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The U.S. military announced plans to exhume and identify the remains of 88 sailors and Marines from the USS Arizona who have remained unidentified since the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. These service members, currently interred as “unknowns” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, will undergo forensic testing using modern DNA techniques this winter.
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. The remains will be removed in small groups and transported to forensic laboratories for analysis.
The process marks a significant step in a decades-long effort to provide closure for families of those lost in the surprise attack that propelled the United States into World War II. When the USS Arizona sank after being struck by Japanese bombs on December 7, 1941, it took 1,177 sailors and Marines down with it, marking the greatest loss of life on any U.S. warship in American history.
“Many of these men were just boys, really, with their whole lives ahead of them,” said naval historian Robert Wilson, who has studied the Pearl Harbor attack extensively. “For their families, the uncertainty about their final resting place has been a wound that never fully healed.”
The identification effort faces considerable challenges. In the chaotic aftermath of the attack, recovery teams worked under extraordinary pressure, and the severe damage to many bodies made identification impossible with the technologies available in the 1940s. Limited forensic capabilities at the time meant that many service members were buried without confirmed identities.
Today’s forensic scientists employ sophisticated techniques that were unimaginable eight decades ago. Mitochondrial DNA testing, which tracks genetic material passed down through maternal lines, allows scientists to match remains with living family members. This technique, combined with forensic anthropology and DNA comparison to relatives, has already helped identify hundreds of previously unknown WWII service members.
The DPAA has been proactively collecting DNA samples from living relatives of USS Arizona crew members in preparation for the identification process. Officials report that hundreds of family reference samples are already on file, significantly increasing the chances of positive identifications.
“The technology we have today allows us to fulfill our nation’s promise to these sailors and Marines,” said Dr. Eleanor Haskins, a forensic anthropologist consulting with the DPAA. “These men gave everything for their country, and identifying them is the least we can do to honor their sacrifice.”
For families who receive confirmation of their loved ones’ identities, options include reburial with full military honors at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific or returning the remains to hometowns across America. Either choice would mark the first time many of these service members will have graves bearing their names.
The USS Arizona identification project represents one of the largest undertakings of its kind for the DPAA, which maintains a global mission to account for missing American military personnel. The agency conducts recovery operations worldwide, from remote Pacific islands to European battlefields, working to fulfill its motto that “no one left behind” applies even generations after conflicts end.
The Pearl Harbor attack, which claimed more than 2,400 American lives across multiple military installations on Oahu, remains one of the most consequential moments in American history. While the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor stands as a solemn reminder of those lost, the identification of these unknown service members adds a personal dimension to this national remembrance.
“Every name we can confirm, every family that receives answers, brings us closer to fulfilling our sacred obligation to those who served,” McKeague said in his statement. “Though eight decades have passed, our commitment to accounting for these brave Americans remains unwavering.”
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16 Comments
I’m curious to learn more about the specific process the military will use to exhume and identify the remains. What challenges might they face, and how confident are they in successfully matching the DNA?
That’s a good question. The article mentions they will use ‘modern DNA techniques’, so I imagine the forensic labs have developed reliable methods for this type of analysis. But you raise a fair point about potential challenges.
This is an important act of remembrance for the fallen at Pearl Harbor. Providing closure for their families, even decades later, is a solemn but meaningful endeavor. I hope the identification process goes smoothly.
Agreed. It’s admirable that the military is dedicating resources to honor these heroes and give their families the dignity of knowing their final resting place.
The scale of loss at Pearl Harbor was staggering, so it’s heartening to see the military still committed to providing closure for the families of those who perished. This project is an important historical preservation effort.
Agreed. Honoring the sacrifices made that day, and ensuring the individual stories and identities of the fallen are not lost to time, is a noble and necessary undertaking.
This is an important step to honor and identify the brave sailors and Marines who perished at Pearl Harbor. Providing closure for their families is the least we can do to respect their ultimate sacrifice.
Agreed. Using modern forensic techniques to finally put names to these ‘unknowns’ is a poignant and meaningful endeavor.
This is a solemn and meaningful endeavor, but I hope the military is exercising due diligence to ensure a thorough and accurate identification process. Respecting the dignity of these fallen heroes is paramount.
Absolutely. With the passage of 80 years, they will need to be very careful and meticulous to ensure the identifications are definitive and reliable. The families deserve that level of care and commitment.
It’s remarkable that 80 years later, we still have the opportunity to properly recognize these lost heroes. DNA analysis will ensure their individual stories and identities are preserved for future generations.
Absolutely. These young men deserve to be remembered with dignity, and this exhumation project is a commendable effort to achieve that.
I’m curious to learn more about the potential impact this could have on Pearl Harbor historical research and preservation efforts. Will the new identifications lead to any updates or changes to existing records and memorials?
That’s a good point. Identifying the previously unknown remains may shed new light on the events of that fateful day and could prompt revisions to historical accounts and commemorations. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
I’m glad to see the military investing resources into this identification project. Bringing a sense of closure to the families of those lost at Pearl Harbor is a meaningful way to commemorate their service and sacrifice.
Absolutely. Even decades later, providing dignified and proper burials for these heroes is an important act of remembrance and respect.