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RM3c Bill Lester Driver
Lester R. “Bill” Driver was born July 2, 1917 in Kemp, Texas. His father, Edgar Driver, was a farmer, and his mother, Hulda Frosch Driver, a homemaker.
The family moved about 300 miles north to Sentinel, Oklahoma, in 1927. The son graduated from Sentinel High School in 1938.
In January 1939, he left Sentinel, population 1,000, to enlist in the Navy.
Mr. Driver was a radioman and petty officer third class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
In 2017, Oklahoma designated a bridge over Elk Creek on State Highway 44 about two miles south of Sentinel the Bill Lester Driver Memorial Bridge.
Sources: The Hobart (Oklahoma) Democrat-Chief; The Sentinel (Oklahoma) Leader; Census; Navy muster roll; Oklahoma law. This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.
NOTE: If you are a family member related to this crew member of the U.S.S. Arizona, or have additional information, pictures or documents to share about his life or service to our county please contact us through our FAMILY MEMBER SUBMISSION FORM.