Max Cohan was at a wreath laying ceremony honoring Luther James Isom who was killed during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
This afternoon a local hero was honored with a wreath laying ceremony at maple hill cemetery... luther james isom .
-- madison county's first world war 2 casualty.
Waay 31's max cohan learned what this mans for his relatives monday marks 79 years since luther james isom was killed during the bombing of pearl harbor.
The huntsville native -- known as a luke to family and friends -- was only 20 almost 79 years to the date of his passing, dozens gathered for the wreath laying ceremony sunday.
Isom served aboard the u-s-s arizona and was promoted first to seaman second class and later to seaman first class.
While enlisted he often wrote home to family and friends...the letters he wrote to his mother are still in the family's possession.
Isom's nephew says it's still difficult to read them today: "because they're so emotional to read them because he spoke personally to his mother and alike so, it just seems to real each time you look at it -- it brings back, the memories start flooding in."
Like most of isom's living relatives, ivey never had the chance to meet the man he grew up hearing stories about.
He says events like sunday's help keep his memory alive.
"he's just alive in the memories and what we share and we try to keep active to try not to forget and that's why these type of organizations, these type of activities, mean so much.
I think, to keep those thoughts alive, for these kinds of sacrifices and these kinds of individuals are not forgotten."
In huntsville, max cohan, waay 31 news.
Isom' body was one of only 107 recovered from the arizona and he was originally laid to rest in honolulu before he was eventually reinterred at maple hill cemetery in 1947 as the first person to be buried in the military
Nearly 80 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a sailor from Phoenix killed in that attack has been identified and his remains..