Pearl Harbor DNA Milestone Could Bring Long-Delayed Identifications

Liberty Check

• A major milestone was reached to identify 141 service members killed during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Citizen-led efforts helped secure the necessary DNA samples for exhumation.
• Honoring the fallen remains a vital duty that preserves the legacy of those who sacrificed for our freedom.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that the 60% threshold for genetic reference samples has been met for USS Arizona crew members. This requirement allows for the disinterment of remains currently buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

For years, bureaucratic hurdles and lack of funding slowed the process of identifying these patriots.

Despite government projections of a ten-year timeline, a private organization led by a civilian relative of a fallen sailor expedited the search using personal funds.

“How could we all not feel proud?”

Operation 85 founder Kevin Kline stated to reporters after locating the majority of the families needed to reach the threshold.

His work ensures that the families of those lost during the Imperial Japanese attack may finally receive closure and the recognition their ancestors earned.

The DPAA plans to begin the exhumation process late this year to start putting names to the 88 unknowns tied specifically to the Arizona.

This effort reflects a core constitutional value of honoring those who gave their lives to defend the Republic from foreign aggression.

Our freedoms depend on staying vigilant.