Personal recordObituary account
Born in Sparta, Wisconsin
Eldon Walter Dutton was born to Walter and Pearl (Davis) Dutton. He grew up in nearby Angelo.
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World War II · United States Navy
Eldon Walter Dutton
Chief Petty Officer
Naval aviation · Oxnard, California documented in a wartime family account
2 April 1940–4 April 1946 · Pearl Harbor survivor
★Family photographReserved for the archive
His story
A life remembered beyond the service record.
Eldon Walter Dutton served in the United States Navy throughout World War II and was remembered in his obituary as a Pearl Harbor survivor. Earlier family research identifies him as a Chief Petty Officer in naval aviation stationed at Oxnard, California. His profile brings together the obituary’s account of his service, his life in Wisconsin, and the archival questions that remain.
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Related collections
Long-form sources are kept in separate reading rooms so Eldon Walter Dutton’s profile can remain a clear guide to his life, service, and surviving records.
Master file repositoryEldon Walter Dutton DownloadsBrowse every cataloged file →Maternal family lineThe Davis Family ConnectionTrace the family through Pearl Davis →Archive sectionLife Stories & NewsRead and download the 1992 obituary →Shared family storyFour Dutton Sons in ServiceRead the 1944 newspaper profile →
At a glance
The known record.
Every statement is phrased according to the strength of the evidence currently held or identified.
- 01Born on 26 February 1920 in Sparta, Wisconsin, to Walter and Pearl (Davis) Dutton.
- 02Grew up in Angelo and graduated from Sparta High School in 1939.
- 03Entered the U.S. Navy on 2 April 1940 and was discharged on 4 April 1946.
- 04Identified in his 1992 obituary as a Pearl Harbor survivor.
- 05A wartime family account identifies him as a Chief Petty Officer in naval aviation stationed at Oxnard, California.
- 06Married Harriet Fish on 8 June 1940 in Decorah, Iowa.
- 07Worked at the Veterans Administration hospital in Tomah and later at Camp McCoy, retiring in 1975.
Operational timeline
What we can place so far.
Personal recordObituary account
Graduated from Sparta High School
The obituary records Eldon’s graduation from Sparta High School in 1939.
Service recordPublished sources
Entered the United States Navy
Eldon began nearly six years of Navy service. A separate wartime family account later identifies him as a Chief Petty Officer in naval aviation stationed at Oxnard, California.
Family lifeObituary account
Married Harriet Fish
Eldon and Harriet Fish were married in Decorah, Iowa.
Service recordObituary; assignment under research
Pearl Harbor survivor
Eldon’s obituary identifies him as a Pearl Harbor survivor. Family research associates him with Ford Island, but the archive is still seeking a primary service record that establishes his exact station and duties that day.
Service recordContemporary newspaper
Pacific service described in the press
A Wisconsin State Journal family profile identified Eldon as a Chief Petty Officer in naval aviation. It reported his presence at Pearl Harbor, service as a gunner, operations at Guadalcanal and other Pacific islands, seven major-engagement stars, and his safe return after damage to aircraft and losses among a crew. These details remain attributed to the newspaper pending comparison with Navy records.
Service recordObituary account
Discharged from the Navy
The obituary records Eldon’s discharge date as 4 April 1946.
Civilian lifeObituary account
A life of public service
After leaving the Navy, Eldon worked at the Veterans Administration hospital in Tomah and then at Camp McCoy, retiring in 1975.
Life recordLa Crosse Tribune, 5 December 1992
Eldon W. Dutton obituary
Eldon died at age seventy-two in the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tomah. The obituary preserves his service, work, family, veterans’ organizations, and arrangements for burial with full military honors.
Beyond the uniform
The person the family knew.
A military file can record a rank, unit, wound, or death—but not a laugh, a favorite story, an occupation, or the way a person was known at home. This section is reserved for photographs, letters, memories, and the details of Eldon Walter Dutton’s life outside his service.
Family & homeWork & interestsLetters & photographs
Documents & evidence
Building the paper trail.
What is known, what comes from family memory, and what the archive is still seeking.
Further records
Research status
DOC 01
Known record1992 La Crosse Tribune obituary
Documents Eldon’s life dates, Navy service dates, Pearl Harbor survivor status, family, civilian work, and burial arrangements.
DOC 02
Known recordWartime family newspaper account
Identifies Eldon as a Chief Petty Officer in naval aviation stationed at Oxnard, California.
DOC 03
Research leadPearl Harbor and Navy personnel records
Needed to establish his exact station, duties, unit, ships or air stations, and complete wartime chronology—including the proposed Ford Island connection.