US Military to Exhume Pearl Harbor Victims for Identification

The U.S. military has announced plans to exhume and identify the remains of 88 crew members from the USS Arizona who have remained unidentified for over eight decades following the attack on Pearl Harbor. These sailors and Marines, currently interred as “unknowns” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, will finally have a chance to regain their identities through modern forensic technology.

Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), confirmed on Thursday that the exhumations are scheduled to begin in November or December this year. The process represents one of the most significant identification efforts related to the Pearl Harbor attack since World War II.

“These sailors and Marines made the ultimate sacrifice, and we owe it to them and their families to pursue every avenue for identification,” McKeague stated in his announcement.

The DPAA will conduct the exhumations in small groups, with remains being transported to specialized forensic laboratories where they will undergo comprehensive testing using cutting-edge DNA techniques. When the Pearl Harbor attack occurred on December 7, 1941, many of the fallen service members suffered injuries that made traditional identification methods impossible. At the time, forensic technology was rudimentary, leaving many families without closure.

The USS Arizona suffered catastrophic damage during the Japanese attack, sinking with 1,177 crew members aboard—nearly half of the total casualties at Pearl Harbor that day. While some remains were recovered in the aftermath, many could not be identified using the methods available in the 1940s.

Today’s identification process relies heavily on mitochondrial DNA testing, which tracks maternal family lines and can connect remains to living relatives even after decades have passed. Forensic anthropologists also examine skeletal remains to determine characteristics like age, height, and other distinguishing features that can help with identification.

The DPAA has already collected hundreds of DNA samples from family members of the USS Arizona crew in preparation for this effort. These reference samples will be crucial in matching the exhumed remains to specific individuals.

“The science has advanced tremendously since these sailors and Marines were laid to rest,” explained Dr. Carrie Brown, DPAA’s forensic anthropologist. “We can now identify individuals with a degree of certainty that would have been unimaginable in 1941.”

This identification project follows similar successful efforts with other World War II casualties. In recent years, the DPAA has identified numerous previously unknown service members from various theaters of the war, including the Pearl Harbor attack. The agency has developed a systematic approach that combines historical research, archaeological recovery, laboratory analysis, and family reference samples.

For the families of the USS Arizona crew members, these identifications represent the culmination of an eight-decade wait for answers. Once remains are positively identified, families will have options for final disposition, including reburial with full military honors at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific or transportation to hometown cemeteries.

Randy Stratton, whose father Donald Stratton was one of the few survivors of the USS Arizona, expressed what this means for families still waiting. “These men have been without named graves for over 80 years. Every identification brings closure not just to a family, but honors the sacrifice these sailors and Marines made for our country.”

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, which draws nearly two million visitors annually, marks the final resting place for many of the ship’s crew. The sunken battleship, with a portion still visible above the water, serves as a powerful reminder of the attack that propelled the United States into World War II.

The DPAA estimates that the identification process could take several years to complete, as each set of remains requires meticulous analysis. However, the agency remains committed to identifying as many of the unknown service members as possible, ensuring that their sacrifice is recognized and their names are finally returned to their families.