HONOLULU — Warren Upton, who held the title of the oldest surviving witness to the 1941 Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor and was the last living survivor of the USS Utah, has passed away at the age of 105.

Upton died on Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California, from complications due to pneumonia, as reported by Kathleen Farley, who serves as the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors.

The USS Utah, a battleship, was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it came under attack by Japanese aircraft in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, an incident that ultimately led the United States to enter World War II.

In an interview in 2020, Upton recounted the moment the first torpedo struck the Utah while he was preparing to shave. He explained that the crew was initially puzzled by the sudden jolt that rocked the ship. Moments later, a second torpedo struck, causing the vessel to take on water and begin capsizing.

At the age of 22, Upton managed to swim to Ford Island, where he sought refuge in a trench to evade incoming fire from Japanese planes. He remained there for approximately half an hour until a truck arrived to transport him to safety.

Upton expressed that he had no qualms about sharing his experiences from that fateful day; however, he often felt a deep sense of loss as he watched his fellow shipmates dwindle over the years. As of 2020, only three crew members of the Utah were still alive, including Upton.

On the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, it was estimated that around 87,000 military personnel were stationed on Oahu, according to military historian J. Michael Wenger. Following Upton’s passing, just 15 of those who experienced the attack remain alive today.