Chillicothe Salutes Joseph Hoffman With A Heroes Welcome Home

Article Presented By Rathkamp Financial

U.S. Navy Musician 1st Class Joseph W. Hoffman received a heroes welcome to his native Chillicothe, 81 years after he was killed aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941. The attack brought the United States into World War II.

A ceremony brought out hundreds of people that lined the funeral procession route to Chillicothe, which proceeded to the Ross Veterans Memorial Park on Chillicothe’s Yoctangee Parkway, just a block from Hoffman’s childhood home.

Watch and listen below to some of the sights and sounds from the August 20th observance in Chillicothe:

The Navy identified Hoffman’s remains in September of 2020 after almost 80 years, as Hoffman’s remains had been buried in Hawaii along with U.S.S. Oklahoma shipmates, until new DNA technology was able to accomplish the indentification task in 2020.

The Chillicothe ceremony included the display of a U.S. flag salvaged from the U.S.S. Oklahoma by a Pickaway County native, as the ship began to sink following the attack. This flag was donated to Circleville American Legion Post 134, where it has been displayed for more than 40 years.

Dignitaries that spoke during the Chillicothe service included:
“Joseph W. Hoffman in his Church” – Pastor James Wade, Tyler United Methodist Church

“Joseph W. Hoffman in his Community” – Mayor Luke Feeney, City of Chillicothe

“Joseph W. Hoffman in the United States Navy” – Rear Admiral Gene Price, Vice Commander, Naval Information Forces

Retired Lt. Colonel Bob Leach of the Ross County Veterans Council, spoke about a hanky and a piece of cloth from Joseph Hoffman that had been left during a visit home in the late 1930’s. Hoffman was a 1936 graduate of Chillicothe High School, where he was active in the school band. He also was active in youth group and played piano at his church at Tyler Methodist in Chillicothe.

U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Retired- Bob Leach