WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Joseph U. Conner, 26, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, killed during World War II, was accounted for on May 20, 2026.
Conner’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Conner was assigned to the battleship USS Utah, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Utah sustained multiple torpedo hits on its port side as well as bombs from above, causing the ship to capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 58 crewmen, including Conner.
During efforts to salvage the USS Utah, Navy personnel recovered the remains of 14 crewmen, which were interred at Halawa Naval Cemetery on Oahu. After the war, the American Graves Registration Service was not able to identify the 14 crewmen, and they were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
In February and March 2022, DPAA, in cooperation with cemetery officials, disinterred the 14 Unknowns reported to be associated with the USS Utah from the Punchbowl and transferred the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
To identify Conner’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
Conner’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Conner will be buried on Aug. 1, 2026, in his hometown.
For family and funeral information, contact the Navy Service Casualty office at (901) 874-2438.
DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
For additional information on the War Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/, or https://x.com/dodpaa.
Conner’s personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000sPLv8EAG.