Arizona
Remains of USS Arizona crew buried as unknowns after Pearl Harbor to be identified
The Navy and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) have dropped their initial opposition to disinterring the graves of battleship Arizona crew members buried more than 80 years ago as unknowns for possible identification and return to their families.
In a late Thursday release, DPAA announced that the Operation 85 advocacy group led by family member Kevin Kline had met the 60% threshold of DNA Family Reference Samples for the number of crew members thought to be buried in the commingled graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the “Punchbowl.”
Although DPAA initially opposed the USS Arizona (BB-39) Unknown Identification Project, DPAA extended “its sincere appreciation” to Kline, grandnephew of Arizona crew member Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Robert Edwin Kline, “and the ‘Operation 85’ team for their devoted efforts over the past three years to locate and connect enough USS Arizona families to help reach this important milestone.”
Last November, Operation 85 announced that they had reached the required 60% threshold for the Arizona, meaning 643 families. However, it has awaited DPAA confirmation since then.
In a phone interview with Military Times Thursday, Kline, who runs a real estate company in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his wife, Elizabeth, said the threshold agreement was a long time coming. He became obsessed with the possibility of identifying the unknowns after attending a DPAA update to the families in Norfolk, Virginia, three years ago.
But he had to go up against a March 2022 report to Congress regarding the cost to identify those buried as unknowns.
“Identifying the Sailors and Marines buried in the [Punchbowl] will cost the Navy and the Marine Corps casualty program offices approximately $2,700,000 for just their portion of the larger effort,” the Navy report said.
While the Navy Department, DPAA and other agencies “agree that the identification of the 85 Unknowns associated with USS ARIZONA and buried at [the Punchbowl] is feasible, it will require significant resources and an inordinate amount of time,” the Navy report said.
In addition, “Pursuing this effort will give false hope to the vast majority of USS Arizona families that their loved one may be identified,” the Navy report said.
However, in the effort to track down families and get their permission for DNA samples, “we turned a hard ‘No’ to a ‘Yes,’ Kline said.”
“It’s wonderful and we’re very excited to have hit this milestone” that will allow exhumations to begin,” Kline said. “But I feel like the work is not done yet, we still have new families to find,” he said. “But it’s much easier now knowing that the DPAA and everybody else is on board and I’m not just a rogue family member doing this alone anymore.”
Kline said that he and other family members were surprised to learn that there were crew members — including his great uncle, Gunners Mate 2nd Class Robert Edwin Kline, who died aboard the Arizona at age 22 — who were not entombed in the Arizona when it was sunk on Dec. 7, 1941.
His great uncle and others may have been blown clear of the ship by the force of the eight bombs that hit the Arizona from Japanese attack planes, Kline said, or by the huge explosion of the Arizona’s ammunition compartment.
The battleship suffered more loss of life than any American ship during the attack, its 1,177 dead comprising nearly half the 2,403 killed at Pearl Harbor.
Of the ship’s dead, 277 of its sailors and Marines are buried in Honolulu’s National Memorial of the Pacific. The identity of at least 85 of those men remain unknown to this day.
Kline’s great uncle and others could be among the remains of those recovered by Navy divers after the war before the mission was deemed too dangerous.
“Growing up in our family — we knew our uncle was never found [because] he was in the ship. That’s where everybody always thought where he was,” Kline said.
The hull of the 608-foot Pennsylvania class battleship Arizona now rests at the bottom of Pearl Harbor as the final resting place for more than 900 of the ship’s 1,177 crewmen who were killed on Dec. 7, 1941.
Above the hull, without ever touching it, is the gracefully stunning Arizona Memorial, officially known as the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, managed by the National Park Service.
The sloping roof of the memorial’s design, crafted by Austrian-American architect Alfred Preis, was intended to convey the profound symbolism of war and remembrance. The roof “sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expressing initial defeat and ultimate victory” in World War II, Preis said after the 1962 dedication of the memorial.
Dozens of bright yellow jets once operated by Spirit Airlines are now sitting idle in the Arizona desert after being repossessed by leasing companies, according to aviation officials.
The aircraft are currently parked in a storage field following the shutdown of operations involving the planes. Industry experts say the jets were not owned directly by Spirit Airlines, but instead leased through outside companies that quickly moved to reclaim the aircraft.
One aviation contractor involved in the process said crews had only a matter of hours to coordinate the recovery effort and relocate the planes.
That process included hiring former Spirit pilots who had suddenly found themselves out of work to help ferry the aircraft to storage facilities in Arizona.
“The reason I’m empathetic to all this is because I’ve been in the same situation four or five times,” one aviation worker said. “I was with airlines that closed their doors overnight. I woke up the next morning not having a job. I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mortgage, how I can pay for health care. I have little kids.”
Officials say the future of the aircraft remains uncertain. Depending on what the leasing companies decide, the planes could eventually return to service with another airline, be dismantled for parts, or scrapped altogether.
Spirit Airlines has not announced whether the aircraft could return to operations.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The 2026 NFL Draft is over, but the 2026 NFL schedule is here!
While Arizona Cardinals fans should be excited about Jeremiyah Love and all the new additions, the release of the regular season schedule turns a mere daydream of fall into a more concrete 17-game reality check.
The Cardinals finished last season 3-14, missed the playoffs, and now have a new path towards the postseason.
Shop Cardinals 2026 tickets
As a Cardinals fan, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to commune with your fellow fans and see State Farm Stadium in all its glory.
The first game of the NFL season is less than three months away, be the first to secure your tickets to see the Arizona Cardinals play this season.
Arizona Cardinals 2026 NFL schedule, tickets
- Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers – Sunday, Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 2: Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks – Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 5: Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions – Sunday, Oct. 11 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 7: Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos – Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 10: Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams – Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 12: Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Commanders – Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 13: Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 14: BYE
- Week 15: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 16: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Sunday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 17: Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas Raiders – Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 18: Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers – TBD
Shop Cardinals 2026 tickets
Cardinals home opponents, tickets
The Cardinals will host the following teams at State Farm Stadium this season:
- L.A. Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Las Vegas Raiders
- N.Y. Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
Cardinals away opponents, tickets
The Cardinals will hit the road and take on the following teams during the regular season:
- L.A. Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- L.A. Chargers
- New Orleans Saints
- N.Y. Giants
Shop Cardinals 2026 tickets
Arizona Cardinals NFL Draft pick
With the team’s first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall. Watch Jeremiyah Love play in person this year by buying your tickets now .
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Arizona’s natural wonders: See the state’s most iconic sites
Arizona’s diverse geography has created some incredible features. Take a look at the best, including Sedona’s red rocks and the Grand Canyon, of course.
The Republic
Despite its desert reputation, Arizona has several exciting roller coaster attractions that make it a fun destination for thrill seekers. One of the best-known rides is the Desert Storm coaster at Castles N’ Coasters in Phoenix.
Arizona is also home to two popular mountain coasters located in the cooler mountain regions of the state.
Mountain coasters are gravity-powered rides built along hillsides or mountains. Riders sit in individual carts attached to a track and control their own speed using hand brakes. Unlike traditional roller coasters, mountain coasters often wind through forests and natural scenery, creating a mix of adventure ride and scenic experiences.
And Arizona is lucky enough to have two mountain coasters. Here’s how to visit.
What roller coaster is in the mountains in Arizona?
There are two mountain coasters in Arizona: the Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams and the Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort.
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams AZ
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park features the Canyon Coaster, which spans 1 mile with a scenic mountain backdrop. It has a peak height of 35 feet and is integrated into the natural curves of the landscape. The 13-acre park also offers tubing across 400 feet of track in summer and snow-covered slopes in winter, facilitated by two conveyor lifts. There’s also a restaurant and bar.
Where: 700 E. Route 66, Williams, Arizona.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7p.m. Fridays-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday year-round.
Admission: The Canyon Coaster costs $20 per person per ride. Riders must be over 4 feet, 5 inches tall. Children who are at least 3 years old and 38-54 inches tall ride for $10 with a driver who is 18 or older. Visit the website for other attractions and pricing.
Details: 928-707-7729, canyoncoasteradventurepark.com.
Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort
Spanning over half a mile with 3,287 feet of track, the coaster’s carts can reach up to 25 mph. Hand brakes let you choose a mellow or zippy ride. Sunrise Park has skiing and other snow activities in winter, plus mountain biking, scenic chair lift rides and more in summer. Dining options include a restaurant and pub.
Where: Sunrise Park Resort, 200 State Route 273, on the Fort Apache Reservation near Greer.
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday, closed Monday-Thursday. Open every day starting June 2026.
Admission: $19 per ride or buy two rides for $38 and get a third ride free. Tickets are available in person. See the Sunrise Park website for other seasonal activities and prices.
Details: 928-735-7669, sunrise.ski/apache-coaster.
Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.
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