Disinterment of the USS Arizona Unknowns Begins at Punchbowl

Washington D.C. –

The first eight caskets of USS Arizona Unknowns were disinterred on November 2, 2026, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as Punchbowl. For families who have waited more than eight decades for answers, the recovery marks a historic step toward restoring the names of these Sailors and Marines.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) began the work ahead of the original schedule to protect the remains amid repeated storms and heavy rainfall in Hawaii. The Unknowns will be physically present at the December 7 ceremony, where nearly 700 family members will gather to honor their sacrifice.

Protecting the Remains Comes First

Recent weather conditions have forced the cancellation of numerous disinterments in Hawaii. Those disruptions prompted discussions between DPAA scientists in Hawaii, agency leadership in Washington, and Operation 85 Executive Director Kevin Kline about preparations for the December 7 ceremony.

The concerns extended beyond scheduling. Water can enter aging steel burial caskets, and their condition cannot be fully assessed until they are recovered. Some may contain water, leak, or have damage that would make bringing them directly from the cemetery into a ceremony inappropriate. Placing American flags over caskets in those conditions could also risk soiling the flags.

Above all, the remains needed to be protected from an extended period in wet conditions after recovery.

Beginning disinterment of the first eight caskets early allows DPAA to bring the remains promptly into the laboratory’s controlled environment. There, scientists can remove them from the aging steel caskets and carefully prepare and preserve them. The remains will be placed in clean, modern transfer cases for their participation in the ceremony.

Kline fully supports the decision, recognizing that the earlier recovery gives scientists time to care for the remains properly and respond to further weather disruptions.

The Unknowns Will Be Present on December 7

The earlier recovery preserves an essential part of the December 7 gathering: USS Arizona Unknowns will be physically present with the families.

They will arrive under military escort with full honors and depart with full military honors as one of the last segments of the ceremony. Nearly 700 family members will gather in their presence to honor their sacrifice and mark this extraordinary step toward restoring their names.

The scientific work of extracting DNA and comparing it with family reference samples will follow. Disinterment begins that next stage of the effort; it does not mean the identities of the Unknowns have already been established.

This Work Involves the Unknowns Buried at Punchbowl

The recovery effort involves the Unknowns buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

The remains within the sunken USS Arizona will never be disturbed.

That distinction is central to Operation 85’s mission: helping identify the USS Arizona Unknowns who were removed after the attack and buried at Punchbowl.

A Historic Step for Families

For Kline, the grand-nephew of unrecovered USS Arizona crew member GM2c Robert Edwin Kline, this milestone carries a deeply personal meaning.

Operation 85’s families and volunteers have worked toward the possibility of restoring names to these men. The first recovery makes that effort tangible while underscoring the responsibility that guides every step: treating the fallen with the utmost care, dignity, and respect.

Operation 85 is grateful to DPAA’s scientists and leadership for addressing the conditions in Hawaii and choosing an approach that puts the protection of the remains first.

On December 7, families will stand together to honor these Sailors and Marines—and the generations who have waited for answers.

Photo credit: DPAA. Disinterment at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, November 2, 2026.