Pearl Harbor sailor’s personal stamp to be returned to family after 80 years

A piece of history from a sailor killed at Pearl Harbor will be making its way back to his family, more than 80 years later.

Last week, WRAL shared the story of Herbert Jacobson, a fireman aboard the USS Oklahoma, who was missing in action for decades.

Now, one of the last items Jacobson ever sent, an envelope postmarked from Pearl Harbor, will be returned to his family.

And it’s all thanks, in part, to a story you saw right here on WRAL.

The envelope may be empty, but Woody Walls says it’s brimming with history.

"I found this one, and I was like, oh, wow, that's really neat," Woody Walls, founder of Pearl Harbor Sailor's stamp on envelope in collection said.

It’s “neat” because the envelope was sent from the battleship USS Oklahoma, exactly 83 years to the day before Walls discovered it in his father-in-law’s stamp collection.

"And I went, wow, man, I says, that's crazy, I says, this thing's going to be sunk in two weeks," Walls said.

The USS Oklahoma sank on December 7, 1941, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and 400 men lost their lives.

Walls wondered if Herbert Jacobson, the name stamped on the envelope’s corner, was among them.

"There will be a registry of this guy, you know, somewhere, whether he made it or he didn't," Walls said.

As it turned out, Walls wasn’t the only one asking that question.

When the Oklahoma sank, Jacobson, a 3rd Class Fireman, went missing.

It took over 80 years and groundbreaking DNA technology to finally identify his remains.

In 2022, Jacobson was reburied with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

"My mother kept meticulous records that helped us an awful lot," Jacobson’s nephew, Bradley McDonald, said.

Last week, WRAL spoke with Jacobson’s family on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

"We always, in past history, would use this day to remind us he was still unidentified, still somewhere. Since his burial at Arlington, we take a deep breath and are grateful for the work and efforts of our government," said Colleen McDonald Williams, Jacobson’s niece.

When WRAL’s story went online, it caught Woody Walls’ attention.

"And so, I just thought, wow, this is something his family should have, even as small as it might be," Walls said.

WRAL facilitated the connection, and now the envelope is on its way to the Jacobson family. It’s not just a piece of history, it’s a meaningful link between a long-lost sailor and those who never stopped honoring his memory.

"So I was down here by myself when I found it, and I got a little emotional, you know," Walls said. "I thought, wow, man, his parents spent the rest of the war, the rest of their lives never knowing what happened to their son."

Walls plans to mail the envelope Monday, ensuring it will arrive in Bradley McDonald’s mailbox just in time for Christmas.