered by Navy personnel between December 1941 and April 1942 and initially interred at temporary ce

See Full Page