John Luntta Remembered on Pearl Harbor Day
A Collinsville Son Goes Down in History
There are the historic and statistical facts:
Collinsville resident, John Kallervo Luntta was 20 years old when he lost his life aboard the USS Nevada.
The USS Nevada was mortally wounded by a targeted Japanese torpedo and bomb attack in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.
The Nevada attempted a courageous, but ill-fated escape out of Pearl Harbor as the attack upon it was redoubled.
Admiral Pye ordered Captain Scanlan to beach the Nevada instead. This was a strategic directive in hopes that the severely damaged ship would not block the entrance - and ultimately the exit - from the besieged harbor, where she would inevitably sink.
The Nevada lost three officers and 47 enlisted soldiers. One of those enlisted soldiers was Seaman 1st Class John K. Luntta from East Hill Road in Collinsville.
Luntta is buried at Collinsville Cemetery. He was awarded a Purple Heart; an American Defense Service Medal; and an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with star.
Luntta was also a member of the Collinsville community. While honoring his sacrifice on Pearl Harbor Day, About Town will honor the man who lived as a resident, a son and brother in Collinsville in a future column.
Note: In researching Seaman Luntta’s history, there were several different spellings of his name.
