The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is a place of profound silence, but for decades, a specific mystery has lingered beneath the soil of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. We’re finally seeing a massive effort to fix a historical oversight. The US military is moving to exhume and identify 88 USS Arizona crew members who’ve been buried as "unknowns" since the end of World War II. It’s a gut-wrenching, technical, and deeply necessary project that changes how we honor the Greatest Generation.
You might think every sailor from the Arizona was lost within the hull of the battleship. That’s a common misconception. While most of the 1,177 men who died on December 7, 1941, remain entombed in the ship, dozens of bodies were recovered from the water or the harbor shore in the days following the attack. Because of the chaos, the fires, and the limited forensic technology of the 1940s, these men couldn't be named. They were laid to rest in "Punchbowl" cemetery in Honolulu under headstones that simply read "Unknown."
Now, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is stepping in to change that. This isn't just about record-keeping. It's about a promise made to families who have spent 85 years wondering where their grandfathers and uncles actually ended up.
Why it took eight decades to start this process
Forensic science didn't just wake up one day and decide it was ready. The delay comes down to a mix of legal hurdles, respect for the "sanctity of the grave," and the evolution of DNA sequencing. For a long time, the Department of Defense had a strict policy: they wouldn't exhume remains unless there was a high probability of identification.
The success of the USS Oklahoma project changed everything. Between 2015 and 2021, the DPAA identified nearly 400 sailors from the Oklahoma, another battleship sunk at Pearl Harbor. That project proved that even after decades in commingled graves, modern mitochondrial DNA testing and dental records can solve these "cold cases."
The Arizona unknowns represent a different challenge. These 88 individuals were buried in several different plots. Some remains were recovered from the surface of the water, while others were found on the ship’s decks before it was deemed a permanent tomb. Identifying them requires a massive database of family DNA samples. If you're a relative of an Arizona sailor who was never accounted for, your cheek swab is literally the key to this entire operation.
The technical reality of identifying the fallen
When these remains are exhumed, they don't go to a standard lab. They’re sent to DPAA facilities in Hawaii or Nebraska. Forensic anthropologists look at bone structure to determine age and height. Then, the real heavy lifting happens with DNA.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the go-to because it's passed down through the maternal line. It’s incredibly stable. Even after 80 years in a tropical climate like Honolulu, the core genetic markers often remain intact within the dense parts of the teeth or the femur.
The DNA isn't enough on its own. It’s matched against the Navy’s historical records and the ship's manifest. We’re talking about a multi-step verification process that’s basically a forensic puzzle on a massive scale. If the DPAA can't find a living relative to provide a DNA sample, then the identity might remain a mystery forever. That's the tragic part.
The ship remains a cemetery
There’s a huge distinction to make here. The US military is NOT exhuming the USS Arizona itself. The battleship is a protected site, and the Navy has no plans to disturb the hundreds of sailors still inside.
The 88 crew members being discussed are those who were already removed from the harbor and buried on land in 1941. It’s about the ones who didn’t get their names on their headstones. Most people assume every Arizona sailor is still underwater, but that’s just not the case.
This project is a massive undertaking. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally draining for the forensic teams involved. But it's also a debt. When you send a 19-year-old kid to war and they don't come back, the least a country can do is find out who they were and give them a proper funeral with their name on the marker.
How families can help the mission
If you're a relative of one of the "Unknowns," you're not just a bystander. The DPAA relies on family members to provide the DNA needed for a match. Without those reference samples, the forensic team is basically searching for a needle in a haystack.
Families should reach out to the Navy’s casualty office or the DPAA directly to see if their relative is on the list of unaccounted-for service members. It’s a simple cheek swab. That's it. That one small act can bring a sailor home.
The work has already started. We’re seeing more and more names being restored to the history books every year. It’s a slow process, but it’s the right one.
Next steps for the Arizona project
Check the official DPAA website for the list of sailors who are still unaccounted for from the USS Arizona. If you see a family name, contact the Navy Service Casualty Office to find out how to submit a DNA sample.
The identification of these 88 men is a multi-year project. It won’t happen overnight. But for the families who have waited since 1941, every name restored is a victory. This is how we keep a promise made 85 years ago.
