DNA Milestone Enables Potential Disinterment of Unidentified USS Arizona Crew
The United States government may proceed with disinterring the remains of unidentified crew members who perished during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, following the achievement of a significant DNA-related milestone, officials recently announced.
Prior to this announcement, officials confirmed that a sufficient number of family reference samples had been collected. These samples enable comparison with DNA extracted from remains, alongside medical and dental records, to facilitate the individual identification of at least 60% of the battleship USS Arizona crew members slated for disinterment, stated a representative on Friday from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the agency responsible for identifying U.S. military personnel unaccounted for after past conflicts.
It remains unclear when the disinterments will commence, as the DPAA indicated that Pentagon approval is still required before proceeding.
Nonetheless, the DPAA’s statement emphasized that reaching the 60% identification threshold permits the agency “to formally request and begin planning” the disinterments. This represents a critical advancement in the ongoing effort to conclusively identify USS Arizona crew members who were killed at Pearl Harbor but whose remains were not readily recognizable.
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 American military personnel, including 1,177 crew members aboard the USS Arizona. Hundreds of these individuals remain entombed within the sunken battleship, which rests at the site of its sinking and is considered one of the most hallowed locations in the United States, which entered World War II following the attack.
Many of those who could be recovered from the Arizona’s wreckage suffered burns so severe that they were unrecognizable and were subsequently interred as “unknowns” in nearby cemeteries, according to research from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
In 1947, 170 of these unknown service members were exhumed, with more than 100 being identified. However, dozens were deemed “unrecoverable” and were reburied at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Among the Arizona’s killed but unaccounted-for crew was Gunner’s Mate Second Class, whose grandnephew Kevin Kline founded Operation 85 in 2023. This civilian-led, privately funded organization is dedicated to identifying the remaining unknown crew members of the Arizona.
Operation 85 aims to replicate the success of previous efforts that identified over 360 crew members who died on the USS Oklahoma during Pearl Harbor and had previously been unaccounted for, as noted by the National World War II Museum.
The DPAA’s statement on Friday specifically acknowledged Kevin Kline and the Operation 85 team, commending “their devoted efforts over the past three years to locate and connect enough USS Arizona families to help reach this important milestone.” Achieving this milestone brings closer the disinterment of “potentially 141 unknowns currently buried in multiple [possibly] commingled graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.”
The DPAA also encouraged any family members who may be related to missing Arizona crew members to assist with the identification efforts led by Operation 85.
In a New Year’s Eve 2025 statement shared on social media by Operation 85 and attributed to Kevin Kline, he described identifying the Arizona’s last unknowns as a “calling.” On Friday, Kline reposted the DPAA’s announcement, commenting:
“Well, it’s about time!”
He accompanied the message with a smiley-face emoji.
A separate statement from Operation 85 expressed gratitude to families, volunteers, and military officials involved in the effort that culminated in the DPAA’s announcement on Friday.
Operation 85’s statement attributed the recent developments to families stepping forward, the belief in the mission’s importance, and the organization’s refusal to accept that identifying these heroes was “impractical.”
