Ratliff picked for Pearl Harbor press core
U.S. service members participate in an honorable carry ceremony held on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 24, 2021. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) hosted the two honorable carry ceremonies to return the remains and pay tribute to the 429 Sailors and Marines lost aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The remains were returned from the DPAA Laboratory in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to Hawaii as the USS Oklahoma Project nears completion. The honorable carry celebrates the successes of the project, highlighting the joint effort among DPAA, the U.S. Navy, and mission partners while honoring the Sailors and Marines of the USS Oklahoma. The identification of more than 338 of the 394 Sailors and Marines that were missing in 2003, to date, from the USS Oklahoma represents the first successful completion of a project of such scope and complexity. DPAA’s mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael O’Neal
Jennifer Moonsong
Publisher/ Jobe Publishing
Central Division
Jobe Publishing Special Contributor, Criminologist, and Kentucky author, Paula Ratliff is being bestowed with the honor of being chosen as part of the press core for Pearl Harbor. Ratliff is one of approximately 24 news outlets chosen to venture to Hawaii for this week of remembrance.
There is a joint committee that selects the press core which consists of individuals from the Pearl Harbor Museum, the military, the National Park Service, and related organizations. Ratliff says she believes several things helped her and being selected for this privilege.
One of those things is her association with The Epoch Times.
“The Epoch Times is the fastest-growing news source in the world, covering 35 countries in 21 languages. Additionally, they have an amazing website with hourly updates and a TV station. They offer breaking news, on the hour, from around the world. I am honored to be representing them at this event,” she said.
Another factor in route with being chosen was that her story on Kentucky Sailor Howard “Scott” Magers. It was published in the Epoch Times and several articles were published in the JOBE Publishing papers. Eventually, the story was published in Hawaii by the Department of Defense POW/MIA.
“To be selected to be a part of the press core is an absolute honor and a chance of a lifetime,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff will take part in many events related to Pearl Harbor throughout the week, including remembrance services for the USS Nevada, the USS Utah, the 80th Anniversary Ceremony, and the re-internment of the USS Oklahoma “unknowns.”
“This year marks the conclusion of the USS Oklahoma project to identify the 429 “unknowns” who were buried in mass graves. The identification of Scott Magers is because of this project which ultimately brought him home to be buried in Merry Oaks. The project was able to identity 396, leaving only 33as “unknowns.” We know their names and are learning their stories, unfortunately, the DNA could not positively identify them,” Ratliff said. “They will be re-interred in the Punchbowl with full honors.”
In addition, the Navy is going to commission a new ship.
“I have always loved to write and it has always been a part of my life. I love it when an article stirs a reaction, a response, or an emotion in the reader. To me that is the ultimate success of writing” said Ratliff.
“Going to Pearl Harbor is a tremendous opportunity to honor the fallen and the living heroes of Pearl Harbor.”
About Ratliff
In addition to spending time with friends and family on the farm in Merry Oaks, Kentucky, Ratliff has authored and co-authored numerous books that stem from her career in criminology, including “Crime Prevention for Houses of Worship.”
She has also been a grant writer, as well as a teacher who has taught online courses and college-level classes.
In 1992, Ratliff received the prestigious Alumni Service Award from the University of Louisville and was inducted into the Southern High School Hall of Fame in 2004 in Louisville, Kentucky.
U. S. service members participate in an honorable carry ceremony held on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on June 24, 2021. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) hosted the two honorable carry ceremonies to return the remains and pay tribute to the 429 Sailors and Marines lost aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The remains were returned from the DPAA Laboratory in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to Hawaii as the USS Oklahoma Project nears completion. The honorable carry celebrates the successes of the project, highlighting the joint effort among DPAA, the U.S. Navy, and mission partners while honoring the Sailors and Marines of the USS Oklahoma. The identification of more than 338 of the 394 Sailors and Marines that were missing in 2003, to date, from the USS Oklahoma represents the first successful completion of a project of such scope and complexity. DPAA’s mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rusty Frank
Photo by Mark Scorell, American Airlines
