Who was Ed Hall? Nevada vet and last Pearl Harbor survivor who wanted to live till 100 dies at age 99
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Edward Hall, better known as Ed Hall, the last survivor of Pearl Harbor in the US state of Nevada, died at the age of 99. This week, Hall had one last laugh with his nurses before peacefully dying in his sleep.
Greg Mannarino, a friend of Hall's, reports he died at 2.45 am Nov 2, Wednesday, at North Las Vegas VA Medical Center. Hall was a member of the US Army Air Corps and was only 18 years old when Japan launched the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that resulted in 2,403 American deaths. In an August 2020 interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hall expressed sadness that he is believed to be the last living Pearl Harbor veteran in the state of Nevada. In the interview, he further stated that Dec 7, 1941, was a day he would never forget.
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Mannarino visited his longtime buddy the night before he passed away, telling the Review-Journal that he was "full of life" and would often be seen cracking jokes with the nurses. He said, "He passed away peacefully in his sleep. He joked with the nurses last night. Before I left he said 'I love you.' He seemed still full of life."
Kathy and I are saddened at the loss of Ed Hall, the last known Pearl Harbor survivor in Nevada.
— Steve Sisolak (@SteveSisolak) November 4, 2022
Ed was a proud veteran, honorable Nevadan and dedicated American.
We honor his memory, bravery and sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/fGeJB8ZcFJ
Mannarino claimed that the doctor informed him that he was not responding when they went to check on him. He remarked after learning of Hall's passing, "I just fell over completely. He was the greatest guy, from the greatest generation. Those men were cut from a different cloth."
Hall was discharged from the US Army in 1946 when he was just 23 years old. He attempted to enroll in school once more after being discharged from the US Army in 1946 at the age of 23 but was turned away. He spent 40 years working as an elevator installer in Chicago following his marriage, first kid, and subsequent relocation. He moved to Las Vegas to retire in 1994.
The end of an Era: Ed Hall, The last known Pearl Harbor survivor in Nevada died in his sleep this week at the age of 99.#pearlharbor #ThankYou #EdHall pic.twitter.com/27Tzgqe6kV
— Patricia Ramsey (@GopGal53) November 4, 2022
Hall did, however, never lose sight of the need of education, and in 2017 he finally graduated from high school. He told the Review-Journal in November 2017 that he was "just overwhelmed" to have completed high school. He also disclosed to the media outlet that checking off the objective of living to be 100 years old was the last thing he wanted to do. "If I can do that, that'll fill the bucket," he declared.