Stanly County native who died in attack on Pearl Harbor returned to N.C.

ALBEMARLE, N.C. (WBTV) – An Albemarle native and U.S. Navy sailor who was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor was returned to North Carolina this week.

Seaman 1st Class Edward Talbert, who grew up in Stanly County, was aboard one of the ships at the naval base on Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked.

Talbert was among thousands killed during the attack, and was the first casualty of World War II from Stanly County.

“He was on the USS Oklahoma...and that was the ship that rolled over, trapping the sailors underneath,” nephew Mike Crisco said. “It was a year or so later they were able to get the remains out and they did that and they buried him there in Hawaii.”

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Talbert’s remains were located using advanced DNA technology.

Family, along with community members and the Patriot Guard Riders, attended a funeral service for Talbert today, on what what have been his 100th birthday.

The service was held at Prospect Baptist Church in Albemarle.

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