Upton, who was surrounded by loved ones, died on December 25th after a brief hospital stay, as announced by the Pacific Historic Parks non-profit organization.
According to Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Upton's passing followed a struggle with pneumonia. He died in a Los Gatos, California hospital.
Upton was not only the oldest living survivor of the December 7th, 1941 attack but also the last survivor of the USS Utah. This ship sank after being struck by two torpedoes in the initial moments of the attack.
Serving as a radioman on the USS Utah, 22-year-old Upton and others managed to swim to Ford Island after the ship capsized. He even helped a fellow crew member who couldn't swim to safety.
The ship's sinking resulted in the deaths of 58 crew members, many of whom were trapped as it rolled over. The wreckage now serves as a memorial at Pearl Harbor.
Upton continued his service as a radioman throughout World War II. He later married Gene, with whom he built a family. Gene passed away in 2018.
In a 2020 interview, Upton recounted how he was preparing to shave when the first torpedo hit the USS Utah. He mentioned that the crew was puzzled by the initial shaking before the second torpedo struck, causing the ship to capsize.
Military historian J. Michael Wenger notes that of the 87,000 military personnel stationed on Oahu on December 7th, 1941, only 15 remain alive following Upton's passing.
Upton's death comes months after the passing of Lou Conter, another Pearl Harbor survivor and the last known survivor of the USS Arizona. Conter, who was 102, died in April.
Conter, who served as a quartermaster, was on the main deck of the USS Arizona when the attack occurred.
He went on to serve in three wars, flew 200 missions as a pilot, and retired in 1967 after almost 30 years of service in the Navy.
