Canton Hero Pays Ultimate Sacrifice at Pearl Harbor

Growing up as one of seven siblings on a working, family farm in Canton, John K. Luntta may have been well suited for his position as Seaman 1^st Class aboard the USS Nevada.

Among his many responsibilities aboard the Nevada, John would have: cooked, cleaned, loaded, unloaded and distributed cargo, as well as maintained and handled the ship’s ropes. He’d also be an important part of the security crew on the battleship.

One can only imagine the many roles he played on the Nevada the day Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by miniature submarines, torpedo and bomber planes from the Empire of Japan.

The Nevada took direct hits from a torpedo, which tore a hole into the port bow measuring 45 by 30 feet, as well as blasts from between five to ten bombs. 

There was extensive flooding on board ship, oil fires, as well as the ship’s own ammunition exploding around them. Nevada’s crew, although wounded by shrapnel, burns, smoke, shell shock and deafened by damaged eardrums, refused to leave their posts. They returned fire, tended to the wounded and dodged enemy planes' strafing.

About 40 minutes into the attack, still under intense fire, Lt. Commander Francis J. Thomas ordered the ship moved out of the Harbor, due in part to its close proximity to the USS Arizona, which was engulfed in flames, stem to stern. The Nevada sailors made it happen. 

Eventually, concerned about blocking the entry to the Harbor, the Nevada was ordered to run aground on the Navy Yard, just south of Ford Island.

By the time it was over, Nevada’s crew of nearly 1,500 sailors had lost three officers and 47 enlisted men, including John Luntta. Also on the Nevada, John's brother Hans was wounded, but survived the attack. Their older brother Elmer Luntta, chief engineer on the USS Maryland which was also docked on Battleship Row, survived as well.

1941 had been an eventful and tragic year for the Luntta family — with the passing of their matriarch, a cross-country and final visit to the family soldiers by the patriarch and ultimately the loss of John:

May 21, 1941 Elizabeth Justine Kovanen Luntta, age 50, passed away at Saint Francis Hospital after a short illness. She left her husband, four sons, three daughters, three grandchildren, her mother and sister.

August 27, 1941 Einar Luntta, accompanied by his youngest son, drove to California to visit John and Hans who were on leave from Pearl Harbor. 

Their travels continued to Washington for a visit with son Elmer Luntta, who was attending a Government radio school at the time. A local newspaper story reported that it had been four years since Einar had seen John, Hans and Elmer.

December 7, 1941 They lost John.

Nellie Crowston — through her 97 year old mother Viola Vienot, John’s sister — shared the family’s post-Pearl Harbor memories:

AT: When did the family hear that John was lost at Pearl Harbor and that Hans had survived?

NC: New Year’s Day.

AT: Did Hans ever share his experiences of that day?

NC: He never talked about it except to explain that he lost his hearing during the attack. There wasn’t enough time to get earplugs. He remained deaf for the remainder of his life.

He did relate that he looked for Pop (John’s nickname) after the fighting stopped, but the body had been removed.

In January, the hometown papers began spreading the news:

January 8, 1942: “John K. Luntta, Local Boy, Killed in Action at Pearl Harbor, HI. The tragedy of warfare struck here with full force Friday when J. Einar Luntta, long a resident of Collinsville received official word that John K. Luntta, one of his three sons now serving this country, had been killed in action during the dastardly Jap attack on Pearl Harbor.”

The family would have to wait until November for John's remains to be shipped back home to Canton. It was pouring rain on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 7, 1942, when John's flag draped coffin was brought by the local American Legion honor guard from the Ventres Funeral Home, to the Congregational Church and eventually to Old Village Cemetery, where John was laid to rest beside his mother. 

John was also remembered at another special service held at the Canton Street School, (now Gallery on the Green).

Today, we can find his name on the V-shaped veterans marker in Collinsville. The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post was renamed in his memory. 

AT: A final family memory of John?

NC: I found a card printed with USS Nevada Thanksgiving, 1941, on the cover. It has a greeting from the commanders to the crew.

“Extend to the Crew heartfelt wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,” on page two. The third page is an extensive Thanksgiving menu, including cigars, candy and cigarettes.

But, the best part is the last page. In Uncle John’s penmanship it says “Happy Thanksgiving! Hi Lola (name my mom’s immediate family called her). I haven’t written to you for quite some time but don’t give up hope. I’ll write to you real soon. You can be thinking of something to write about so that you can write to me too. John.

Obviously it was the last correspondence my mom received from him. I cherish this!

Here’s the Deal 

This tribute to John Luntta took a village to complete. 

About Town is indebted to John Luntta’s niece Nellie Crowston and her mother Viola Vienot who so generously shared their family recollections.

Larry Carlton, Tony DiPinto and Fred Humphrey for their personal and archival recollections and materials.

Kathy Jenkins at the for her guidance and assistance looking up newspaper articles of the times.

Other Reference: www.history.navy.mil